Tawa-Ories headlines week two of the Swindale Shield

After last weekend's successful Gala Day opening to the 2018 Premier and Premier Reserve season, matches are spread far and wide in the second round.

 
A look at the seven Swindale Shield fixtures and the Harper Lock Shield below:

Avalon v Johnsonville
Referee: Mike Pinfold
Venue: Fraser Park

Avalon are seeking to win two games in the Swindale Shield for the first time since 2016 after they upstaged Wainuiomata 33-32 last Saturday.

Johnsonville, while ahead, incurred a red card just before halftime against Wellington and was subsequently beaten.

The Wolves can ill afford to get complacent though, Johnsonville beat Avalon three times last season.

The Avalon loose forwards were in top flight against the Green and Blacks and will look to repeat that effort and involve their exciting backs which include Chris Aumua, a try scorer on debut, and Liddy Ah Wong.

Johnsonville competed gamely against the Axemen. Their forward effort was honest and halfback Warren De Souzza scored a try and impressed.

This should be a close arm-wrestle.

Tawa v Oriental-Rongotai
Referee: Richard Gordon
Venue: Lyndhurst Park

Tawa won a 29-27 thriller in the Jubilee Cup last year, effectively eliminating Ories from semi-final contention.

On first week displays both teams look like strong contenders for the Jubilee Cup again. Ories overcame Paremata-Plimmerton 48-3 and Tawa was well ahead of MSP for most of the match, eventually winning 35-29.

The forward battle will be immense, with Ories patriarch Whetu Henry in top form scoring two tries last Saturday. Wellington Lion Tolu Fahamokioa led from the front for Tawa.

Both midfields pack plenty of punch with Kalim Kelemete crossing the chalk twice for Tawa against MSP and Malachai Unasa doing the same for Ories.

Expect a belter here.

Upper Hutt Rams v Poneke
Venue: Maidstone Park
Referee: Nick Hogan

Both clubs were heavy losers in round one to the 2017 Jubilee Cup finalists. The Upper Hutt Rams showed signs of promise on attack against Hutt Old Boys Marist, but their defence was suspect. Poneke was never in the contest against Old Boys University.

The last time these two sides played the Rams won 71-12, but expect a much tighter tussle with vastly different personnel on display.

Both sides have strong loose forward departments. Greg Foe will spearhead Poneke's effort while Rams veteran Josh Hunt was full of bustle last Saturday.

New recruit Tom Grimes made a favourable impression at centre for Upper Hutt and will look to contain his dangerous opposite, Wellington Sevens rep Levi Harmon.

The Alby Makeham Shield is an additional fillet for the winner of this game.

Northern United v Hutt Old Boys Marist
Venue: Jerry Collins Stadium
Referee: Jamie Fairmaid

The Manaia brothers, Mike Ioapo, Denny To'o - these are some of the massive men in this game so look out for plenty of heavy collisions.

Both sides made emphatic opening round statements. The Eagles thrashed the Rams and Norths stayed in the fight against a vastly improved Petone and burgled victory on fulltime when Leon Ellison scored a converted try.

In 2017 honours were split one each in high scoring affairs. Hutt won the Swindale Shield encounter 36-31 while Norths prevailed 48-29 in the Jubilee Cup.

Old Boys University v Wainuiomata
Referee: Colin Te Pohe
Venue: William Jones Park

Wainuiomata beat OBU 16-11 in a dour struggle at Kelburn Park last year, but OBU appear undaunted by the prospect of travelling over the hill, winning their last game at William Jones Park, 56-22.

Both No.8's, Ben Tupuola (Wainuiomata) and Teariki Ben-Nicholas (OBU), scored two tries in round one.

OBU have won won four of their last five meetings.

Paremata-Plimmerton v Petone
Referee: Steve Newson
Venue: Ngatitoa Domain

Petone were unlucky to lose, Paremata-Plimmerton were humbled. Taisson Lealaisalanoa made an encouraging start for Pare-Plim, but collectively a more polished effort will have to be delivered for any chance of success.

Petone will be looking to repeat their 38-12 win last year.

The Ken Gray Cup is at stake in this game. The legendary All Black prop played for both clubs.

Marist St Pat's v Wellington
Venue: Evans Bay Park
Referee: Daniel Mangin

Wellington took a while to subdue a 14-man Johnsonville, but eventually won 23-8, scoring three tries to one. Henry Hocking scored two of those tries from fullback. MSP opposite Andrew Wells is a quality finisher too.

MSP's sluggish start against Tawa proved costly, but if the can carry the momentum gained in the last quarter of that match into this fixture the Catholics will be hard to stop.

Wellington last beat MSP in April 2016, their only victory against MSP since they gained regular Swindale Shield promotion a few years ago.

Harper Lock Shield

First round winners were Poneke, the Upper Hutt Rams, Oriental-Rongotai, Northern United, the Wellington Axemen, the Avalon Wolves and Marist St Pat's.

Three features of the first round were losses for both last year's Premier Reserve champions, first round winners the Old Boys University Goats and championship victors Petone and a first win since 2016 for the Wellington Axemen.

Old Boys University were convincingly lowered by Poneke, who raced to a four tries to one lead with the wind late in the first half and held on into it to win 44-19. Last year's Ed Chaney Cup champions Petone slipped to a 19-25 defeat to Northern United, while the Axemen came back late to beat Johnsonville 27-22.

Last week's winners will all be looking to get an early season jump on others when this week's games kick off as Swindale Shield curtain-raisers at 1.00pm. All match-ups between clubs correspond to the 2.45pm Premier fixtures (above).