Teams pushing for semi-finals spots in penultimate round

It's the sixth and penultimate round of the Premier, Premier Reserve and Colts competitions tomorrow and semi-finals spots are firmly on the radars of many teams. 

This week there are Jubilee Cup matches at Porirua Park, Lyndhurst Park and Evans Bay Parks, while Ngatitoa Domain, William Jones Park and the Petone Rec play host to the three Hardham Cup fixtures.  

A look at the six Premier matches is below. Hutt Old Boys Marist (Jubilee Cup) And the Wellington Axemen (Hardham Cup) have the byes this week. 

There is plenty on the line for all seven teams in the Premier Reserve Ed Chaney Cup competition, with all seven teams still in the hunt to make the playoffs. Both leaders Ories and second-placed MSP can secure home semi-finals with next week to spare should they beat Norths and Poneke respectively. Tawa host OBU in the third match in a must-win for both sides or they will drop out of the race.

Unbeaten Petone heads five teams chasing the four semi-finals with two weeks remaining in the HD Morgan Premier Reserve section. Petone have already booked their home semi-final but tomorrow's visitors the Upper Hutt Rams need competition points out of this one or they will be very nervous next week. Wainuiomata come off their bye to play third placed Johnsonville in a feature match of this group, while both Paremata-Plimmerton and Avalon will be playing for their first wins. This is also Avalon's last match of the season as they have their bye next week. 

It's round four of six of the Championship Women's competition this weekend where the undoubted feature match is between first round winners Northern United and defending champions Oriental-Rongotai.

 Norths continued their winning ways last weekend with a resounding 48-5 victory over Paremata-Plimmerton, while Ories are coming off their bye. With victory, Norths would book top spot for the semi-finals, while a win for Ories would also confirm their home playoff in a fortnight. In the first round, Norths beat Ories 34-22.  Petone have the bye, while MSP and Paremata-Plimmerton meet in a match that will likely determine the fourth semi-finalist. 

In Division 2, leaders HOBM play Avalon, while Old Boys University and Poneke meet in the other match. 

Northern United will secure their semi-final place and also book a home playoff if they beat the Old Boys University Colts at Te Whaea in the Division 1 John E Kelly Cup. Second-placed Hutt Old Boy Marist beat Norths 31-0 last week and travel to Ngatitoa to play Paremata-Plimmerton. A win for HOBM would clinch them a playoff berth but they would have to wait until next week to determine their order of finishing.

Fourth-placed MSP host Tawa in a crucial fixture for both teams, while bottom-placed duo Petone and the Upper Hutt Rams meet at the Petone Rec.

In Division 2 Colts Wainuiomata can earn their sixth straight win and start preparing for a semi-final when they take on Wellington at Hataitai Park. 

In the First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup, unbeaten HOBM Barbarians take on Old Boys University, while in the U85kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield, unbeaten Avalon play the Horowhenua-Kapiti side up the line. 

Jubilee Cup and Hardham Cup 

Marist St Pat's v Poneke
Venue: Evans Bay Park
Referee: Vincent Ringrose

Poneke stayed in the semi-final hunt with a gritty 18-14 win against Old Boys University. Rookie wing Johannus Taankink scored the winning try while veteran Greg Foe was Player of the Match. 

With a win Poneke could move into the top four for the first time if Ories stumble at Norths. Cole Stewart and Isaia Walker-Leaware returned last Saturday and this coupled with the visitors more obvious source of desperation should be enough to inspire a reversal of the first round encounter.

MSP won the Swindale Shield meeting 42-28, but are struggling, having lost seven of their last eight. James Tuia scored a try against HOBM and hasn't done his chances of reclaiming Wellington Lions selection any harm this season and he starts at seven. Matt Peni comes back into the team at No.8. This is their final match of the season, with their bye next week so will want to go out on a high. 

Northern United v Oriental-Rongotai
Venue: Jerry Collins Stadium
Referee: Richard Gordon 

Norths have won 13 games in a row and easily accounted for Ories 32-15 in the Swindale Shield, with Perry Hayman scoring two tries.

Norths were sound 22-5 winners over Tawa last week, scoring three tries. Mike Teofilo has stepped up at halfback and looked confident with Jackson Garden-Bachop back in the ten jersey and running the backline. However, Garden-Bachop is missing from this match with Eli Moata'a making his second start at pivot.

The Norths forwards looked settled with Nese Solia promoted to the Premiers in recent weeks.  Solia starts at No. 8, while lock Quaid Martin- Laumatia plays his Blazer Game and fireman Chris Middleton comes off the bench to play his 100th Premier match.  

Ories had the bye in the round previous and need to come back from their week off and win after two consecutive losses.

Alex Ropeti and veteran Paulo Aukuso team up in the mid-field, with Malo Tuitama missing from this match. Declan Hay retains his place at halfback with Adam Deck adding impetus off the bench. Luca Rees has scored 18 tries from No.8. 

Ories will match Norths out wide and in the loose. Their great challenge is getting their set-piece right. Norths are strong in that department while the Ories lineout has misfired too often recently.

Norths last loss at home was to HOBM 47-17 in Round 2 of the Swindale Shield. 

Tawa v Old Boys University
Venue: Lyndhurst Park
Referee: Jamie Fairmaid 

Tawa won a thriller 42-38 when these sides last played, but are out of semi-final contention after three losses in their first four games of the Jubilee Cup. 

OBU lost for the first time in five games last Saturday, but with a win the defending champions will return to the semi-finals.

Will Mangos moved back into the forwards for the Goats and stays there this week, with Lepau Feau their new centre. Matt Fowler starts again at halfback while openside Daven Candy finally played a full 80 minutes.

Tawa welcomed back Peniasi Tokakece last week but he broke his arm and his season is now over. Sitiveni Paongo and Tolu Fahamokioa both start off the bench tomorrow so firepower up front won't be lacking. The backline resources still look stretched and James So'oialo moves to centre in place of Waikato-bound Pepesana Patafilo and absent Ryan Preston to play his 70th match for the club.

Wainuiomata v Johnsonville
Venue: William Jones Park
Referee: Mike Pinfold 

The top of the table clash features Wainuiomata fresh from the bye and Johnsonville recovering from their first defeat.

Waisea Yabakivou crossed the chalk again for Johnsonville against Wellington. Two of the Hawks forwards last week have played every game thus far in the Hardham, while their pack will welcome back tighthead prop Tietie Tuimauga (injury) and hooker Matt Mullany (Cook Islands) but Kane Thompson and Api Naikatini remain sidelined for a second week. 

Wainuiomata won 29-15 last start against Petone. Peter Umaga-Jensen was on the scoresheet while veteran forwards Jalan Farris and Matt Jacobs were in top form. Umaga-Jensen is missing from this match, but his former Scots College teammate TJ Va'a has been named on the bench as he returns from injury. 

Wainuiomata were resounding victors in this corresponding match in the Swindale Shield.

Petone v Upper Hutt Rams
Venue: Petone Rec
Referee: Daniel Mangin 

Tries to Daniel Schrijvers and Nev Apineru earned the Rams a 15-13 win against the Wolves to keep Wellington fifth.

Upper Hutt have a game to spare and with an upset of Petone can reach the semi-finals.  

Petone have scored a competition leading 16 tries and a double to New Zealand Under-20's prop Kaliopasi Uluilakepa was a highlight of their 22-3 accounting of Paremata-Plimmerton last week. 

Eugene Smith returns from injury to take his place on the bench, while a new captain will be named on match-day with Mateaki Kafatolu, Jarrod Adams and Tupou Sopoaga having all captained Petone this season but all unavailable for this match. 

Paremata-Plimmerton v Avalon
Venue: Ngati Toa Domain
Referee: Jack Sargentina

A bottom of the table match features two winless clubs. Last Saturday, Avalon went close against Upper Hutt while Paremata-Plimmerton were thumped by Petone.

Avalon won the Swindale Shield meeting 37-25 and have outscored the hosts 8-7 in the Hardham Cup.

Paremata-Plimmerton looked more settled in the forwards, but Avalon more potent out wide. Watch for Chris Aumua at centre for the Wolves and flanker Tane McMillan-Parata on the side of the scrum for Paremata-Plimmerton. 

The match is controlled by newly promoted level one referee Jack Sargentina who is only 21.