Tight rugby expected on Anzac Day

Tomorrow’s club rugby Anzac Day round also marks the mid-point of the first round Premier Swindale Shield and Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield competitions. Both competitions have unbeaten teams at the top and a group of sides in the middle jostling for high positions on the points table.

With only seven teams to qualify for this year’s Premier Jubilee Cup, tomorrow’s and Saturday’s games are crunch matches for some teams.

Hutt Old Boys Marist and the Upper Hutt Rams are both holding their Old Timers’ Days tomorrow.

Swindale Shield

Hutt Old Boys Marist v Poneke
Referee: Nick Hogan
Venue: Hutt Rec

HOBM required an 83rd minute penalty to foil battlers Paremata-Plimmerton and preserve their unbeaten record. The Eagles lost captain Sheridan Rangihuna to injury in a much tougher afternoon than expected.

Poneke battled past Johnsonville 25-15 in the wind and will hit the road confident of their sixth win on the trot.

Poneke have real depth in the loose forward department with Wellington Lions Greg Foe and Galu Taufale firing.

HOBM’s depth is being sorely tested, but the front row including Ben Power and Rei Manaia has rarely been bettered this year.

Poneke wing Nick Robertson has scored 20 tries in his last 26 matches. A double by HOBM wing Jerome Harimate saved the Eagles skin on Saturday.

The Roy John Trophy is at stake, after the 1940s Poneke, HOBM and Wellington representative first five-eighth.

Upper Hutt Rams v Oriental-Rongotai
Referee: Steve Newson
Venue: Maidstone Park

Upper Hutt have collected 10 points from their last two games and reside five points outside the top seven at the halfway mark of the Swindale Shield. Is a second half Swindale Shield resurgence possible?

New Zealand Sevens rep Daniel Schrijvers is set to return for the Rams, with Sam Wasley coming into No. 8 and the recently rampant Josh Houston-Tupou reverting to hooker.

Ories are 3-3 and blowing hot and cold in 2018. No.8 Luca Rees is having a top season and Malachai Unasa is an imposing customer in the backs.

Upper Hutt’s defence has been a major issue this season, leaking 209 points.

The Bob Lendrum Cup is a stake in this fixture.

Johnsonville v Northern United
Venue: Helston Park
Referee: Mike Pinfold

Two wins on the trot has lifted Norths five points above the drop and retaining the Barlow Trophy will ensure that break is maintained.

Norths beat local rivals Tawa for the first time since 2012 on Saturday. Young wing Junior Time-Taotua, out of Porirua College, was a hero scoring two tries.

Norths have enjoyed continuity of selection among their forwards and that’s reflected in their recent improvements.

Johnsonville had a chance to upset Poneke on Saturday, but two yellow cards and lapses in concentration proved costly. Romu Senileba scored two tries in that game.

Old Boys University v Tawa
Referee: Richard Gordon
Venue: Nairnville Park

The first meeting between the clubs since OBU thrashed Tawa 50-22 in the Jubilee Cup semi-final should inspire some fire for Tawa. That game ended Tawa’s reign as champions.

Tawa are 3-3 and a long way off the form that has made them one of the toughest clubs to beat in the past five years. The senior players like Peniasi Toakece, Sitiveni Paongo and James So’oialo need to produce more for Tawa to topple the Goats who are 5-1 and have scored a competition leading 38 tries.

OBU’s lineout embarrassed MSP on Saturday and if Tawa’s set-piece, usually a strong suit, is poor it will be a long afternoon.

OBU will also be defending the Bill Brien Challenge Cup for their second defence of the year in this fixture.

Petone v Marist St Pat’s
Referee: Vincent Ringrose
Venue: Petone Rec

Petone and MSP share a 4-2 record, but it’s the Villagers playing the better footy having lost twice in the last minute to first placed HOBM and sixth placed Norths.

MSP has accounted for four of the bottom six clubs, but were soundly beaten by second placed OBU on Saturday.

MSP’s lineout was a disaster and Petone’s experienced locking duo of Jack Ross and Glen Angus will be eager to disrupt.

MSP openside Tom Horan was exceptional against the students scoring two tries and will be looking to measure up strongly against Petone captain Mateaki Kafatolu.

The Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy is at stake for this one too, after the 1920s Wellington representative with personal and family connections to both clubs.

Wainuiomata v Paremata-Plimmerton
Referee: Daniel Mangin
Venue: William Jones Park

Wainuiomata are two points outside the top seven and will be taking nothing for granted against Paremata-Plimmerton who nearly toppled HOBM.

Nash Fiso-Vaelei scored two tries against the Rams, but defensive lapses cost the visitors.

Paremata-Plimmerton have struggled to assemble a regular backline this season, but their forwards always give an honest account and Tane McMillan-Parata is a fine leader.

Avalon Wolves v Wellington Axemen
Referee: Colin Te Pohe
Venue: Hataitai Park

Avalon have dropped their last four matches, but are only five points outside the top seven after two wins to start the year.

The Wolves only won two matches in 2017, but Wellington was one of those. The Wolves have been competitive in every outing and will be confident of maximum points against the Axemen.

Wellington started the season with a 23-5 win against Johnsonville, but have since lost five in a row and conceded a massive 227 points.

Olly Sapsford has remained in fine form for Wellington while Avalon have three forwards who have started all six rounds.

Harper Lock Shield

It’s tight at the top of the Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield table, with two unbeaten teams and two more with 5-1 records, heading into this Wednesday’s seventh round matches.

Marist St Pat’s scored a late 50-metre try to seal a 20-12 win over Old Boys University on Saturday to keep their winning run alive and Petone are coming off a 70-7 slaying of Avalon.

MSP and Petone meet in the early encounter at the Petone Rec in this weekend’s Harper Lock feature match.

Northern United will be favoured to win their seventh straight fixture when they take on mid-table the Johnsonville Hawks in the early game at Helston Park.

Poneke leapfrogged OBU into fourth with their 67-12 win over the Hawks on Saturday and they will be favoured to beat the lower stationed HOBM side in the early game at the Hutt Rec.

Mid-table pair the Upper Hutt Rams and Ories dual at Maidstone, Old Boys University plays Tawa at Nairnville, Wainuiomata play Paremata-Plimmerton and Wellington play Avalon in the other games. All early matches kick-off at 1.00pm.