Top-of-the-table Arrowtown will have a tussle to cement its position when it takes on Clyde Earnscleugh at the Queenstown Events Centre tomorrow.
The Clyde-based side has recorded four wins and a bye since its one-point loss in its White Horse Cup challenge.
Co-coaches Corey Crosbie and Keith Robertson will be keen for their forwards to set the platform for the versatile Matt Te Tana and in-form Tom Dougherty to set the outsides away into space.
Arrowtown will be keen to carry on the fine form that has kept it near the top of the competition since day one.
Malcolm Sutherland has led a competitive forward pack while there is plenty of class in the back division.
The likes of Steve Morris and Isireli Nayaloga are as good as there are going around. Arrowtown recorded a 10-point 32-22 win in their round six match.
Maniototo travels to Alexandra to take on the home side that has struggled for the best part of the season.
There has been no lack of effort but with the loss of a few players pre-season and a couple of nasty season ending injuries the defending champion has struggled to reach the giddy heights of last season.
Maniototo will be wanting to reproduce the form it showed last week when it convincingly beat Cromwell 34-7.
The experienced forwards will set a solid platform and, while Maniototo tends to save its strongest performances for its home patch, it should be too strong for its host.
Third-placed Matakanui Combined is fresh off the bye and should continue on its winning ways against the visiting Wakatipu side.
The Omakau based side had a 27-17 win over Wakatipu the last time the two sides met in round six.
Before last weekend's bye, it had won five games on the trot and has given loyal followers real hope of a play-off position.
Wakatipu, for its part, has promised a lot but sits in seventh place, 19 points off top spot.
Like several clubs, Wakatipu is nursing injuries but has probably been hurt most through the hip injury to excellent fullback Chris Young.
It looks to be the end of what was a promising season for Young.
Cromwell will need to completely bury its poor performance against Maniototo to bounce back against Roxburgh at Cromwell on Saturday.
Cromwell was outplayed for most of the White Horse Cup game at Ranfurly last weekend.
Roxburgh unfortunately had to default to Wakatipu last week through a lack of front-row numbers.
Coach Lance Davies will have been working hard to get his side back on track after what has been a disappointing season so far.
Kyle Ellison and Shaun Tauti have been excellent for the Teviot Valley-based side.
Cromwell coach Paul Tait will be keen for his players to get back to their best and lift themselves back into the top four.
- Malcolm Jones
