This weekend will more or less determine the semifinal line-ups as the Southern Region Competition heads towards its conclusion.
Most people will be turning their attention to Heriot, where the home side is hosting Lawrence.
Lawrence is fourth, two points ahead of Heriot, so a win for the visiting team spells curtains for Heriot, which rarely fails to make the top four.
A win for Heriot would shift the balance in its favour and it would only have to beat lowly Owaka the following week to finish fourth.
If Lawrence loses, it will then need need to beat Clutha Valley and hope Owaka can do it a favour. Both sides have players under injury clouds. Lawrence’s front-row stocks took a bit of a hammering at the hands of Clutha last weekend while Heriot’s backs have been dropping like flies in recent weeks and the remaining players have not been combining as well as they would like.
The weather may play its part and make the teams keep the ball in close for longer than usual. This may favour Heriot with its size advantage.
Lawrence’s backs will be keen to get the ball in hand, none more so than Sam Wyber who has dotted down eight times since his return from Dunedin. The West Otago Shield is also on the line.
Clutha Valley welcomes unbeaten Clutha in a top-of-the-table team in Clydevale.
This first-round game was very close. Valley was ahead at halftime before going down by 10 in the end. Both teams are playing very well. Clutha has obviously sealed the round-robin competition and Clutha Valley needs one point in the next two games to seal a home semifinal.
Valley hooker Adam Turnbull is having a superb run towards the finals. He has crossed the chalk in the past five games for a total of six tries. Clutha has obvious threats across the park and is favoured to take the win.
Third-placed Crescent, which travels to Clinton, needs to pick up two bonus-point wins and hope Valley does not pick up any points for the next two games and then points difference will come into it. That means Crescent needs to win and win well.
This will be easier said than done, as Clinton is coming off a tidy win over Owaka last weekend. Its backline connected well and helped out the forward pack which was going backwards.
Centre Mark McKenzie is looking back to his best after returning from injury last week and could be a real thorn in the Crescent side. Crescent needs to stick to what works for it and give the ball width and find space out wide. Crescent should take the win and the Ian Reid Trophy.
Toko hosts Owaka in the only match that has no bearing on the finals. The Reg Phillip Trophy is at stake. Expect the home team to come out on top.
- Francis Parker