Division two honours at stake for U18s

Division two honours will be at stake when Wairarapa-Bush meets Wanganui in the final series of matches in the 2007 Hurricanes under-18 rugby tournament, to be played at the Colombo road grounds in Masterton on Saturday.
In their two matches played to date Wairarapa-Bush have compiled six competition points from one win and one draw while Wanganui have amassed 5 points through one win and one bonus point.,
Sharing second with Wanganui are Poverty Bay who have also had one win and one bonus point with Horowhenua-Kapiti bringing up the rear on 3 points, earned from one draw and one bonus point.
A win to Wairarapa-Bush on Saturday would therefore see the division two title safely in their hands but if they lose the spoils could be shared by Wanganui and Poverty Bay, providing, of course, that the latter account for Horowhenua-Kapiti.
The situation seems rather more clear cut in division one where Hawke's Bay have compiled 9 points, Wellington 6 points, Taranaki 4 points and Manawatu 1 point.
With Hawke's Bay meeting Manawatu in the final round the Magpies will be hot favourites to make it three wins from three matches. And if that is the case then Manawatu will face the prospect of meeting the division two winners in a promotion-relegation match later in the season.
The draw for Saturday is:-
Division one: Wellington v Taranaki, Colombo road No.2 at 1pm; Manawatu v Hawke's Bay, Colombo road No.1 at 2pm.
Division two: Wairarapa-Bush v Wanganui, Colombo road No.1 at 12.30pm; Poverty Bay v Horowhenua-Kapiti, Colombo road No.2 at 2.30pm.
Two other Wairarapa-Bush rugby sides will also be in action in Masterton on Saturday, both at Memorial Park. The colts will play Horowhenua-Kapiti at 1pm and the senior B's will be up against Poverty Bay at 2.30pm.
Meanwhile, the draw has been confirmed for the Meads Cup playoffs in the Heartland rugby championship.
As reported yesterday defending champions Wairarapa-Bush have drawn Buller away this Saturday, North Otago at home on September 29 and Wanganui away on October 6. The results of those games will determine whether they make it into the semi-finals to be played on October. 13.
The full draw for the Meads Cup playoffs is:-
September 22: Mid-Canterbury v Wanganui at Ashburton, North Otago v King Country at Oamaru, Buller v Wairarapa-Bush at Westport.
September 29: Wairarapa-Bush v North Otago at Masterton, Mid-Canterbury v Buller at Ashburton, King Country v Wanganui at Te Kuiti.
October 6: North Otago v Mid-Canterbury at Oamaru, Buller v King Country at Westport, Wanganui v Wairarapa-Bush at Wanganui.
All teams take the points earned in pool matches into the Meads Cup playoffs, meaning North Otago will start with 23 points, Buller with 17 points, Wairarapa-Bush, Wanganui and Mid-Canterbury, all with 15 points, and King Country with 14 points.