HORNBY FAREWELLS SET SCENE FOR BLOCKBUSTER DERBY
An emotional Leslie Park send-off for two Hornby Panthers icons will add an extra element to Saturday’s showdown with Halswell Hornets, which also has a major bearing on the neighbouring clubs’ CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership finals prospects.
The fourth-placed Panthers could finish the penultimate round as high as second with a win and as low as fifth if they lose with one of the most even competitions in recent memory going to the the wire.
The result is equally vital for the Hornets, who are just one point ahead of the Panthers in second – and are yet to lock in their spot in the playoffs.
Hornby will be doubly desperate to earn a victory as the club pays homage to two departing greats: Jed Lawrie, their premiers coach since 2016, and James Baxendale, who also brings up his 250th appearance for the Panthers. Depending how the finals chips fall, it may be the duo’s last match at Leslie Park.
Former Canterbury Bulls captain Baxendale has featured in an incredible 12 grand finals for Hornby, the first back in 2005.
If those factors weren’t enough to ensure an electric derby atmosphere, Hornby is also celebrating its Old Boys’ Day and the Thacker Shield is on the line. The Panthers lifted the shield from the Hornets with a 20-14 win at Halswell Domain in Round 8. If the Panthers win, it will remain in their clubrooms for the summer, while the Hornets will defend it in Round 14 against Eastern Eagles should they prevail.
The other two CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership Round 13 fixtures, which all get underway at 2.45pm on Saturday, are equally pivotal.
Linwood Keas, one win clear at the top of the table, will put one hand on the Massetti Cup as minor premiers if they can subdue Greymouth Greyhounds at home.
The Keas are also looking to regroup from back-to-back losses to Eastern Eagles and the Panthers either side of the Matariki weekend bye.
The fifth-placed Eagles are still very much alive in the playoffs race and head to Crosbie Park this weekend searching for three straight wins.
Third-placed Riccarton Knights are only a win off the competition lead and could still land the Massetti Cup – but losses in their last two games could also see them miss the finals altogether.
The Knights won a 22-20 thriller at Wainoni Park when the clubs last met in Round 8.
The corresponding CRL ISC Sports Canterbury Cup fixtures, kicking off at 1pm on Saturday, all have plenty riding on them.
The Eagles, Panthers and Hornets still hold a three-way share of the competition lead in Premier Reserves with two rounds left. The Eagles play the last-placed Knights (who are still an outside chance of finishing fourth), while the Panthers and Hornets face one another.
Two points clear in fourth, Papanui Tigers can all but clinch their place in the finals with a win over the Keas. But the Keas will pull level on points with the Tigers if they get up at home.
In CRL Division One, the third-placed Woolston Rams head to Halswell Domain to take on the bottom-placed Hornets (1pm), ladder-leading Northern Bulldogs host the fourth-placed Tigers (2pm) and seventh hosts sixth in a do-or-die clash between Addington Magpies and Shirley Hawks at Spreydon Domain (2.15pm).
Sunday’s penultimate round of CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership matches is headlined by a top-of-the-table showdown between Hornby Panthers and Sydenham Swans at Leslie Park.
The teams are level on 14 competition points, with the Panthers – who won their clash at Ngā Puna Wai earlier this season 24-16 – slightly ahead on for-and-against.
Two points back and striving to respond after last week’s grand final rematch loss to the Swans, defending champs Linwood Keas take on fifth-placed Addington Magpies at Spreydon Domain.
Meanwhile, Woolston Rams can wrap up fourth spot with a home win over Eastern Eagles.
All three matches kick off at 1pm.
