Week Eight action in the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship

COMING UP THIS WEEK
Week Eight action in the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship :

Mitre 10 Heartland Championship

Six teams are contesting the top four Meads Cup placings in the Mitre 10 Heartland competition while six teams are in with a chance of contesting the Lochore Cup when the final round is played at the weekend.

Current placings:

1. Wanganui (34)

2. South Canterbury (27)

3. Thames Valley (27)

4. King Country (26)

5. Horowhenua Kapiti (23)

6. Wairarapa Bush (21)

7. Mid Canterbury (17)

8. West Coast (17)

9. North Otago (16)

10. Poverty Bay (15)

Semifinals

Here is what would happen if based on the situation leading into the final round.

Meads Cup

Wanganui would host King Country and South Canterbury would host Thames Valley.

But what could still happen is:

South Canterbury and Thames Valley play each other this weekend and that could affect who finishes second.

Should King Country beat Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury and Thames Valley draw, King Country could still qualify second.

Should King Country lose to Mid Canterbury, Horowhenua Kapiti, if it beat Wanganui, could still qualify.

Should King Country lose with No Bonus point against Mid Canterbury and Wairarapa Bush get Bonus Point Win against North Otago then they both finish on 26 points and Wairarapa Bush could Possibly go ahead on Point Differential

Lochore Cup

If the Meads Cup competition goes with form the Lochore Cup could see Wairarapa Bush finish as top qualifier ahead of Horowhenua Kapiti, if able to beat North Otago.

If Mid Canterbury beats King Country, with a bonus point, it could still qualify second if Wairarapa Bush lost.

West Coast could also qualify second with a bonus point win over East Coast in Greymouth again, if Wairarapa Bush lost.

If either Mid Canterbury or West Coast slip up, then North Otago could qualify by beating Wairarapa Bush, and if both Mid Canterbury and West Coast lost and Poverty Bay beat Buller it could qualify.

Should Wairarapa Bush, Mid Canterbury and West Coast finish level on 21 points the team with the highest competition points scored that year against the other tied sides would finish highest.

Should they still be tied on that scenario the team with the higher points different in the round robin will have the higher position.

If still at an impasse, the team with the most tries in the round robin would qualify highest and if still tied, the team with most points scored in round robin play shall be highest.

Official Standings after Week Seven

HEAD TO HEAD STATS for WEEK EIGHT

WEST COAST v EAST COAST
Saturday 13 October, 2pm at Rugby Park, Greymouth

Played: 27, 1976-2017 | West Coast wins: 12 | East Coast wins: 15
Last match: West Coast 32 East Coast 19 in Ruatoria 9.09.2017 (HC)
Last East Coast win: East Coast 23 West Coast 16 in Ruatoria 25.08.2012 (HC)
Biggest West Coast score: 41 in Greymouth 28.08.1999 (NPC)
Biggest East Coast score: 72 in Tolaga Bay 16.09.1992 (NPC)
Biggest margin: East Coast by 69 (72-3) in Tolaga Bay 16.09.1992 (NPC)

WANGANUI v HOROWHENUA KAPITI
Saturday 13 October, 2.30pm at Cooks Gardens, Wanganui

Played: 77, 1903-2017 | Wanganui win: 64 | Horowhenua Kapiti wins: 12 | Draws: 1
Last match: Wanganui 30 Horowhenua Kapiti 14 in Levin 28.10.2017 (MCF)
Last Horowhenua Kapiti win: Horowhenua Kapiti 15 Wanganui 8 in Levin 7.10.2017 (HC)
Biggest Wanganui score: 76 in Wanganui 10.09.2011 (HC)
Biggest Horowhenua Kapiti score: 34 in Wanganui 30.08.2014 (HC) and 34 in Levin 22.08.2015 (HC)
Biggest margin: Wanganui by 68 (76-8) in Wanganui 10.09.2011 (HC)

POVERTY BAY v BULLER
Saturday 13 October, 2.30pm at More FM Rugby Park, Gisborne

Played: 27, 1967-2016 | Poverty Bay wins: 17 | Buller wins: 10
Last match: Buller 30 Poverty Bay 18 in Gisborne 10.09.2016 (HC)
Last Poverty Bay win: Poverty Bay 32 Buller 30 in Westport 1.10.2011 (LCSF)
Biggest Poverty Bay score: 48 in Gisborne 13.08.1994 (NPC)
Biggest Buller score: 42 in Westport 20.10.2012 (LCSF)
Biggest margin: Poverty Bay by 32 (35-3) in Gisborne 9.09.2000 (NPC)

SOUTH CANTERBURY v THAMES VALLEY
Saturday 13 October, 2.30pm at Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru

Last match: South Canterbury 62 Thames Valley 16 in Paeroa 24.09.2016 (HC)
Last Thames Valley win: Thames Valley 21 South Canterbury 17 in Paeroa 24.08.2013 (HC)
Biggest South Canterbury score: 62 in Paeroa 24.09.2016 (HC)
Biggest Thames Valley score: 40 in Timaru 24.09.2005 (NPC)
Biggest margin: South Canterbury by 46 (62-16) in Paeroa 24.09.2016 (HC)

WAIRARAPA BUSH v NORTH OTAGO
Saturday 13 October, 2.30pm at Trust House Memorial Park, Masterton

Played: 18, 1972-2016 | Wairarapa Bush wins: 7 | North Otago wins: 11
Last match: Wairarapa Bush 38 North Otago 22 in Oamaru 24.09.2016 (HC)
Last North Otago win: North Otago 18 Wairarapa Bush 16 in Masterton 29.08.2015 (HC)
Biggest Wairarapa Bush score: 38 in Oamaru 24.09.2016 (HC)
Biggest North Otago score: 48 in Oamaru 19.10.2013 (MCSF)
Biggest margin: North Otago by 25 (44-19) in Oamaru 20.09.2008 (LC)

MID CANTERBURY v KING COUNTRY
Saturday 13 October, 2.30pm at Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton

Played: 22, 1958-2017 | Mid Canterbury wins: 10 | King Country wins: 12
Last match: Mid Canterbury 43 King Country 38 in Taupo 14.10.2017 (HC)
Last King Country win: King Country 22 Mid Canterbury 14 in Te Kuiti 25.08.2007 (HC)
Biggest Mid Canterbury score: 43 in Taupo 14.10.2017 (HC)
Biggest King Country score: 37 in Ashburton 4.09.1990 (NPC)
Biggest margin: King Country by 34 (37-3) in Ashburton 4.09.1990 (NPC)