Star were the top qualifiers after the round robin and beat Woodlands 31-21 in their semifinal last week, while Pirates Old Boys earned a 26-18 win over the Eastern Northern Barbarians.
The Barbarians led 18-5 early in the second half but the reigning champions then put on a rugby clinic. Old Boys dominated the territory and possession and applied the pressure. First five Greg Dyer’s personal tally of 16 points included a try and a drop goal.
Star are the favourites for the final after beating an under-strength Pirates Old Boys 62-8 three weeks ago.
Hard-hitting captain Jordan Stewart will be playing his 100th game for the club.
Star’s last shield win was in 2015. They have played in four finals since, including the disastrous 2021 final when they conceded three tries in the last seven minutes to lose 24-23 to Woodlands.
Star’s forward pack this year is full of representative players including prop Jack Sexton, lock Josh Bekhuis and No8 Semisi Tupou-Ta’aeiloa.
Hooker Jayden Henderson and brother Nick, on the openside, are also in good form, while centre Johnny Vaili and fullback Cole Spinks get another chance to prove they deserve to be playing in the NPC.
Pirates Old Boys captain Jakob Harrex at No8 will be powering off the back of an impressive set-piece. The halves pairing of Josh Murell and Dyer have the skills to calmly steer the team around the park. Centre Jaye Thompson is the classiest back in the competition and can break out from anywhere.
The defending champions have been without exciting young playmaker Kaea Nikora-Balloch for the majority of the season with a quad injury, but there is a chance he will take the field tomorrow as he builds towards the NPC.
Barbarians coach Bretton Taylor is picking Pirates Old Boys.
"They should give them a good go. You can’t take much out of the last time they played against each other. We matched up well with Star but the playing style of Old Boys is hard to beat."
Woodlands coach Richard Jones could not predict a winner, Marist coach Derek Manson is picking Star, and Blues coach Fili Tagicakibau is backing the Fijian players in the Old Boys team to inspire a win.
The Star women’s team are also in a final at Les George Oval in the curtain-raiser against Albion.
- John Langford
