An intriguing state of affairs has developed as the 2009 Digicel Cup goes down to the last round of competitions with every single fixture having a say on whether teams either qualify for the semi finals, qualify for next year’s Farebrother-Sullivan challenge or - rather ingloriously - qualify for the promotion-relegation contest.

At the top end of the Digicel Cup table Lautoka can cement their place at the apex with victory on Saturday against neighbours Nadi. However the Maroons will come up against a Nadi side determined to claw themselves back into semi final contention after last weekend’s loss to Suva.

In second place Nadroga face an awkward battle against fourth placed Northland. While Nadroga would be firm favourites to qualify for a semi final spot a loss to Northland would put them in danger of missing out altogether should there be wins to Naitasiri and Nadi lower down in the table.

In third place Naitasiri, with the best attacking record in the competition with 38 tries, come up against a team who share the best defensive record in the competition – Tailevu. In ten games this season Tailevu’s defense have only let in a miserly ten tries, the Lance Whippy coached side having been uncompromising in defense all season.

But many pundits believe Tailevu should’ve done much better than their current sixth place standing after having started the season with an 11-9 win against the defending champions – Nadi. Despite that bright start Tailevu struggled against some of the lesser teams. A more potent attacking display, to compliment the solid defensive display, would surely have elevated them into the semi finals. As it is, Tailevu have at least secured for themselves a Farebrother-Sullivan spot for next season.

Naitasiri, despite an indifferent start to the season which included early away losses to Nadi (6-5) and Ovalau (20-13) and then to Lautoka (15-10) and Northland (13-8) have managed a bonus point in every game they’ve played. Indeed their total of ten bonus points is double what any other team has managed this season. The Highlanders now only need to beat Tailevu to ensure qualification for the semi finals regardless of other results.

One place below Tailevu in seventh spot sits Suva. For the capital side the 2009 Digicel Cup season has seen them struggle to maintain consistent form. However they go into their final game against Navosa on the back of two straight wins against Rewa and Nadi last Saturday.

Suva’s win against Nadi was their only win against any side above them on the table and while a semi final spot is now well out of reach for the capital side they have at least, like Tailevu, secured a spot to challenge for next year’s Farebrother-Sullivan trophy.

Navosa in ninth spot will need to ensure victory at home to Suva on Saturday to stand any chance of claiming the final eighth spot and the right to challenge for the Farebrother-Sullivan trophy next season. Wins against Rewa (7-10), Namosi (7-11) and Tavua (33-26) has ensured Navosa’s survival as a major union for another season after it had looked as if they would struggle for any success after recording only one win in the opening six rounds of competition.

Navosa’s only rival for that coveted eighth place finish is the team currently occupying eighth spot on the table – Ovalau. The islanders are away to Rewa this weekend and then face Nadi on August 1st and require only two points from their two remaining games to claim eighth spot and a crack at next year’s Farebrother.

Rewa will be delighted to have steered a clear passage away from the bottom of the Digicel Cup table and can relax in the knowledge that no matter what happens this Saturday they will have survived another season - their second in total – among the big boys.

Without a doubt the highlight of Rewa’s season was the astonishing nil-8 victory they secured against Nadroga at Lawaqa Park in round five. Sadly since then the only other victory the delta team recorded was in the very next round against Tavua.

Rewa will fancy their chances against their brethren from across the ocean, who only sit two places above them on the table, and will no doubt want to end the season on a high note.

But perhaps the most intriguing clash of all is the one that will happen at the bottom of the table. Namosi and Tavua face off this Saturday with their status in the Digicel Cup competition at stake. A win for either side will guarantee survival; a loss will mean fighting to avoid relegation against the top B Division side in the promotion-relegation fixture.

So all in all the final pool round in the Digicel Cup has been scripted perfectly with excitement right across the table. Games this weekend all get underway on Saturday with the U23’s kicking off at 1pm and the Digicel Cup fixtures kicking off at 3pm.

The postponed round 5 fixture between Ovalau and Nadi will now be hosted by Ovalau in Nadi on August 1.

Fijilive

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