Fifth round fireworks in Swindale Shield

The Wellington Premier club rugby Swindale Shield lived up to its billing as one of the most exciting and entertaining competitions on show with a series of thrilling results this afternoon, with a win on the hooter, a massive second half defensive effort, a second half comeback and a surprise thrashing all amongst them.

Old Boys University won their fifth straight match and their 14th overall with a last-gasp 25-24 win over Oriental-Rongotai at home at Nairnville Park, to stay ahead of a congested chasing pack.

The chasers are headed by the Wellington Axemen, who held off a determined Upper Hutt Rams second half comeback to won 40-32 at Haitaitai Park.

Wainuiomata came back from a 22-point deficit late in the first half to beat Marist St Pat’s 38-34 at William Jones Park, while Tawa hit their straps for the second week running, comfortably beating defending first round champions Hutt Old Boys Marist 47-15.

In contrast, it was a dramatic low scoring affair at the Petone Rec where visitors Avalon defeated Petone 8-6 in a memorable second half defensive display – to register their first Premier win over Petone since 2005.

Elsewhere, Northern United rallied late to overrun Johnsonville 66-0 at Helston Park and Poneke ran up a 55-5 scoreline over Poneke at Ngatitoa Domain.

Ories fans were crestfallen at the end of their match, as replacement OBU wing Maile Koloto scored in the corner with the last play of the game. Ories were leading 24-20 and looked to be holding on, but a final assault on the Magpies line resulted in the winning try.

Earlier, OBU had kept Ories in the game due to their poor goal-kicking. OBU had scored four tries by halftime, but missed every conversion attempt as well as a penalty.

Wellington Lions wing Joe Hill ferreted in for the first try, but the fleet-footed Tuga Mativa responded for Ories. OBU then took control and punished Ories’ errors by scoring three tries.  

Ories used the brisk northerly to control territory for most of the second-spell. James Procter kicked three long-range penalties and when Mativa scored his second try Ories were ahead.

OBU rallied and a long period of desperate play on the Ories goal-line eventually led to the winning play. For victors OBU, halfback Tomasi Palu was a standout player, while lock Agustin Escalona played well.

At William Jones Park, It was yet another Swindale Shield comeback as Wainuiomata fell behind 22-0 after an early-game blitz from MSP, only to score 19 points as the half came to a close, and another 19 in the second spell to see out the visitors.

It was No. 8 Matt Peni who dealt the damage to Wainuiomata in the opening 10 minutes of the game, scoring two rather soft tries, while wing Kerrod Foasese scored off a remarkable individual effort from a kick-off.

Wainuiomata took their time to respond, doing so through No. 8 Ben Tupuola who burrowed his way to the line to install hope into the green and blacks which sparked a four try swing of Wainuiomata’s.

The home side’s attack was anchored by their back three of Fa’atau Mamea, Jason Love and Peter Umaga-Jensen – all big attacking threats – as the trio scored two of their own tries and set up another three.

After Wainuiomata took a 24-22 lead in the second half, MSP hit back through Ryan Saunders who scooped up an errant Robertson-Weepu pass to go 60-metres but Wainuiomata replied with a pair of tries to mobile lock Jarimar Schuster – both of which were spectacularly set up, first by Love, then by Waiariki Kola, in efforts from their own half.

MSP will be ruing the fact that they let a 22-point buffer diminish and won’t be short of motivation next Saturday when they contest Hutt Old Boys Marist for the Father Cleary Shield at Evans Bay Park.

Over the hill at the Village, The Avalon Wolves can thank spirited second half defence and a dollop of poor Petone attacking execution in their 8-6 win for the Morgan Family Trophy.

In breezy conditions, Avalon scored the only points of the first half, an early penalty to livewire first five-eighth Jordan Aquila and a try late in the piece to No. 8 Tui Yandall after a sustained period of attack and a burst up the far corner. The first half was big on entertainment but light on accuracy as both sides had their moments to seize the match by the scruff of the neck.

Turning with the wind, Petone looked to take control but they simply never could. They utterly dominated territory and much of possession,  but a combination of scrambling defence and constant hustle-bustle at the breakdowns by defenders Avalon and a lack of cohesion by Petone meant that two Joe Perez penalties was all they could muster.

The closest Petone came to scoring was after a kick and chase into the corner, but the ball was ruled to have gone dead in goal and left wing Willie Fine came up short. For their part, Avalon at one stage had two players in the sinbin together in the second half, to go with flyhalf Aquila’s earlier binning.

Despite their discipline letting them down, Avalon’s abrasive forwards were all over Petone’s all match, while their openside flanker and captain Logan Blake was all energy.

With one win from five, the H word will be being talked about at Petone’s clubrooms in more than hushed tones. Last time Petone was in the Hardham Cup was 1996 when many of their players were on Hurricanes Super 12 duty in the first round.

Hutt Old Boys Marist will also require a dramatic turnaround after being soundly beaten by Tawa at Lyndhurst Park today.

Picking up from where they left off last week against Avalon, Tawa were fast out of the stalls against the Eagles, racing to a 26-3 halftime lead. Like the Axemen, they added to it soon after halftime and at 33-3 ahead the game was over for the visitors.  For Tawa, left wing Sharn Robinson and second five-eighth Vili Dakunimata scored braces.

The Axemen were fast out of the blocks against visitors the Upper Hutt Rams, with fullback Henry Hocking crossing after two minutes. The Rams drew level with a try to hooker Josh Houston Tupou, but two more tries to the Axemen put them ahead 21-8 at halftime.

The Axemen added to their scoring early in the second half and had the game under wraps at 33-8 ahead. The Rams gave themselves a chance by scoring further tries and closing the score to 33-25. But the Axemen kept their noses in front and won an open game in which both sides scored four tries.

The other two matches saw comfortable wins for Norths and Poneke.

Norths pulled clear of minnows Johnsonville in their Barlow Trophy encounter. Playing into the wind, Norths went out to a 19-0 by halftime. Norths scored their four-try bonus point early in the second spell, before pulling away later in the contest. For Norths, left wing Muna Lafaele, in his fourth Premier match, scored a hat-trick and centre Perry Hayman scored 26 points. Hayman is now the competition’s leading points scorer with 64.

Poneke did the damage with the wind in their favour in the opening 40 minutes, winning the match by halftime with a buffet of tries. Home side Paremata-Plimmerton hung tough in the second spell but could only manage one try.

Marist St Pat’s and Poneke continue to lead the Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield, both unbeaten after five rounds completed today.

MSP beat Wainuiomata’s second XV 41-3 and Poneke held off a stern challenge from Paremata-Plimmerton in prevailing 18-17.

HOBM turned the tables on Tawa, winning their Swindale Shield curtain-raiser 24-22. Norths, OBU, Petone and the Upper Hutt Rams were all big winners today in Premier Reserve rugby.

The third round of the Women’s Fleurs Trophy saw some big wins and some hot individual scoring.

Oriental-Rongotai earned their third straight bonus point win, beating Poneke 112-7. This fixture saw Pride first five-eighth Lizzie Goulden kick all her side’s 16 conversions and score a try for a 37 point haul.

St Mary’s College student and first five-eighth Monica Tagoai went one better for Hutt Old Boys Marist, scoring five tries and kicking seven conversions for a 39-point bag in HOBM’s 91-0 win over new side Upper Hutt Rams.

Centre Georgia Daals and fullback Andrea Wadsworth both scored hat-tricks in the OBU Impalas’ 63-5 win over Marist St Pat’s, whilst Wainuiomata defeated Avalon 41-0. Northern United won their third match from their armchairs, defaulted to by new team Johnsvonville-Tawa.

The results and standings after two rounds of the Paris Memorial Trophy Division 1 Colts grade bear little resemblance to the order of things last year – with three of last year’s four semi-fnalists winless after the opening fortnight.

Marist St Pat’s earned their second straight Colts bonus point win, beating last year’s beaten finalists Norths 31-19. Poneke, with a powerful pack, out muscled Petone to win 31-8, whilst perennial Colts contender OBU Green edged out Ories 16-10 to join MSP and Poneke as the unbeaten sides so far.

Defending Colts champions HOBM Green were smashed 49-10 by Tawa, whilst Wellington edged the Upper Hutt Rams 19-14 in the other Division 1 Colts fixture.

Old Boys University are the pacesetters after three rounds of the Thompson Memorial First Grade competition, their 29-12 win over Avalon today their third straight bonus point victory.

There were also First Grade wins today for Norths, HOBM and Poneke.

After two close wins to start their campaign, defending U85kg Division 1 champions had an easier win today, beating the HOBM Barbarians 32-12.  Tawa are unbeaten alongside the Wellington Axemen, after the Axemen beat the Poneke Cavs 25-3 in a local derby. Avalon beat Stokes Valley 25-0 in another neigbourly clash and Johnsonville enjoyed the sea air in defeating Eastbourne 44-13.

The Kapiti side and Wainuiomata have both won three from three in the U85kg Division 2 competition.

Defending Reserve Grade champions the Poneke Ruffnuts suffered their second defeat of the season, missing out to unbeaten Stokes Valley 24-26. The Upper Hutt Rams Pirates made it three from three in the Reserve Grade Division 2 grade, beating the OBU Teddy Bears 35-21.