MSP flicks the switch at Porirua Park in exciting round of club rugby

Plenty of tries scored, high scoring comebacks and match winning dropped goals – there was much to get enthused about in today’s eighth round of Wellington’s Premier Swindale Shield competition.

After an exciting round of rugby on a glorious autumn afternoon, the result of the Marist St Pat’s – Northern United match at Jerry Collins Stadium was the hottest topic of discussion in most clubrooms this evening.

MSP came out firing on all tanks against Norths and won 64-15.

The bonus point was secured for MSP after just 22 minutes, following two tries to 2006 Best and Fairest winner and halfback Peter Sciascia and another two by Isaia Petelo and Ben Fekeho. MSP would run in a further three tries to finish the half with 45 points while Norths were left reeling.

Sciascia completed his hat-trick to open the scoring in the second half and shortly after he was on the receiving end of a high tackle which Norths No. 8 Parekura Lalaga was shown yellow for. Norths would score a try with 14 men on the pitch, courtesy of flanker Daniel Reuelu-Buchanan but their effort was far short of matching a dominant MSP side.

It was a similar story in the first half at the Hutt Rec, where competition leaders and unbeaten Old Boys University raced to a 28-0 lead over Hutt Old Boys in 20 minutes. OBU eventually extended their lead to 40-7 by halftime.

Wes Goosen run amok scoring two tries and playing a hand in the other two scored. Goosen broke the line at will and ran gaily.

HOBM wing Francis Tanuvasa pulled one back following quick thinking by busy halfback Sheridan Rangihuna, but the Billygoats crossed twice more before the interval as fullback Jono Ihaka and veteran wing Joe Hill proved to be slippery customers.

But, unlike Norths, the HOBM Eagles clawed their way back in the second half as OBU became complacent. Reserve prop Otto Rasch added some much needed steel in the forwards while hooker James O'Reilly, openside Matt Sleith and No.8  Lise Soloa awoke from their slumber.

HOBM won consistent possession and started to create holes in the OBU defense. Fullback Blake McGregor was excellent frequently injecting himself into the line and being rewarded with two tries. After a poor start centre Ope Peleseuma started to cause headaches.

Thirteen tries and a desperate finish meant few fans could leave the ground disappointed – the final score being 45-38 to OBU.

At Lyndhurst Park, Tawa beat Wainuiomata 25-23 in a classic Swindale Shield thriller and for the Chris Stirling Cup.

The match unfolded over the final frantic few minutes, when Wainuiomata flyhalf Frae Wilson kicked a dropped goal to put his side ahead 23-22. Tawa rallied and with their final throw of the dice drove at Wainuiomata’s tryline unsuccessfully. But in doing so they set up fullback Randall Bishop in the pocket and the ex-basketballer calmly potted the match-winner with the last play of the game.

There had been little in the match since the start, with both sides bringing powerful forwards out to play and both playing positive attacking rugby when possible. Wainuiomata, in particular, played a terrific brand using width at every opportunity. Tawa led an absorbing contest 7-5 at halftime, but both sides shadowed each other throughout the second half.

There were also some quality tries scored in this one, Tawa centre Pepesana Patafilo setting up one with a magical run up the centre of the field and Wainuiomata scoring a clinical set-piece try, going wide from an attacking scrum to veteran left wing Jason Love who showed his undiminished speed in racing over to score.

The pattern of both the matches involving minnows Johnsonville and Paremata-Plimmerton was similar; with these two winless teams pushing their opposition close before being over-run late in the contests.

On their Old Timers’ Day at Helston Park, Johnsonville had conceded a 0-16 lead by the time Avalon’s Japanese centre Haruyama Yute crossed. Johnsonville also had a player sent to the sin-bin at this stage. But their own Japanese player, flanker Daisuke Musha, crossed for two consecutive tries and they closed the gap to 15-19 at halftime.

Avalon had the breeze in the second half, but both teams kicked penalties only and the score was advanced to 21-18. Johnsonville started falling off tackles and the Avalon Wolves eventually pulled clear to win 36-18.

Similarly, Paremata-Plimmerton was competitive at the Graveyard and only trailed the Axemen 5-7 approaching halftime. Wellington scored two quick tries, including one to debutant halfback Luke Murray, and they skipped out to 19-5 by the interval. Paremata-Plimmerton scored first after halftime, to hooker Apirana McMillan-Parata, but the Axemen were able to up their tempo and they pulled clear to win 43-10.

Mistakes and ill-discipline at the breakdown cost the Upper Hutt Rams dearly in their Bob Lendrum Cup 25-50 loss to Oriental-Rongotai at home at Maidstone Park.

The Rams were heavily penalised as Ories built up a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes, through James Proctor penalties and a try to hooker Hunter Prescott. This became 22-3 by the time of the halftime whistle. Both sides scored tit-for-tat tries throughout the second half as Ories took the bonus point win and the Rams were left picking up the pieces from another messy defeat.

Poneke regained the Fred Tilyard Memorial Shield, after the great player of 100 years ago, with a similarly convincing 38-17 win over Petone at Kilbirnie Park.

Left wing Nick Robertson again showed his nose for the tryline by scoring two tries to lift his tally to seven for the season. Robertson scored the only try of the first half, just prior to the oranges, to give the red and blacks an 11-0 lead.  Robertson’s second try then gave them a 16-0 lead, which they extended and eventually sealed victory with 10 minutes to play with their bonus point try instigated by No. 8 Greg Foe – turning mountains of defensive pressure into a sweeping runaway try.

The top two teams of the Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield progress to the Hardham Cup in the second round (should their first XVs make the Jubilee Cup).

At present, those two sides are Marist St Pat’s (on 34 points) and Poneke (32) who are both two wins clear of their nearest challengers Tawa and the Upper Hutt Rams (both on 22) after their respective victories today.

Poneke defeated Petone 48-41 in a Harper Lock thriller on Kilbirnie Park, while MSP beat Northern United 34-19 on the top field at Porirua Park.

Third placed Tawa held off Wainuiomata 53-32 in an exciting curtain-raiser at Lyndhurst Park. Defending first round champions Tawa led 31-3 at one point, but Wainuiomata came back with a flurry of scoring of their own. Tawa cracked the half century with the final play of the game.

The Upper Hutt Rams thrashed Ories 68-10 at Maidstone Park, while the Hutt Old Boys Marist second XV dispatched the OBU seconds 41-12 at the Eagles’ Nest. The OBU club had several players away on NZ Universities duty, testing their all-round depth.

The Wellington Axemen held off Paremata-Plimmerton 27-23 at the Graveyard, while Avalon accounted for Johnsonville 55-17 in the other match at Helston Park.

The Premier Reserve competition resumes this coming Wednesday night with the eighth round.

Old Boys University Green and Marist St Pat’s are both unbeaten in the fourth round of the Colts Division 1 Paris Memorial Trophy competition, while Northern United grabbed their first win of the season.

All Colts games today were played on the number one fields of their host clubs, with Norths clearly enjoying being out on Jerry Collins Stadium. Perhaps a bit too much, as too much individual play hampered their efforts early on against Petone who grabbed both their chances in the first half to score converted tries. The second of these was an 80m intercept try, levelling up the scores at 14-14 at the break. But Norths settled after halftime and pulled clear to win 38-19.

OBU Green comfortably accounted for defending champions HOBM Green 43-19 at the Hutt Rec, while MSP defeated Poneke 21-15 in a second successive tight one for them.  Tawa sit third after beating Wellington 32-3 at Hataitai, with Ories beating the Upper Hutt Rams 33-14 in their match at Maidstone Park.

The OBU team is also the competition leader after five rounds of the Thompson Memorial First Grade competition. OBU beat the HOBM Barbarians 37-15 to earn their fifth win of the year. Norths are second with four wins after beating Avalon 38-10.

The Wellington Light Axemen made it five wins on the trot today in the U85kg JC Bowl. Wellington beat Johnsonville 29-5 at Newlands Park.

It was no frolic beside the seaside for defending champions the Tawa Titans, who battled to a typically gritty 17-8 win over Eastbourne at H.W Shortt Park.

The OBU Bunnies defeated Poneke 37-12 and Avalon overcame the HOBM Howlers 36-10 in the other U85kg Division 1 one match.

Avalon’s Ruby Finau and the Collins sisters were key figures in the fifth round of Fleurs Trophy Women’s matches played on Friday night.

Avalon fullback Ruby Finau scored five tries and kicked nine conversions for a personal total of 43 points in her side’s 98-0 win over the Upper Hutt Rams.

First five-eighth Brenda (4 tries) and centre three-quarter Helen (3) scored seven tries between them in Northern United’s 12 tries to one, 66-5 victory over Marist St Pat’s.

Wainuiomata defeated HOBM 40-5, running in their bonus point by halftime, while the Old Boys University Impalas overcame Poneke 58-0 in their match in town at Te Whaea. First five-eighth Gerogia Daals scored a hat-trick and hooker Sharlene Fagalilo scored two tries.

Oriental-Rongotai won the fifth scheduled match of the round by default over Johnsonville-Tawa who had too many injuries.

Norths and Ories and joint leaders after five rounds of nine, both on the maximum 25 points. They meet in the last round in a likely Fleurs round decider.

Wainuiomata and OBU are just behind with four wins from five each, while Avalon have won three games, MSP  two and HOBM and Poneke one each.