Tawa, Wainuiomata and Ories clinch remaining semi-finals in tight finish

Bucqui Jubilee Cup semi-finals:

Marist St Pat's (1) v Oriental-Rongotai (4) at Evan Bay Park
Tawa (2) v Wainuiomata (3) at Lyndhurst Park

Hardham Cup semi-finals:

Hutt Old Boys Marist (1) v Paremata-Plimmerton (4) at the Hutt Recreation Ground
Northern United (2) v Petone (3) at Jerry Collins Stadium

Points differential. That's what this year's bucqi Jubilee Cup semi-finals have come down to after a drama-filled final day of round-robin matches this afternoon played in appalling conditions around the region.

While Marist St Pat's sealed top spot for next week's semi-finals and with it the Andy Leslie Trophy for winning the round-robin series, four teams were left in second equal place on the ladder.

Tawa, Wainuiomata, Oriental-Rongotai and defending champions Old Boys University all finished the regular season on 19 points. With just three semi-finals places to be filled to who had the better points differential and Tawa's was +26, Wainuiomata's +4, Ories' -4 and OBU's -26.

Top qualifier MSP defeated the Wellington Axemen 27-7, their fifth win of the round-robin series, and they will return home to fortress Evans Bay Park next weekend to host Ories, who lost 24-25 to OBU today but snuck ahead of the Goats.

Tawa came from behind to subdue the Upper Hutt Rams 17-15 at Maidstone Park and Wainuiomata beat Poneke with a late penalty to win 16-14 at home at William Jones Park. Tawa will host Wainuiomata at Lyndhurst Park in Jubilee Cup semi-final number two next Saturday.

The unlucky teams to miss out on the semi-finals were Poneke and OBU.

Premier Reserve regular and replacement Matt Jacobs was the hero for Wainuiomata, kicking a booming 45-metre penalty to put the green and blacks ahead with about three minutes to play.

Poneke soared high and won the kick-off and surged up into the 22 to put themselves in prime position to re-take the lead on the hooter. But Wainuiomata turned the ball over and flanker Greg Lealofi made a big run from the resulting scrum. They then won a penalty at the next ruck and booted the ball out and kicked themselves into the semi-finals.

Old Boys University could count themselves desperately unlucky not to have made the semi-finals this year.

In a Polo Ground mud bath, the Goats scored a death-knock match-winning try to right wing Joe Hill to see them win on the scoreboard 25-24, but it was the two losing bonus points that Ories scored that came back to haunt OBU, and a seventh different champion in as many years will be crowned on 6 August.

Ories had scored their bonus point try and what turned out to be their most important try of their season only a few minutes from the end to put them ahead 24-20, after a long period of sustained attacking play and a fired up forwards effort.

But OBU had the last say in the match when outstanding halfback Tomasi Palu nailed a raking kick in to the corner to force a defensive Ories lineout. The Magpies made an error from their own set-piece, the Goats attacked through multiple phases and right wing Joe Hill scooted through to score in the corner.

Joy turned to despair for OBU - who actually had a live Goat mascot on hand today parading the sideline - when they heard the news that they had missed out.

For Tawa supporters, second place in the round-robin and a home semi-final represents a stunning turnaround in fortunes.

Tawa lost their first three matches but went on a match winning four-week bender that saw them storm through the middle of the pack. They are the first team in the history of the semi-finals (since 1992) to lose their first two games (in this case three) and go on to secure a home semi-final.

They came back from a two-try 0-10 deficit to beat the Upper Hutt Rams in their last round match, sailing home with the blustery wind and rain in their favour. They scored three tries to go up 17-10 deep in the second half, before the Rams closed their much improved season with a late try.

Marist St Pat's were always in control against the Wellington Axemen. They got ahead early with a converted try to prop Vince Sakaria and then doubled their lead when wing Mike Buckley collected a Peter Sciascia up and under and flew away to score. They had the game won and the top qualifier's berth wrapped up when they moved to a 20-7 lead with about 20 minutes to play.

The top four places that will contest the Hardham Cup were finalised early in the day, when Paremata-Plimmerton led MSP B 16-7 at halftime and held on throughout a scoreless second half to earn four competition points and fourth place in the standings, just ahead of Avalon.

What was left to be decided was the finishing order and which team would join Hutt Old Boys Marist as a home semi-finalist next weekend. HOBM eased past Johnsonville 62-3 at the Hutt Rec today.

The lucky side is Norths, who defeated Petone 24-21 today at the Petone Rec. This means that these two teams will do it again next weekend when Norths host Petone at Jerry Collins Stadium, and HOBM will play Paremata-Plimmerton at the Eagles' nest at the Hutt Rec.

SCORING HIGHLGHTS FROM TODAY IN HARDHAM CUP

The Upper Hutt Rams second XV made it seven from seven in the second round Premier Reserve competition today, beating their Tawa counterparts 24-7 with a bonus point and becoming the first team to qualify for the Ed Chaney Cup semi-finals with two rounds to play.

Petone are second after beating Northern United 20-0 in an intra-division Ed Chaney Cup match today and Poneke are third after beating Wainuiomata 13-5 in an Ed Chaney/HD Morgan Memorial crossover fixture.

HOBM are still in the Ed Chaney Cup hunt with a win by default over Johnsonville, while Avalon beat Wellington 52-12 and Ories defeated Paremata-Plimmerton 22-18 in the other two standalone HD Morgan matches.

Old Boys University Green will have a home semi-final with jut one round of the Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Trophy to play.

Frontrunners OBU enjoyed an assured 27-12 win over Northern United today. Tawa are nipping at their heels for top sport, after beating Poneke 39-19, while MSP Blue are in third having defeated Wellington 28-10. The Upper Hutt Rams are fourth after beating Ories 25-12.

Petone lead the Colts Division 2 Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup, after they were defaulted to by OBU White.

The Petone Brotherhood are unbeaten in the First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup with eight straight bonus points in the Reserve Grade Division 1 competition. They beat the Avalon Wolves 41-5. Stablemates the Petone Saxons enjoyed a 28-6 win over Tawa. OBU are second after their 52-0 victory over MSP.

The U85kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield competition remains tight, with some close games to match the ladder this afternoon.

Second placed Johnsonville and fourth placed Eastbourne drew 15-15, while mid-table Poneke knocked over Wellington 9-8 in a key result for the top teams in the standings. The Tawa Titans are now clear frontrunners, with a 6-point buffer, despite having a game in hand. Tawa beat minnows the Upper Hutt Rams by default today. Mid-table Avalon beat lower ranked Horowhenua Kapiti 24-0 in today's other clash.

The Wests Roosters had an 8-7 victory over the Hutt Old Boys Marist Howlers to maintain their lead at the head of the U85kg Division 2 Tony O'Brien Shield standings.