Today in History 8-14 April

Above: Hutt Old Boys Marist celebrate winning the McBain Shield off Petone on 9 April 2011.

Some of what happened in Wellington club rugby in the past below, in association with the Bond Sports Bar.

8 April

1978: Petone throw the ball around freely and account for Ories 52-0, scoring eight tries in a magical 45-minute period. Contrasting that, University upset early season favourites Wellington 6-0.

2006: Hutt Old Boys Marist come back from a 12-point deficit to beat defending first round champions Upper Hutt 32-29, scoring the winning try in the dying moments. Centre Mike Pehi is the star for HOBM with four tries, while halfback Alby Mathewson scores a brace of tries for Upper Hutt. Elsewhere, defending Jubilee Cup champions Petone are boosted by All Blacks captain Tana Umaga in their 31-5 win over Old Boys University. HOBM go on to beat Petone 24-13 in next week’s McBain Shield clash.

9 April

1988: Newly promoted Tawa are unlucky to lose to defending champions Wellington. Tawa lead 19-6 at halftime, but Wellington, with the wind, chip away and prevail 22-19.

2005: Porirua powerhouse Northern United and city slickers MSP continue their menacing starts to the season. Norths rattle up 50 points against Old Boys University while MSP dispatch Ories by 30 points at the Polo Ground. Elsewhere, Upper Hutt grab their second win, beating Wests 22-13, their second of what will be 10 straight wins to win the Swindale Shield.

2011: After four straight McBain Shield losses, Hutt Old Boys Marist win back the silverware, beating Petone 27-20. HOBM replacement left wing Eroni Ekevati pounces on a Petone dropped ball from a kick-off and sprint through to score the game’s decisive try. Elsewhere Upper Hutt concede a late try and sideline conversion to lose to Ories 25-27, while Wainuiomata lose 32-35 to Tawa but miss a penalty on fulltime in front of the posts that would have given them a draw.

10 April

1965: Dennis Tindall and Wellington flanker Tom Lister run amok for Athletic in their season-opening six tries to nil 22-3 victory over Taita. The game’s outstanding back Tindall scores two tries and Lister one. With former All Black lock Nev MacEwan in the side as player-coach, Athletic have taken their first steps to winning this year’s Jubilee Cup.

1976: In an early season upset, Wellington College Old Boys defeat defending Jubilee Cup champions Poneke 15-10. First five-eighth Robert Vance kicks five penalties for WCOB against his old club. Prop Al Keown is also a standout.  It’s a remarkable about face for WCOB, who lost 0-13 last week to newly promoted Wainuiomata.

1999: The Burt brothers, Josh and Corey, help spark Johnsonville to a 22-17 win over Petone. Trailing 7-10 at halftime, second five-eighth Josh slips through to score and first five-eighth Corey converts to put Johnsonville ahead. Then, in the 72^nd minute with Petone ahead 17-14, Corey makes a clean break to set up the match winning try.

11 April

1970: Two games into the new season sees the first major upset with Onslow slaying three-time defending champions Petone 22-9. Backs Bruce Hill (two tries), fullback Jim Gregg (one) and wing Jack Davie are standouts.

1987: Petone have yet to taste defeat since August 1985, and there’s no reason to suggest their streak’s coming to a close when they score 11 tries and beat Paremata-Plimmerton 62-3 today. MSP are shaping as one of their main rivals though after their victory over Hutt Valley Marist 15-9.

2009: A sensational five tries to Marist St Pat’s left wing Brendan Watt and four tries to Poneke centre Charlie Ngatai are some of the numerous highlights of third round matches today. Wellington Lions utility back Watt  scores fi

ve of this team’s eight tries in a 55-3 win over Tawa at Evans Bay Park and Ngatai dots down four times in Poneke’s 76-0 rout of Old Boys-University across the road at Kilbirnie Park.

12 April

1969: Onslow go within a whisker of upsetting last year’s runners-up University, conceding a late penalty under their own posts to lose 14-15. Elsewhere, Wellington’s All Black wing Michael Knight scores four tries in the Axemen’s 19-9 win over Naenae Old Boys.

1997: Northern United beats MSP for the first time in their nine-year history to create the upset of the round today. Norths win 13-8, with outstanding defence the order of the day. Elsewhere, Johnsonville, who go on to win the Swindale Shield this year, are thrashed 17-47 by Avalon.

13 April

1959: The Lions are touring NZ later this winter and as a prelude the club rugby season begins with a hiss and a roar today. The season starts off sensationally when the in the first minute of the early game at Athletic Park Poneke are awarded a penalty for obstruction. This helps them defeat WCOB 8-3. Defending champions University beat Marist 21-15 in an exciting game and soon-to-be champions Petone swamp Oriental 34-17.

1991: Upper Hutt and Ories both register fighting victories today. Winless after two matches and with several injuries, Upper Hutt come out swinging against Wellington and win 34-12 at Athletic Park, while Ories, led by Samoan Test lock Leo Falaniko, beat Wests 21-13.

1996: Harlequins make history by achieving the club’s first ever win over Petone since their creation five years earlier from WCOB and University. First five-eighth Glynn Champions kicks 20 points in the 25-9 win.

14 April

1956: Big wins by Marist and defending champions Onslow mark the first set of matches of the season today. Marist steamrolls Hutt 45-6 – in what is believed to be the heaviest defeat in the club’s history up to this point. Marist first five-eighth C.J. Stewart stars, while Mick Horan and Ivan Vadonavich are big in the forwards. In their match, Onslow blank Wellington 34-0.