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Mid-table scramble after high scoring eighth round

The victorious Wainuiomata side after beating Oriental-Rongotai 27-0.

Premier Swindale Shield results HERE (individual points scorers to be updated)

  • By Steven White and Scott MacLean
The Swindale Shield points table after 8 rounds of 10.

The 2019 Swindale is set to go down to the wire over the final fortnight, with Hutt Old Boys Marist out in front and still  unbeaten, but with Northern United and Oriental-Rongotai breathing down their neck – and their opposition in the last two rounds – the title race is set to go down to the wire.

Meanwhile, the ‘top 7’ scramble is on.

Norths have joined HOBM as having officially qualified for the Jubilee Cup, so that leaves a group of eight teams from third placed Ories to 10th placed Upper Hutt Rams still alive and chasing the remaining five spots to get to play in the championship rounds throughout June and July.

This includes a group of three teams all on 25 points and two Jubilee Cup juggernauts of the modern era, Marist St Pat’s and Tawa, still on the outside looking in.

Today’s results threw up a series of high scoring results on a windy afternoon interspersed by showers and sunshine.

Peter Umaga-Jensen – two tries for Wainuiomata. PHOTO: Mike Lewis Pictures.

At William Jones Park, Wainuiomata ended a month of wins for Oriental-Rongotai in emphatic fashion by blanking them 27-0.

Wainuiomata won the game with a pair of tries in the space of five minutes early in the second half. They were leading 10-0 at halftime, courtesy of a converted try to second five-eighth Peter Umaga-Jensen and a penalty to fullback Josh Robertson-Weepu. The green and blacks then struck with an emphatic try in the 45th minute to wing Saita Tuaoi after some good work by halfback TJ Va’a. This was followed by a lineout steal and converted blindside flanker Marvin Karawana crossing the whitewash to make it 22-0. Umaga-Jensen would score his second try to seal their win.

At Kilbirnie Park, Old Boys University flexed their might in beating Poneke 41-13 and retaining the Beet Algar Rosebowl.

Playing into the wind in the first half, OBU battled to a 15-6 lead late in the first half. Right on halftime right wing threequarter Trevahn Taufoou sliced through to score under the bar. Early in the second half, OBU scored again through right wing Joe Hill after a bust by No. 8 Teariki Ben Nicholas and flyhalf Dale Sabbagh converted from the sideline and at 29-6 it was game over at that point.

At Onepoto Park, Norths started fast and barely lifte

OBU beat Poneke 41-13 at Kilbirnie Park. PHOTO: Andy McArthur.

d off in beating the Upper Hutt Rams 48-22. Conditions are Onepoto Park – with Norths honouring the Titahi Bay arm of their history were ideal – and ideal was the start the home side got with former Ram Josh Hunt claiming the opening kickoff and Luca Rees getting his 14th try of the season inside the opening minute.

The Rams regrouped and replied through Jayden Treviranus, but Norths had four more by the break including a double to Dudley Parsons against one from Konelio Feaunati. The second half saw much of the same including an impressive strike by Losi Filipo while prop Gerard Faitatoa – who had an absolutely barnstorming game – brought a round of cheers with rollicking 30m solo effort. Feaunati added a second, with the bonus point keeping the Rams mathematically alive for another week. For their part Norths secured their Jubilee Cup place

At the Petone Recreation Ground, it was all too easy for the home side as the Villagers cruised to a 58-22 win against the Wellington Axemen who are Hardham Cup bound and showed it.

Petone were full of hustle and bustle from the outset and played some sound attacking rugby, with their tight forwards industrious and their halfback-first five-eighth combination of Logan Henry and Carne Green both working well together. The Axemen were competitive in patches but their defence was poor at times and many of Petone’s tries were scored from long-range.

Playing into the wind, Petone started at pace and scored from a lineout drive in the opening moments. Green and then openside flanker Jacob Gooch scored to put Petone 20-0 up. From the next kick-off, Petone regained possession and scored again to put them up 27-0 after 30 minutes. Wellington replied with a penalty and then a try to flanker Angelo Smith.

27-10 to Petone at halftime soon became 41-10 with a pair of tries to wing Adam Simpson and No. 8 Tupou Sopoaga, before the Axemen scored through a penalty try. Petone soared further ahead with tries to Gooch and replacement right wing Sam Blackburn (2). The Axemen closed the contest with a consolation try to No. 8 Max Allen.

At Fraser Park, visitors Tawa took a 12-0 lead after 15 minutes through tries to fullback PJ Iosefo and left wing Romu Senileba, who started the season at Johnsonville. Tries to prop Tolu Fahumaokio and centre Tom Maiava put Tawa up 26-0 at halftime. Avalon came back with a strong passage of play early in the second half but Tawa were able to pull further ahead and win 43-14.

At Ngatitoa Domain, Marist St Pat’s boosted their Jubilee Cup hopes by beating home side Paremata-Plimmerton 63-7. Playing into the wind, MSP took a 32-0 into the break. Turning with 14 players to start the second half after a sin-binning, MSP scored again to make it 39-0 and there was no coming back for Paremata-Plimmerton at that junction.

The match at Helston Park pitted frontrunners HOBM against winless Johnsonville and the Eagles won 50-14. However, the Hawks were in the fight for long periods. HOBM outscored them 4 tries to 2 in the first 40 minutes and led 26-14 at halftime, before pulling ahead in the third quarter and sealing their eighth straight win.

Women’s

Norths Women’s beat the OBU Impalas 27-17. PHOTO: Andy McArthur.

Three of the scheduled women’s sixth round matches went ahead this weekend, after Hutt Old Boys Marist defaulted to Oriental-Rongotai on Friday.

Norths and Ories are likely to determine the destination of the Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy when they meet next Friday night at Westpac Stadium. Norths however were made to work before beating OBU 27-17 after leading 15-12 at halftime and then coming back after OBU scored the opening try of the second spell and briefly took the lead, while Ories didn’t have to leave home; defaulted to by HOBM and the third time that has happened already this year. Last night Wainuiomata got off the mark beating Poneke 41-10, while in a result that will have implications for the second round MSP got up 27-17 over Pare-Plimmerton.

Premier Reserve

The Marist St Pat’s second XV sauntered to their eighth straight win in the second tier Harper Lock Shield competition, beating Paremata-Plimmerton 71-0.

The early game at Onepoto resembled in many ways the game that followed. Norths leapt out to a handy lead only for the Rams to close it to 25-34 inside the last ten minutes, but Norths had the final say with two closing tries to prevail 46-25. They are second behind MSP with seven wins.

Third placed Tawa overcame Avalon 61-12, fourth placed Petone beat Wellington 67-3, fourth placed Poneke pipped OBU 19-15, fifth placed Ories toppled Wainuiomata 45-0 and 11th placed HOBM beat 13th place Johnsonville 44-17.

Colts

Three close matches formed this week’s Colts Division 1 round. OBU Green assumed the outright lead beating MSP 12-10 at Ian Galloway Park, leaving the Paris Memorial Trophy theirs to lose. HOBM remain third but were beaten by Tawa 22-19, lifting Tawa from bottom into 6th while Petone beat Pare-Plim 22-12 in a pair of results that could have significant implications on the second round with two teams potentially being relegated. The fourth match saw Norths keep the Upper Hutt Rams winless, prevailing 34-6.

At Petone, the home side went ahead 12-0 early with a pair of tries. Paremata-Plimmerton hit back with a runaway try to their first five-eighth to make it 12-7. But that was as close as they would get. Petone kicked a penalty and then scored the try of the match with their centre cutting through to make it 22-7 at halftime.

The second half was a mostly scrappy affair, with Petone’s forwards on top but Paremata-Plimmerton holding a territorial advantage as they had the wind in the favour. Finally in the 70th minute, Paremata-Plimmerton were rewarded for their endevour by scoring their second try of the match and the only score of the second half.

Oriental-Rongotai remained in charge of the Division 2 standings winning 31-17 over Wainuiomata while OBU Black edged out Johnsonville 15-14. Avalon and Wellington met in the other match.

U85kg

The Upper Hutt Rams and Avalon each won their fifth straight wins today in the U85kg JC Bowl.

The Rams beat Eastbourne 27-5 and Avalon battled past the Johnsonville Terrahawks 17-10.

Wests had their first win of the season in beating MSP 17-14, while the Wellington Lightaxemen beat the OBU outfit 47-14 and the HOBM Howlers met Paraparaumu in the other match.

College

It was a close run day for the four Wellington schools at the second weekend of the Tranzit Festival in Gisborne. Silverstream had the only success, edging the home school 22-21, while Scots fell to Hastings by the same margin, 19-20. Wellington College went down to Napier 26-36, while St Pats Town were unable to repeat last weeks heroics, beaten 14-31 by Palmerston North. Next week the series rolls into Wellington for the last round at Porirua Park.

Closer to home Wairarapa College and Rongotai College booked their return to the Premiership for 2019; Wairarapa eased past Kapiti 67-7 while Rongotai beat Aotea 24-3. Kapiti and Aotea get a second chance next week, and will by joined by Upper Hutt, Taita, Hutt International, Tawa, St Bernard’s, and Porirua in next weekend’s qualifying matches for the last four Premiership places.

 

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