Ories finish top as HOBM miss out on semi-finals

Above” Goatastic! OBU beat the Upper Hutt Rams 48-0 today to qualify top for the Hardham Cup semi-finals. Oriental-Rongotai defeated Poneke 53-13 in the other to qualify top for the Jubilee Cup and win the Andy Leslie Trophy. Read more below. 

Draws & Results HERE 

Oriental-Rongotai have finished the 2019 Jubilee Cup round-robin as top qualifier for the semi-finals and winner of the Andy Leslie trophy, while first round winners Hutt Old Boys Marist have missed out on the semi-finals.

In today’s last round matches, Ories beat Poneke 53-13, Northern United beat Tawa 24-17 and Wainuiomata beat Hutt Old Boys Marist 28-19.

These results meant Ories and Tawa finished the round-robin in first equal on 21 points, but Ories finished top on the basis of their win over Tawa three weeks ago.

Ories will host fourth placed qualifier Wainuiomata (18 points) in one semi-final while Tawa will host third placed finisher Norths (20 points) in the other.

In the Hardham Cup, Old Boys University confirmed top spot with a 48-0 win over the Upper Hutt Rams and will host them again next weekend, while Marist St Pat’s won their engagement with Avalon 74-7 and will host the Wellington Axemen in the other top four fixture.

Paremata-Plimmerton edged the Johnsonville Hawks 22-20 in the third Hardham Cup match and already confirmed final game of the season for both sides. The Axemen freshened up with their bye.

In the Premier Reserve Division 1 Ed Chaney Cup, Northern United beat Tawa 26-21, Ories pipped Poneke 24-20 and Wainuiomata met Hutt Old Boys Marist.

Norths will take on Ories in one semi-final, while Petone will welcome Tawa on to the Rec in the other in the second versus third fixture.

The HD Morgan Memorial Division 2 Premier Reserve semi-finals will be exactly the same at the Hardham Cup ones that follow, with top qualifier MSP hosting fourth placed Wellington and second and third placed OBU and the Upper Hutt Rams contesting the other.

In today’s games, MSP slew Avalon 97-7, OBU and the Rams drew 22-22 and Paremata-Plimmerton beat Johnsonville 32-10 in a game that was the last game of the year for both sides.

In the John E Kelly Division 1 Colts competition HOBM Green sealed the top qualifier’s berth with an 18-7 win over OBU Green today.

HOBM will play Marist St Pat’s, who beat Petone Blue 22-5, while Oriental-Rongotai will host OBU, after their 31-7 win over Paremata-Plimmerton today.

In the other Colts match, the Norths beat Tawa 29-24 in a fixture that proved not to have any bearing on the semi-finals.

The Colts Division 2 Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup semi-finals will see Poneke playing the Upper Hutt Rams and Avalon meeting OBU Black in the other.

In today’s Division 2 Colts fixtures, Poneke went down to Avalon 15-26, while the Rams edged OBU Black 21-17 and Wainuiomata beat Johnsonville 36-14.

The Avalon Wolves grabbed top spot in the First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup competition by beating first round winners Stokes Valley 38-7 today.

Avalon will entertain Wainuiomata in one semi-final while Stokes Valley will host recent First Grade powerhouse the HOBM Barbarians in the other.

In today’s other last round match, Wainuiomata pipped Old Boys University 14-12. HOBM had the bye.

The other grade with semi-finals next week is the Division 2 Women’s competition, the Izzy Ford Cup.

In next week’s Izzy Ford playoffs, Paremata-Plimmerton will host Wainuiomata and Marist St Pat’s will play Hutt Old Boys Marist.

In today’s matches, Paremata-Plimmerton came from behind to beat MSP 27-19 and HOBM beat Wainuiomata 24-17. Poneke had the bye today.

The Division 1 Women’s Tia Paasi Memorial Cup has one round to play before a straight final.

Northern United secured top spot for the final with a round to spare by beating Petone 49-0 today, while Ories remain in the box seat to join them on Finals Day, despite being beaten 31-26 by the OBU Impalas today.

Around the Jubilee Cup grounds today, Wainuiomata had the services of the Umaga-Jensen brothers, Thomas and Peter.

Both were key cogs in their side’s win over HOBM that shut the Eagles out of the playoffs.

Playing with the wind in their favour in the first half, Wainuiomata skipped ahead 14-0, through tries to Thomas Umaga-Jensen and prop Kade Tiatia. The twins then played a part in their third try to wing Solomona Mapesone to put them up 21-0 at the interval.

The Eagles scored twice early in the second half to close to 21-12, before Peter Umaga-Jensen pounced for a key try from a scrum 20 metres out and fullback Josh Robertson-Weepu converted.

HOBM came back with another try to make it 28-19. They went close to scoring again, with a try needed to gather 2 bonus points for losing, but ran out of time and other results worked against them to end their campaign.

At Porirua Park, visitors Tawa leapt to a 12-0 lead over Northern United, through tries to lock Tito Ioane and wing Tane Heremia. But that was their high point of the game as Norths came back to take a 19-12 lead

by halftime.

Norths scored three first half tries through wing-threequarter Jordan Mellars-Rose, fullback Johnny Teleaga and to Mellars-Rose again.

Tawa closed the gap to 19-17 with a try to captain and prop James Coburn off a lineout, but Norths replied with their bonus point and match winning try when wing Connor Garden-Bachop broke from 80m out and off-loaded to Esi Komaisavai who in turn found TK Bishop in support.

At Kilbirnie Park, Poneke had first use of the wind and held an 8-7 lead by midway through the first half. Ories pulled well clear from that point to lead 29-8 at halftime and later 41-8 early in the second spell before eventually posting a half century.

Around the Hardham Cup grounds today, two of the matches were one-sided and the third was a thriller.

Marist St Pat’s wing Faresa Tasele scored five tries in his side’s 12 tries to one win over the Avalon Wolves.

MSP were fast out of the blocks and effectively had the game wrapped up inside half an hour when leading 21-0. Avalon hit back with a try to wing Poata Tuisamoa but MSP moved ahead to 38-7 with Tasele’s hat-trick. From there, the visitors doubled their score to warm up for the semi-finals in style.

At Nairnville Park, the OBU Goats were similarly clinical against the Rams, whom they meet again next weekend.

OBU raced to a 22-0 lead and later to 43-0 before a long period of no scoring and then the final try of the afternoon. Finbarr Kerr-Newell scored a hat-trick from the tighthead prop position.

At Ngati Toa Domain, visitors Johnsonville went desperately close to winning for the first time this season before falling short 20-22 to Paremata-Plimmerton.

With the wind, home side Paremata-Plimmerton went to a 19-5 lead at halftime, scoring two tries directly from poor Johnsonville exit plays and a third to fullback Justin Wilson first phase from an attacking scrum. Johnsonville’s try was to lock Campbell Tait after a penalty and lineout in the scoreboard corner of the ground.

Johnsonville lit up the second half with a 70-metre intercept try to centre Waisea Yabakivou, closing the gap to 19-12.

The Hawks got their tails up and launched back on to attack. Paremata-Plimmerton lost a man to the bin and eventually their line cracked whenYabakivou took a quick tap penalty and they scored again to close to 19-17.

Johnsonville continued to press hard and they chose the points off the tee when awarded a penalty, putting ahead for the first time at 20-19.

With several minutes to play, Paremata-Plimmerton launched a rare raid up the left hand side of the touchline, which led to a penalty in a handy position and fullback Wilson kicked this to put them ahead 22-20.

Paremata-Plimmerton then defended stoutly off another Johnsonville period of phase play deep inside their 22, before clearing their territory and hanging on to win a tight one to end both team’s seasons.