Past club rugby matches in photos. #001: Wellington v Upper Hutt Rams 2016

In association with Mike Lewis Pictures , a series telling the story of the match behind a photo.

For no particular reason, the first of this series is from 2016 in a second round Jubilee Cup match between the Wellington Axemen and the Upper Hutt Rams at Maidstone Park. Wellington won the match 31-15.

In this photo, Wellington wing Henry Hocking dives for the corner to score the first of his two tries in the game. He is beating the desperate tackle of Rams halfback Hayden Schrijvers, with Rams fullback Salesi Rayasi too late to assist and Axemen midfielder Matt Goosen backing up Hocking in support.

In 2016, the Upper Hutt Rams struck a rich vein of mid-season form, storming into the Jubilee Cup with consecutive wins over wins over Paremata-Plimmerton, Wainuiomata, Poneke, and Petone and also drawing with HOBM.

In round one of the Jubilee Cup, they famously took down first round winners and defending champions Old Boys University 20-18 at the Basin Reserve.

Hurricane and centre Jason Woodward was the hero of the hour for the Rams side against OBU, kicking a match winning 40-metre penalty with the last play of the game into the teeth of a northerly.

But curiously just one of these five wins and a draw from their previous six outings was at home.

Visiting teams had a chance to beat the Rams on their own turf at misfiring Maidstone Park.

The Wellington Axemen were also playing well, arguably in their best form ever since ending over a decade in the wilderness and re-joining the Premier competition in 2014.

They entered the Jubilee Cup round having won nine from 13 and finished third equal in the Swindale Shield. Their wins column included a 40-32 victory over the Rams in April at Hataitai.

Whilst the Rams had edged OBU the previous Saturday, the Axemen had been pipped 14-15 by Wainuiomata at home.

As expected, the Rams – Axemen re-match was willing from the outset.

The Axemen managed to wrestle ascendancy through a superior scrum and lineout, and after early penalties, left wing Henry Hocking dived over in the corner and fyhalf James So’oialo converted from out wide to give them a 13-3 halftime lead. Wellington extended their lead to 19-3 through So’oialo’s boot. The game then erupted into a fury of action when reserve Rams fullback Tafa Tafa broke through multiple tackles and created a try for wing Max Pearson.

That was as close as they came, the Axemen keeping their composure and pulling away, with a second try to Hocking and a third to prop Damian Winter.

Neither team could maintain their form throughout the remainder of the Jubilee Cup, the Rams finishing seventh and the Axemen eighth, both with two wins from their seven round-robin games.