Paremata-Plimmerton pip Ories as Rams, OBU and Petone make it two from two

Two bonus point wins to start the 2023 season for Old Boys University and two defeats for Hutt Old Boys Marist. Photo: Andy McArthur.

By Steven White & Scott MacLean

Draws & Results HERE (individual scoring to be added as and when received)

Paremata-Plimmerton will be devouring their Easter eggs tomorrow morning after their 21-17 win over Oriental-Rongotai at home at Shark Park as part of the remaining five matches this afternoon of the second round of the Premier Swindale Shield.

Paremata-Plimmerton earned their first win over a leading Jubilee Cup contender of recent years since stepping up to Premier rugby in 2015 as part of the expanded 14-team competition.

They leapt to an early 14-0 lead through converted tries to wing Blake Neve and halfback Esi Komaisavai, which proved decisive. Ories hit back, but a third try to former Ories Magpies Ethan Webster-Nonu pushed it to 21-5. Ories would close it up just before halftime, but the sole scoring in the second half was an unconverted Ories try as the home side hung on.

Elsewhere, the Upper Hutt Rams and Old Boys University made it two bonus points from two to start the competition with wins in town.

The Upper Hutt Rams beat Poneke 42-16 at Kilbirnine Park to re-claim the Alby Makeham Shield and inflict a second successive home defeat on the red and blacks to start the year.

There was no scoring until the 23rd minute, before Rams wing Fritz Rayasi scored the first of his three tries. Rayasi scored his second and third tries just prior to and just after halftime to put the Rams up 17-6 at halftime and then 22-9. A converted try and penalty followed and the Rams had the match in the bag heading into the final 15 minutes.

The OBU Goats beat the Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles 37-7 at home at Rugby League Park for the Wood Cup, giving the Eagles their second straight loss.

OBU led 19-0 at halftime, capitalising on several HOBM errors, and midway through the second half when they scored a length of the field try to put them up 32-7 it was game over. Fullback Ty Poe finished off the scoring for an emphatic win for the Goats in this match which is usually tight as a drum.

OBU celebrate one of their six tries against HOBM. Photo: Andy McArthur.

Petone survived an almighty scare up at Helston Park as the home team Johnsonville scored what would be their only try of the contest to level it up at 7-7. Johnsonville then kicked a penalty to go up 10-7, but Petone dug deep in the second to push clear and win 21-10.

A hat trick of tries to Tawa hooker Joyner Gaualofa helped propel his side to a late 29-17 win over visitors Marist St Pat’s in front of a large crowd at Lyndhurst Park.

Gaualofa was at the forefront of a committed Tawa pack that was typically strong in the set-piece and he scored three of their five tries off lineouts in the corner.

He scored two tries in the first half, and his third with just a few minutes to play which proved to be the match-winner.

Tawa added the icing on the cake and denied MSP a losing bonus point with a slick try from a scrum on halfway on full time.

MSP were not without their chances in the second half, after scoring their second try early in the second half, they missed two clear chances to score again and take the lead.

MSP had ripped the ball out wide to left wing Kobe Lolesio and he scored in the left-hand corner. Moments later, fly half Andrew Wells made a break for the same corner from a scrum 40 metres out and seemingly scored to put MSP ahead, but he was adjudged to have put his foot into touch and Tawa escaped with a line dropout. The dropout went out on the full, providing MSP the chance to score from an attacking scrum under the posts. Tawa scrambled on defence and kept them out, which would be MSP’s last opportunity.

MSP first-five Andrew Wells helped spark his side on attack in the second half, but missed chances were costly.

Earlier, MSP were struck a blow when experienced hooker Valentine Meachen left the field injured in the first five minutes. In contrast, Tawa were fast out of the blocks by scoring two tries in the first 15 minutes to go 12-0 ahead, the first being Gaualofa’s first try in the clubrooms corner, and the second a clinical first phase try from an attacking scrum in which centre Fuku Paongo sliced through to score untouched.

At this point, Tawa were well on top and looked like scoring again. However, an MSP outside back read the play and intercepted and ran 80 metres to score at the other end. Wells added the conversion to make it 12-7. Wells then kicked a penalty to cut the deficit to 12-10 after 25 minutes.

Paongo cuts through to score his try, to put Tawa 12-0 up.

Both teams spent the rest of the first half battling mostly in the middle of the field. Right on the stroke of halftime, Tawa were awarded a penalty and they kicked for the clubrooms corner for a lineout and that man Gaualofa came up trumps with the try. First five Luke Walmsley obliged with the sideline conversion and Tawa led 19-10 at halftime.

Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield

Defending champions Tawa won the Premier 2 curtain raiser at Lyndhurst Park 43-14, but the run of play was often tighter than the scoreline suggested. The score blew out at the end with Tawa scoring two late tries.

Playing with the southerly breeze, Tawa had scored four tries to lead 26-7 at halftime. MSP had much better territory and possession throughout much of the second half, but they were often unable to capitalise on this. They finally scored their second try to close the gap to 26-14, and quickly put themselves in another try-scoring position.

Tawa, like their Premiers that would follow, defended well, and they broke out to score the winning try with about 10 minutes to play, and ran clear at the end.

In other Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield matches, Ories beat Paremata-Plimmerton 34-31 in the early match at Ngati Toa Domain and Poneke edged the Upper Hutt Rams 36-27 in the Kilbirnie curtain-raiser.

The HOBM Eagles Second XV made it two bonus straight bonus point wins to start 2023, beat the OBU Goats 36-27 on Friday afternoon – the same score as above.

Norths beat Avalon 29-19, Petone defeated Johnsonville 44-5 and Stokes Valley had a 22-17 win over Wainuiomata in the late match of the round.

Women’s

The opening round of the Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy kicked off at 11.30am.

In the feature game at the Polo Ground, Northern United flexed their muscles in beating Oriental-Rongotai 47-27.

Petone had a similarly big win, beating Marist St Pat’s 46-17, while Paremata-Plimmerton beat Poneke 27-5 and the Avalon Shewolves defeated new combined team HOBM/Wainuiomata 48-12.