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Above: Halfback Logan Love scored for Marist St Pat’s against Poneke. MSP won 29-13, a key result for both teams heading into the final month of the Swindale Shield competition. PHOTO: Andy McArthur.
- By Steven White & Scott MacLean.
Results & Scoring HERE
Paremata-Plimmerton remain in front and the Upper Hutt Rams and Old Boys University are right behind them in second and third, but it’s the middle of the table where much of the points table action lies up after today’s ninth round set of matches played in wet conditions throughout the region.
The Paremata-Plimmerton Hammerheads continued their hot form in their 56-22 Ivan Hardgrave Trophy win over neighbours Northern United at Porirua 2, ahead of the Upper Hutt Rams who beat Avalon 17-7 for the Harper Vine Trophy at Fraser Park with fullback Tynan Barrett scoring tei and the Old Boys University Billygoats who beat bottom placed Wellington 49-0 at Hataitai Park for the Dean Gifford Memorial Cup.
Defending first round champions Petone are tucked into fourth, after defeating Wainuiomata 29-8 for the Darren Larsen Cup on a Petone Rec mud-bog.
Below, them there appears to be five teams who are clearly in the hunt and chasing the next four spots available for the upcoming Jubilee Cup championship round.
These teams are headed by the Johnsonville Hawks who beat Tawa 27-19 at home at Helston Park for the Carman Cup (see extended review of this match below), Marist St Pat’s, who defeated Poneke 29-13 for the Horan-Millar Cup, and Hutt Old Boys Marist who flew to a 56-26 win over Oriental-Rongotai at the Hutt Rec.
The upshot of these results mean that Johnsonville are fifth on 31 points, MSP sixth on 29, and Ories, HOBM and Tawa are equal in seventh all on 26 points.
There is then a gap to the next group consisting of Poneke on 16, Norths on 12, Wainuiomata 9, Avalon 8 and the Axemen yet to get off the mark.
Leaders Paremata-Plimmerton ran in nine tries against Norths up on the top field at Porirua, with left wing Louis Northcott bagging a brace, his 10th and 11th tries of the season to date, and centre Joe Faleafaga also scoring two tries.
For OBU, centre Jan Lammers and hooker Louie Calvert both scored two tries in the eight tries to nil win.
At the Petone Rec, Wainuiomata were first on the scoreboard through a penalty, but Petone opened with their first try through prop Ben Kershaw – the first of two tries for him in this match. This was quickly followed by a penalty try to put the Villagers up 14-3. Wainuiomata briefly threatened when first five Tyler Tane crossed to close the score to 14-8, but Cam Ferrira set up Hurricanes centre Riley Higgins for the home team’s third try to go up 19-8. Petone then sealed the fixture with their bonus point try and the result was assured.
Up the road at the Hutt Rec, the HOBM Eagles ran in 11 tries against Ories. They were fast out of the starting gates and raced to a big lead. Ories actually came back to close it all up, but the Eagles pulled clear again in the second half to continue their resurgence. HOBM also took home the Bondy Memorial Cup.
At Evans Bay Park, cross-road visitors Poneke scored early to go 8-0 up. MSP scored their first try to cut their lead to 8-7, but Poneke scored a second try to move ahead 13-12. That was the extent of their scoring though, as MSP finished the game strongly in the increasingly wet and wild conditions. For MSP, first-five Andrew Wells proved a dominant figure with this all-round play and kicking game.
Johnsonville held on in the rain to beat Tawa by 27-19 this afternoon at Helston Park.
Tawa scored two late tries to close the game up and were hot on attack again against a 14-man Hawks side in the dying minutes, but ultimately they were chasing the game and Johnsonville has done more than enough to win.
The Tuitama brothers had earlier lit up the match by either scoring or being involved in all three of Johnsonville’s tries. The third try that proved to be the match-winner, midway through the second half, was a Helston Park special for the raucous band of home supporters above the bank.
The Hawks counter-attacked brilliantly from deep inside their own half with centre Aukuso Tuitama finding left wing Jason Tuitama who ran up the far touch line and was just kept out from scoring. The Hawks quickly recycled the ball and ripped it wide to fullback Jacob Walmsley who scored in front of the clubrooms on the other side. Halfback Mark Sutton coolly kicked the conversion from out wide, and Johnsonville were up 27-7.
Johnsonville took a 20-7 lead into halftime, when left wing Jason made a clean break up into the 22 and off loaded to his brother Aukuso who scored to the left of the posts on the stroke of the break.
Earlier in the half, Jason Tuitama had scored their first try on the end of the backline chain from a scrum on the 22 towards the far side of the field. Halfback Sutton also kicked two first half penalties, including a long-range kick.
Playing into the dying northerly but with plenty of rain about, Tawa made the best possible start to the match, their forwards marshalled by ex-Wellington halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, climbed into the try-zone and soon second five Lumafale Lualua crashed over in a pile of bodies to put Tawa 7-0 up inside the opening five minutes.
But Johnsonville, who were led in the forwards all game by outstanding lock Anthony Pettett, and ably supported by such players as hooker Regan Herbert, loosehead prop Lucas Aukuso and tighthead prop Ha’amea Ahio, out-passioned Tawa’s, who for their part were missing their captain and lock Hugo Plummer through injury.
Whilst it was wet all match, the persistent rain held off until later in the second half, but by that stage Johnsonville had their 20-point lead and weren’t going to relinquish it in the conditions.
Premier 2
Tawa retained both the lead and their long unbeaten streak in the Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield, but only just after being given a real scare by previously struggling Johnsonville winning 15-13 in the early match at Helston Park.
Poneke kept pace by blanking MSP 20-0, while Petone also pitched a shutout 34-0 over Wainuiomata. HOBM beat Ories 20-12, Upper Hutt eased past Avalon 43-7, and Norths slogged to a 17-8 win over Pare-Plim. In the one late game, Stokes Valley beat OBU 51-13.
In the Harper Lock Shield curtain raiser at Helston Park, Tawa kicked a penalty in the dying embers to beat home side Johnsonville 15-13. Johnsonville had established a 13-7 lead playing with the wind by half time, on the back of one try and two penalties, and then spent most of the second half gallantly holding on as the undefeated Tawa team came at them with everything they had. Tawa finally scored a try but couldn’t slot the conversion so trailed 13-12. But they won with a penalty from 40m on the angle.
A heavy shower of rain fell around the middle of the game, making conditions extremely greasy and difficult to play expressive rugby. These conditions continued until the curtain raiser (described above).
Colts
HOBM and Petone remain unbeaten after the weekends round of Paris Memorial Colts matches.
In the only match played today, Petone beat MSP 16-12 while HOBM had to work last night to beat Norths 19-5. Tawa were the other big winners of the round as they edged out the Upper Hutt Rams 15-14.
Ories were too good for Wainuiomata winning 86-0 with the game called early due to injury, and Poneke claimed the Misiluni Moananu Memorial Shield with a 26-0 win over Wellington.
OBU Green had the bye.
Women’s
MSP and Ories were the winners in the first round of the Women’s Tia Passi Memorial championship matches.
MSP won the battle of the first round joint-winners as they held off Petone 24-19, after racing to a big lead and protecting it to the end, while Ories came back to beat Norths 35-28 and put a mark against Norths veteran Patsy Schwalger’s 200th match.
The two Izzy Ford Cup Division 1 matches produced perhaps unexpected results. The combined HOBM/Wainuiomata side took just their second win of the season as they accounted for Avalon 34-10, with halfback Tyra Leota scoring two tries and after leading 24-0 at halftime, while Poneke avoided defeat for the first time as they and Pare-Plim drew 15-all. Both Poneke and Pare-Plim scored three unconverted tries, with Poneke lock Megan Tulili scoring two.
U85kg
The OBU Scallywags won their seventh straight match with a bonus point in today’s JC Bowl U85kg seventh round. OBU defeated the Johnsonville Terrahawks 67-7.
The Poneke Wanderers are second, following their 27-8 win over Stokes Valley.
In other results today, Eastbourne defeated the Wests Roosters 25-12, Petone beat Wellington 34-0, HOBM accounted for MSP 48-5 and Tawa and Paremata-Plimmerton met (result to be confirmed).
College
First XV round-up and photos by Joe @Tackld
A full round of games in today’s Tranzit 1stXV Premiership. Today’s draw saw two ground transfers. If the rain continues, we’ll probably see plenty of mud-drenched games on our school playing fields.
St Bernard’s College took on Mana College at the Hutt Rec at an earlier 12.30pm kick-off. If the rain continues the Rec might become SBC’s home ground. The large field seemed to suit Bernard’s with their scoring a 44-0 win over Mana College. For Mana it was their third game in seven days, whereas for St Bernard’s it was an important turnaround after a first week loss to HIBS.
SBC flanker Peighton Faamusili again gave a stand-out performance for SBC showing he is one of the harder hitting loose forwards in this year’s Premiership. Midfield-back Regan Gray did well on attack. Such performances from Regan definitely boost his team’s competitiveness.
Scots College affirmed their claim for Premiership honours with an authoritative display against Wellington College, at their Strathmore home.
Sadly the game was stopped after approximately 50 minutes due to a knock incurred by one of Wellington’s substitutes. There was no unfair play with the incident, it was an unfortunate collision in attempting to get to a kicker. Initial reports suggest the player responded well to paramedics who were called in.
The game’s 31-0 scoreline will stand, as at least one half of the match was completed. Scot’s superior start allowed them to control the game, something that Wellington could not wrest back from them. The Scots forward pack will be hard to out-muscle. Their supply of front foot ball to their backs saw them score three tries within the first 15 minutes.
Scots midfielders Ieti Campbell and Zion Opetaia-Tiatia gave good performances. Campbell showed a complete suite of skills. For a number of years, Scots have been able to utilise his running and kicking game, but today it was his distribution and handling that helped make Scots potent on attack.
Wellington College loose forwards Jack Riley and Max McLachlan persevered admirably despite the physicality of their opponents and the tough conditions. For WC, they will need to store this game and immediately start focusing on Wednesday’s home traditional against Rongotai College.
Rongotai incurred a one-point loss at home to HIBS. With today’s 8-7 win, are the boys from Trentham saddling in a dark horse run for a top four spot? Still plenty of weeks to go, but Rongotai will also need to quickly pick up the pieces for that game against Wellington. Both schools have won one and lost one. This year’s Premiership is already showing that early season wins are vital.
St Patrick’s College (Silverstream) remained unbeaten beating Tawa College 71-7 in a game that was moved to their field. Wairarapa College, once again proved a trip to Masterton can be perilous in beating visitors St Patrick’s College (Town) 20-19. The Dooleys play Scots next, and will be grumpy with having lost both their games.
+++++
In Premier 2 the Silverstream 2nds were 40-7 winners over their Wellington College counterparts, Paraparaumu were 24-5 winners over the Town 2nds, HVHS beat Bishop Viard 34-17 in what doubled as a Co-ed Cup fixture, and Naenae pipped Aotea 17-12. The fifth match was on Tuesday with Porirua blitzing Newlands 61-19
One part of the Club Rugby team was at Naenae College were heavy ground, staunch defence, and plenty of kicking was to the fore.
The hosts made a fast start against Aotea, crossing within two minutes, only for the visitors and their big driving maul to answer before the first 10 was up. That proved to be the sum of the first half scoring as both sides sought territory, but when they gained it seemed unable to make use of it. The points drought reached 45 minutes before Aotea crossed again from short range, only for Naenae to tie it at 12-all with a try within a minute of the restart. Both sides sought the win, but deep after the clock expired Naenae found space down the right and ran away to score a dramatic winner and inflict a third defeat on Aotea inside a week.
