Wins for St Pat’s Silverstream and Lions in First XV and Ranfurly Shield matches

St Pat’s Silverstream about to score on of three second half tries in their win over St Pat’s Town today. Photo Andy McArthur.

• By Steven White and Adam Julian 

Two contrasting matches in the Hutt Valley this afternoon.

St Pat’s Silverstream be St Pat’s Town 27-16 in their First XV traditional at home, while the Wellington Lions defended the Ranfurly Shield against South Canterbury with a 67-21 win.

Accounts of the two matches follow.

Wellington defend Ranfurly Shield against Meads Cup champions 

Wellington: 67 (Asafo Aumua 4, Isi Saumaki 2, Sione Halalilo, Keelan Whitman, Losi Filipo, Pepesana Patafilo, TJ Clarke, Aidan Morgan 5 con, Clarke con) South Canterbury: 21 (Sui Kakala 2, Paula Fifita tries; Sam Briggs 3 con) HT: 38-7

Wellington has foiled Meads Cup champions South Canterbury 67-21 to successfully retain the Ranfurly Shield at a wind-swept Hutt Rec this afternoon.

Wellington enjoyed the benefit of the fierce northerly in the first spell and built a 38-7 advantage at the interval.

The opening five minutes was swift and clinical with two tries scored. Openside Sione Halalilo crossed on the left wing following side-to-side attacking continuity and then centre Losi Filipo busted from near halfway and set up the supporting Keelan Whitman. The Marist St Pat’s No.8 completed the entire 80 minutes following serious injuries to both ankles.

The South Canterbury pack won a decent supply of possession. Tighthead Taufa Hala’ufia was bustling and mobile, locks Etienne Van Zyl and Anthony Amato plowed through a pile of work, and debutant Finlay Joyce was gutsy.

However, it was hard to make headway against the wind. When mistakes happened, they were invariably in Lions territory which left them exposed to the lineout drive. Three times All Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua threw to former All Blacks lock Dominic Bird and on each occasion, Aumua scored a try from a rolling maul.

South Canterbury’s second-five Paula Fifita was possibly the visitors’ best player. He often thrust over the advantage line and scored the challengers’ first try when he swopped upon a wayward Isi Saumaki pass and galloped 30m.

Aumua’s fourth try was far more dramatic than his hat-trick combined. He found himself unmarked on the right wing and turbocharged 40m to the line in the hands of three South Canterbury defenders.

Saumaki atoned for his first-half error with another strong display. The imposing Tawa flyer seeks work, beats defenders with footwork, speed and power and repeated his two-try haul from last week.

Pepesana Patafilo was starved of action with the champion Crusaders in Super Rugby but looked menacing when involved. The winger produced some classy touches that created space and his 30m finish was quality opportunism.

There was a debut for Johnsonville hooker James Douglas and both halfbacks Kyle Preston and Logan Henry cleared quickly with the latter, against the wind, more eager to run.

Wellington replaced starting props Solomona Sakalia and PJ Sheck at roughly the hour mark which signaled a shift in momentum at scrum time. Replacement loose forward Sui Kakala scored two tries from that source. His second could have been a penalty try with the Wellington pack pushed back five metres.

Wellington leads the head-to-head rivalry 28-3 against South Canterbury and has won 53 Ranfurly Shield matches. South Canterbury last held the Shield 17,869 days ago in 1974.

It’s the second time Asafo Aumua has scored four tries in a game for Wellington. He achieved the feat in a 64-31 NPC win against Counties Manukau last year.

The referee was Dan Waenga.

St Pat’s Silverstream pull clear late to beat St Pat’s Town 

Difficult conditions, including lashings of rain and an increasing wind, made for a tough match between the sides that saw defences dominate.

In reclaiming the Old Boys Cup off Town and winning the opening match of the eighth and penultimate round of the First XV Premiership with a 4-try bonus point, Silverstream have cemented second on the standings and a home semi-final beckons.

Town remain in the semi-final zone but will drop out of the top four when the remainder of the this round’s matches are played on Saturday.

Silverstream also completed their ‘grand slam’ of traditionals, with wins in the same year over St Bede’s (Christchurch), Palmerston North Boys’ High School, New Plymouth Boys’ High School, Wellington College, Rongotai College and St Pat’s Town. In the modern  era, they previously achieved this in 2017 and 2018.

However, this wasn’t a vintage performance by the winning team, conceding a high penalty and error count. Town were more plucky than dynamic, troubling Silverstream with a strong defensive unit but offering few options on attack.

The game kicked off under showery Upper Hutt skies after a pair of stirring hakas.

With the wind in their favour, Town’s halfback Jayde Burns missed an early penalty shot, but Town spent the next 10 minutes hot on attack following a further series of penalties in their favour.

Silverstream held them out after attacking scrums and lineouts, but the weight of early pressure finally paid off for the 11^th minute when Town packed down another scrum and No. 8 Ronnie Sofeni made a telling burst off the back and powered to score the first try. Halfback Burns kicked the extras and Town led 7-0.

Town then lost first five Brayden Algar to injury, forcing Burns to move out one, as the penalties continued to mount against Silverstream. In this period Town had a prime chance to strike again but they conceded a penalty from an attacking scrum in the 22.

This lifted the hosts, building multiple phases and advancing up field.  They won a penalty and  launched from a lineout and blindside flanker Drew Berg-McLean came up with the try. Halfback Ollie Cuff missed the handy conversion and the score remained 7-5 to Town after 23 minutes.

Silverstream went close to scoring a second try, but a break in open play by first five Maui Winitana Patelesio and offload to centre David Tokalautawa couldn’t be grasped and the chance was lost.

Town hit back with the wind and Burns kicked a penalty to extend Town’s lead to 10-5 with 28 minutes gone.

Silverstream rallied and twice went desperately close to scoring a second try by keeping the ball alive, but on both occasions Town’s defence was up to the task.

In the shadows of halftime, Town went wide from a scrum near halfway and centre Tenga Pickering kicked ahead. The chasers forced a 5-metre attacking scrum for Town. Town then crossed the line from close-range but referee Van Berkel called them back for an accidental offside and halftime was called.

The rain abated at halftime, but the wind picked up, which was now in Silverstream’s favour.

Fullback Thompson Tukapua opened the second half with a 35-metre penalty to close the score to 10-8. But Burns soon replied with a penalty in kind to restore the 5-point margin.

Silverstream turned the ball over and pick and drove from multiple phases before ripping it wide, only to knock on over the line. But this was on a penalty advantage, and they tapped again and replacement Heath Tuifao dived through to score. Cuff converted and Silverstream were ahead for the first time in the match with just over 20 minutes to play.

As the heavy rain returned Town missed a prime chance to get back in front, knocking on near the line from an attacking lineout drive.

Silverstream weren’t out of the woods, conceding a scrum penalty, leading to a penalty deadest in front of the uprights for Burns to kick and Town’s lead was restored at 16-15.

Not for long, however. In general play, Silverstream flanker Berg-McLean took a quick tap from a penalty, raced into the attacking zone and fired a lovely ball out to right wing Harrison Stoupe who slid in near the embankment corner to score their third try.

Silverstream now led 20-16 with just over 10 minutes to play.

Town lock Jake Townsend was among their best players, but his sin-binning heading into the final 5 minutes led to Silverstream eventually scoring the match-sealing try to lock Alexander Hewitt. Fullback Tukapua added the extras to put them up 27-16.

Earlier in the day St Pat’s Town won the U15s match 36-12.