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Contrasting wins in opening round of Swindale Shield

  • Article contributors:  Steven White, Adam Julian, Scott Maclean and Martyn Bridge
  • Photos: Andy McArthur and Caroline Lewis

Wellington club rugby exploded like an air burst over Tunguska this afternoon with a series of thrilling set of matches across all grades.

The wait was worth it for the latest start to the season in a number of years with blue skies and big crowds out and about throughout the region.

View the scoring results at the Draws & Results tab across the top of this page or go here (results/scoring to be entered as soon as possible after these have been confirmed):  https://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=1&season=21&round

From the Upper Hutt Rams winning with a late penalty to the Hutt Old Boys Eagles putting on 80 points, there were some contrasting wins to start the first round of the 2024 Premier Swindale Shield.

The Rams played their first competition match at revamped Maidstone Park and replacement first-five Tynan Barrett kicked a penalty to give them a 15-12 win over Poneke for the Alby Makeham Shield.

The HOBM Eagles enjoyed an 81-7 win over recent competition minnows at Hataitai Park.

The OBU Billygoats took home the inaugural Bill Cavubati Cup over Johnsonville, winning a high scoring close match 41-37 at Rugby League Park.

Marist St Pat’s were 44-15 winners over Northern United for the Maurice Standish Cup on their return to Porirua Park #1.

Oriental-Rongotai won the replay of last year’s Jubilee Cup final, beating Paremata-Plimmerton 29-24 at home at the Polo Ground.

Two matches in the Hutt Valley both went the way of the home team, with Petone retaining the Bill Brien Challenge Cup, 37-10 over Tawa, and Wainuiomata defeating Avalon 43-17 for the Anthony Waldrom Trophy at home, despite losing lock Kitiona Leitufia to

It was a good day for two of Petone’s other teams, their Colts beating Tawa 38-36 with a try off the last play of the game and their Premier 2s opening the Harper Lock Shield with a 27-22 win over Tawa.

The significance of this second result was that this was Tawa’s first defeat in this grade in three seasons and ends their winning streak at 50 games.

An account of a few of the Premier Swindale Shield matches that we were at:

Petone continued their strong start to the season by beating Tawa 37-10 in their opening match at the standless Petone Rec this afternoon.

Fresh from beating Ponsonby last week, Petone enjoyed an emphatic five tries to one over the 2021 Jubilee Cup champions, playing entertaining attacking rugby through their livewire backs and winning a bruising forward battle.

For their part, Tawa were out of sorts and looked short of a gallop, making far too many mistakes and conceding needless turnovers.

Petone had first use of a moderate breeze, and fullback TJ Clarke opened the scoring with a penalty. However, it was Tawa who scored the game’s first try soon after when hooker Joyner Gaualofa crashed over following an attacking lineout in the corner to put them ahead 7-3.

Petone replied with their first try from a five metre scrum under the posts to go 10-7 up, which they extended to 13-7 with Clarke’s second penalty a few minutes before halftime.

Turning with the wind, Tawa closed the gap to 13-10 with a 49-metre penalty to first five Luke Walmsley. But that was as close as they got, as Petone got a head of steam and went on a match-winning three-try burst over the next 15 minutes to put them up 32-10.

The first of these tries was scored by loosehead prop Taualai Tofilau from a lineout drive, and the second and third were scored through the backs with swift attacking play. The second of these was the try of the match where Petone attacked off a scrum platform and second five Jarrod Adams went on a rampaging run up the middle and offloaded to first five Stanley Solomon for the try in the corner.

There was no further scoring until the very end of the game when Petone put the icing on the cake with the final try of the afternoon.

The interceding 20 minutes between those two tries won’t make the highlights reel, with both sides cancelling each other out with some scrappy play between the 22s.

For winners Petone, our player of the match was openside flanker Conner Tuifao. He was one of several players in this match from the Wellington Academy, and this showed in his form and performance.

Ories led from start to finish in repeating their Jubilee Cup final victory last season over Paremata-Plimmerton.

A decisive edge in the scrum and more efficiency at the breakdown were key ingredients in the Magpies success. At one stage Ories led 29-12 before ill-discipline saw an Ories player yellow carded and the visitors mount a late comeback.

Halfback, become first-five, Esi Komaisavai was dazzling at times and scored two outstanding tries bursting 20 metres each time. Paremata-Plimmerton looked dangerous in broken play but was often forced to feed of scraps Ories did a better job controlling territory and dictating physically.

Ories Wellington Lions loose forwards Dominic Ropeti and Sione Halalilo had storming matches and numberless No.8 Siaosi Lavea was tireless and damaging. Loosehead prop Connor Lemon played the entire 80 minutes and Isaac Bracewell and Alex Ropeti are an assured pairing at halfback and first five. Ories started energetically leaping to a 10-0 lead.

Winger Chicago Doyle bumped off three defenders on his way to the line. Ories led 15-5 at halftime but might have been disappointed the margin wasn’t greater. Komaisavai scored his first try after the interval flashing into a hole to cut the deficit to 15-12 but when Lavea barged his way through Ories quickly regained control.

A lack of discipline left the door ajar for Paremata-Plimmerton who never looked that likely to win the match. Openside and captain Tane McMillian-Parata was tigerish and veteran lock Jame Corcoran is back. When Sam Clarke returns Paremata-Plimmerton their backline will be even more of a threat. The forward pack at the stage perhaps looks undersized to have a serious title at the title. Ories were slick and aggressive at their best.

A very different-looking Marist St Pat’s side got their season off to a perfect start, running away from Norths on a perfect day at Porirua Park to win 44-15.

The visitors crossed early through winger Sefo Aukustino before Kayd Parata got the hosts on the board with a penalty. A 50/22 set up a driving maul for Charlie Hankins to score from before Aukustino popped up on the right to score from close range. Norths reduced the margin when fullback Toby Kennett crossed after MSP flyhalf Rique Miln was sent to the bin for a cynical infringement, but that didn’t stop flanker Chris Simone from profiting from some good work by Grayson Whitman to have them up 22-10 at the break.

Norths crossed early in the second half to bring it to a one-score game, but MSP answered back quickly through Shane Thompstone and then simply squeezed the life out of the game with Miln, by now playing on the right wing scoring and then adding a penalty before Thompstone ended matters with his second.

Despite the margin, there’s plenty for Norths to take pride in, but were guilty on at least three occasions of losing their temperament close to the line. Jeremiah Avei-Collins was simply outstanding and got great support from Callum Watts-Pointer while MSP captain Milan Kriletich was everywhere.

At Rugby League Park, OBU made a fast start with an immediate try to right wing Jackson Wright from fast hands.

Johnsonville soon replied with a try of their own to right wing Finlay Sharp, slicing through from halfway to score without a hand being laid on him. The conversion was good and the Hawks led 7-5 after 15 minutes.

Johnsonville then doubled their lead with a try from a lineout, but OBU hit back with a try to No. 8 Boston Hunt after a penalty and lineout in the corner.

A mistake kicking the ball dead then led to Johnsonville’s third try on 30 minutes, with left wing Jacob Walmsley scoring a good team try from a sustained build-up. They then had their bonus point try with second five Oliver Paotonu scoring a swift try. Halfback Mark Sutton then knocked over a penalty and they went into halftime lead 27-12.

Jacob Kennedy on the burst in his first Premier match.

OBU were wanting an early second half spark and it came through hooker Louie Calvert who scored to cut the lead to 27-17. This was followed by a second successive try through the backs to close the lead to 27-24.

10 minutes into the second half, Hawks right wing Sharp scored his second from an intercept, extending the lead to 34-24. This was followed by OBU fullback Ben Brooking strolling in and it was now 34-29.

OBU then hit the lead with 15 minutes to play with halfback Mitchell McLeod scoring from an attacking scrum; followed by Johnsonville re-taking the lead with a penalty to lead 37-34.

OBU’s match-winner was then scored with 7 minutes still to play, going for the corner off a lineout and blindside flanker Dougal Perrers scoring is maiden Premier try. The conversion was good and OBU took the 41-37 win.

Harper Lock Shield

In the Harper Lock Shield Tawa’s unbeaten streak ended at 50, going down 27-22 against Petone on the Petone Rec.

Further up the valley Poneke fired a warning by blitzing Upper Hutt 68-19, while Wainuiomata edged Avalon 28-27. In the city Pare-Plim were too good for Ories winning 28-5, HOBM were 67-10 winners over Wellington, and OBU bested Johnsonville 46-12.

Out on the back field at Porirua Park Norths got their campaign underway with  38-17 win over MSP. The two teams traded tries in the opening 40; N0rths through their backs and MSP through their forwards for the visitors to lead 12-10 at the break. But things turned quickly after the interval as Norths scored twice in three minutes -the first via a penalty try and the second through some enterprise to break the match open. A fifth was added when MSP clocked off and allowed a quick throw before responding with their third of the day, but Norths had the final say with a deft kick behind the line despite having been reduced a man through a red card.

Colts Paris Memorial Trophy

The Paris Memorial Colts got underway with defending champions Ories being made to work by Pare-Plim before winning 19-13.

The big three of HOBM, Petone, and OBU were all winners; HOBM over Wellington by 55-7, Petone edged Tawa 38-36, and OBU won 55-31 over a plucky Johnsonville. Avalon were 64-25 victors over Wainuiomata, Upper Hutt bested Poneke 36-5, and MSP edged out Norths 22-20 when the latter missed a late conversion to salvage a draw.

In the curtain raiser on the Petone Rec, the Petone Colts beat their Tawa counterparts in an opening day thriller. Petone scored a try and converted it on full time to win the game 38-36, to the delight of their supporters and dismay of Tawa’s.

Petone had led Tawa 14-10 at half time, with new recruit Braith Ingram playing a standout first 40 minutes before being subbed to reserve for the Premier game that followed.

Petone opened the scoring in the second half when their first five collected a cruel bounce in general play and ran 50 metres before offloading to his wing in support to extend Petone’s lead to 19-10.

Tawa was led by hooker Evan Paenga and last year’s Tawa College captain Anthony Hunt and several others who came alive in the second half. They went on a four-try scoring burst in the second half, and extended their lead to 36-19 with about 15 minutes remaining.

Petone had to score next, and they did so with a try off the back of a scrum to make it 36-26. They then scored once more with about two minutes to play to close the gap to 36-31. With their last attacking movement of the match, Petone built phases off a lineout in the corner and finally their hooker broke free and dived over to score under the posts to level the scores. The conversion was good from in front and they had their win.

Women’s Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy

The opening day of the Women’s Rebecca Luia’ana Trophy saw Petone send an ominous message to the rest of the competition as they bolted out to 29-0 lead at halftime against Norths before winning 44-5.

There was a minor upset as Wainuiomata beat Avalon 20-12, while Pare-Plim bested the combined Poneke/OBU outfit 17-5.

Ories had the opening day bye.

A well-contested match between OBU-Poneke and Paremata-Plimmerton Women.

U85kg JC Bowl

Last year’s champions the OBU Scallywags opened their 2024 account with a 40-7 win over the Johnsonville Terrahawks.

The Tawa Ducks carried the day for their teams at the Petone Rec, beating the home side 56-14.

Past recent champions Avalon beat Paremata-Plimmeton 19-12, while HOBM Green beat the Wellington Axemen 21-17 in their match.

Eastbourne and Marist St Pat’s met in the other game with Eastbourne winning 22-3.

Wairarapa-Bush

The opening day over the Remutaka’s produced some heavy scoring and a couple of close matches.

Defending champions Carterton went down away to Martinborough 31-27, while East Coast edged out Eketahuna 12-10. Red Star’s return saw them cop a 55-7 defeat at the hands of Greytown, with Marist winning a high-scoring Masterton derby against Pioneer by 48-27

Manawatu

First round winners College Old Boys launched a creeping barrage on Linton Army’s chances this season, beating them 92-12, their second bonus point win.

Varsity grabbed their opening win of the year with a 69-0 win over the other reinstated side this year, Fielding Old Boys Oroua.

The other two matches were much closer.

Freyberg came off their opening round bye to beat Te Kawau 37-22, while Old Boys Marist beat Fielding Yellows 24-22 in the feature match of the day.

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