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MSP Internationals win club title, U85kg matches underway and college finalists found

The Poneke U85kg side on their way to scoring one of their 13 tries today through replain their National Knockout Cup win over Coastal. Poneke were one of four Wellington teams to win their U85kg matches today, but a fifth, Johnsonville, lost to the other Taranaki side New Plymouth Old Boys by a similar wide margin.

  • By Steven White & Scott MacLean

A bumper afternoon of representative, club and college rugby in Wellington and for Wellington teams today.

A round-up of games we were either at or have received information from.

Representative

Starting with a brief representative wrap, the Wellington Pride opened their Farah Palmer Cup Championship season at Porirua Park with a 51-12 win over the Tasman She-Mako.

The Pride won nine tries to two, with tries to Angelica Schwencke (2), Drenna Falaniko (2), Harmony Kautai (3), Mily Mackey and Tess Woldring. Mackey and Arene Landon-Lane (2) kicked the conversions.

Try time for the Wellington Pride today. Photo: Andy McArthur.

Up at Ngati Toa Domain, the Wellington Samoans Men’s team commenced their short season with an eight tries to two 56-17 win over the Wellington Fijians.

Ethan Webster-Nonu scores for the Wellington Samoans in the tackle of his Paremata-Plimmerton teammate Caleb Alaga against the Wellington Fijians. Photo: Chainsaw Photos.

In Whanganui, The Wellington Centurions defeated the home union’s Heartland Championship squad 47-12, after leading 35-7 at halftime. The Centurions scored their seven tries through Elijah Maene-Lokeni (2), Stanley Solomon, Chicago Doyle, Connor Tuifao, Leon Tuiloma and Todd Svenson. Sam Clarke (5) and Solmon kicked the conversions.

Club

There were five National Knockout Cup U85kg matches involving Wellington sides today.

In games away, the Wellington Axemen beat Hastings Rugby & Sports 27-19, the Old Boys University Scallywags defeated Eskview 49-31, the Avalon Wolves beat Massey University 53-0 and the Johnsonville Terrahawks missed out 19-91 to New Plymouth Old Boys.

In the fifth U85kg match at Kilbirnie Park, home club Poneke opened their account with a comfortable 81-7 win over Coastal.

Poneke scored 13 tries, seven in the first half and six in the second, after leading 43-7 at halftime whilst playing into a moderate wind.

Poneke were far too fast and elusive for the southern Taranaki side and signalled their intentions to play expansively from the start.

Centre Nick Robertson set up the first try to open the scoring in the fifth minute for left wing Taine Regeling, who would go on to score a hat trick. Robertson then scored the second try himself from a 90-metre breakout to make it 12-0. Robertson went on to score a second try as well as missing out on a possible two more before halftime.

Nick Roberston at centre sets sail for the Poneke U85kgs against Coastal. Photo: Steven White

Visitors Coastal got on the board for the first and only time through captain and second five Liam Matthews to cut the lead to 12-7.

The run of play was close for the next 10 minutes but the floodgates opened for Poneke and they scored a further four tries before the break, including another 80-metre try from a kick-and-chase and one right on halftime from a turnover in midfield and break up the far touchline.

The one-sided contest resumed less than five minutes into the second half with Poneke running in another three quickfire tries to take their score to 60-7.

Coastal rallied and got back in the game, but Poneke’s defence proved too much.

The scoring resumed when Poneke No 8 Pasia Asiata scored his second try of the game from an attacking scrum. Poneke crossed the chalk twice more, one to replacement hooker Jasper Spencer and the other to second five Dallas Natoli.

Referee Ben van Berkel called fulltime a minute early and Poneke celebrated a comprehensive victory.

Match highlights from Kilbirnie Park:

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Across the road at Evans Bay Park, The MSP Internationals held on to beat the Wests Roosters Mixed Veges 12-5 in the final of the Reserve Grade Division 2 Alan Seerup Cup

The Internationals withstood waves of Wests pressure throughout the second half and in particular over the final 15 minutes as they protected their lead. A Wests player even crossed the line during this period but the try was disallowed and another pass was thrown into touch with the line open, while there was a long injury break with one of the MSP players going off with a serious leg injury.

The game finished with Wests camped inside MSP’s 22 but unable to break through for a converted try that would have forced extra time.

The Wests Roosters Mixed Veges make one of many fruitless assaults inside MSP’s 22 today. Photo: Steven White.

MSP had started the game stronger and gone to an early 5-0 lead following a penalty and lineout in the corner. They were soon back to attack, and a Wests player was sinbinned in the act of preventing a second try. The weight of pressure soon told and MSP scored that second try which was converted for a 12-0 lead after about 25 minutes.

The Mixed Veges had a strong period on attack in the closing stages of the first half, but like at the end of the game, they failed to break through the defence of the top qualifiers, and MSP went to the interval protecting their two try lead.

Wests started the second half as they finished the first, and their efforts were soon rewarded when they scored their try. But that would be all their scoring as the rest of the final unfolded intensely.

Members of the MSP Internationals after being presented with the Alan Seerup Cup. Photo: Steven White.

College

Next Sunday morning’s Premiership Final will feature the top two qualifiers in Wellington College and St Pats Silverstream, but how they got there could not have been any different. Top qualifiers College were pushed hard by Scots for much of the match but kicked away to win 29-7. Silverstream though were untroubled from the start as they went one step further against Town than they did in their Traditional clash a few weeks ago, running out 60-5 winners on this occasion.

Try time for Wellington College today. Photo: Andy McArthur.

No surprises in the Premier 2 semi-finals as the two unbeaten sides will clash in next Saturday’s final. The Silverstream 2nds came out on top 46-33 in an entertaining clash with Porirua College, while Wellington College’s 2nds had to come from behind to end Hutt Valley High’s season in winning 24-17.

The two semi-finals in Premier 3 were both close, yet rather different. Top qualifiers the Silverstream 3rds prevailed 31-28 over a gallant Mana 1st XV, while it was last-gasp stuff in the other semi-final as the St Bernard’s 2nds produced the late drama to edge the Onslow/Newlands combined side 10-8. The Premier 4 final will be an-all St Pats Town affair; the Colts XV were too good for the Wellington College U16s by 68-7, while the Seniors XV went on the road and won 32-10 away against the HIBS 2nd XV.

Also being played next week is the flagship Under 15 final. St Pats Town needed to win to book their place in it and did, cruising past St Bernard’s Gold 70-14, and they’ll face unbeaten Silverstream after they beat Wellington College 36-7. College’s campaign hinged on an upset win, and despite having to make a mountain of tackles against their bigger opponents were well in the game at just 0-10 down as halftime approached but conceded again in added time. College did answer back soon after the resumption, but Stream rattled off three more – the last two just a minute apart – to ease home.

The spoils were spread in the three finals that were played today. Wellington College Gold took home the Under 55kg David Scott Cup in beating Hutt International 38-12, but the Trentham school grabbed the silverware in the Under 65kg Ina Hansen Cup decider as they beat top qualifiers Rongotai 15-8. The third final was that grades second division saw Silverstream White beat Wellington College Black 32-22.

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