Lucas Aukuso and Johnsonville Hawks preparing for Ories challenge this Saturday

Lucas Aukuso runs out to face Wainuiomata earlier this season. Photo: @braydzmedia_

• By Steven White

Two years ago, Oriental-Rongotai knocked over Johnsonville at Helston Park in the Hawks’ home Jubilee Cup semi-final. Ories won 39-26 that day and went on to win the Jubilee Cup the following week.

On Saturday, Johnsonville head to the Polo Ground to play Ories in their major Jubilee Cup Elimination match. The winner progresses to the semi-finals to play Tawa and a shot at championship glory on 26 July. Can Johnsonville redeem that 2023 result against this year’s first round champions?

Johnsonville will be eager to put to use their slashing backs that were on fire in their most recent 32-28 win over the Upper Hutt Rams this past Saturday. Johnsonville will be eager to use them, but the weather forecast (wet, as of Thursday afternoon, source YR) and a difficult venue at the Polo Ground may stifle them somewhat.

Versatile Johnsonville front rower Lucas Aukuso said his team will be up for the challenge whatever external factors are thrown their way.

“I think we are ready for any conditions on Saturday – It’s not an easy place to play at regardless, particularly in a big game like this,” Aukuso told Club Rugby this week.

“We haven’t forgotten about what happened in that semi-final in 2023, so it would be good to continue on from this past weekend get one over them on Saturday.”

The two sides met in blue sky conditions at the Polo Ground back in round two in April with Ories winning 43-32 that day for the Ash Pointon Cup.

Johnsonville go in this match having been involved in seven of 14 games so far that have been decided by inside a converted try, and two more inside 10 points.

“We had a tough run last year when we lost three games on the trot in the last minute, so that was a learning experience that we have taken into this year, and even this year we have lost a couple of games in the last minute.”

Their defeats to Wainuiomata in round 4 (31-24) and Pōneke (41-38) in round 5 stick out there as examples this season.

Since his Premier debut in 2020, Aukuso has played both propping positions and hooker for the Hawks and wears 0 on his back, so not many players can say they have played in 0,1, 2 and 3.

“That semi-final defeat to Ories two years ago was actually my first game ever playing tighthead prop!

“Ha’amea Ahio was out with an injury that day and I was at tighthead prop for the first time ever. I had played loosehead the whole year and Ha’amea had been tighthead and it was hist first game out for the year and I was thrown in the deep end.”

Since then, tighthead has been his usual position for the Hawks, although he has played loosehead and hooker in the previous two games.

Aukuso playing hooker against the Rams this past Saturday.

After scoring a try in his starting debut against Avalon in 2020, Aukuso returned to play all 16 matches of the 2021 season at hooker and another 10 there in 2022, then 12 straight starts at loosehead in 2023 before the switch in what was their final match of that season.

Ories went on to beat Paremata-Plimmerton 34-21 in the 2023 Jubilee Cup final, coming from eighth qualifier to do so.

Prior to 2023, Johnsonville’s previous best seasons were the late 1990s, winning the Swindale Shield in 1998.

The Hawks are coming off two consecutive matches against the Upper Hutt Rams, for a loss and a win.

The loss was 17-20 in the last round of the Swindale Shield, Rams second-five Ieti Campbell’s long-range penalty winning that game.

“To win the way we did on Saturday was awesome, especially after what happened the week before.”

“We had worked so hard over the past few months to make the top tier and play for the Jubilee Cup, so it would have been a bit of a waste to be back down in the Hardham Cup if we didn’t put everything we have got into that game.”

Saturday’s 32-28 match was a roller-coaster for both sets of supporters. The Hawks backs scored some sizzling tries, including a contender for try of the season finished off by captain Finlay Sharp, to take a 32-9 lead midway through the second half.

The home side wasn’t going to lie down, and they came right back to be in contention for the win with a couple of minutes to play.

Johnsonville kept their cool. “After that last try that got them our discussion under the posts was about keeping a blue head – keeping calm and not panicking.”

As he has all season when the backs are on fire, Aukuso has as good a view as anyone of it all. “For us in the forwards, setting a good platform for these players to make it easy for what they do is what we are aiming for.”

“It was good to have a steady set-piece, which gives them a good springboard.”

Two other players that make a difference to the Hawks pack are loosehead prop Ahio and lock Anthony Pettett, both having missed a few recent games through injury.

The side is captained by right wing Sharp, who has also missed some games this season through injury but adds plenty in terms of pace and finishing ability as well as leadership when he is fit and firing. Sharp and Regan Herbert are two English players in the side, while Irishman Nial Delahunt is playing well.

As well as the overseas contingent, Aukuso is one of many local players in the Johnsonville Premiers, having attended Newlands College.

He was in the inaugural combined Newlands College/Onslow College team that started up in in College Sport Wellington’s competitions just prior to Covid. Aukuso was teammates with current Hurricanes and Lions lock Hugo Plummer, who went to Onslow College.

Outside of rugby, Aukuso words fulltime as a builder, with Johnsonville Club Captain and long-time former Johnsonville Cripples Reserve Grade team player Perry Barber.

Oriental-Rongotai v Johnsonville, Jubilee Cup Round 2 , Saturday 1.45pm at the Polo Ground.