Inspiring close wins for Wainuiomata, Avalon, Ories and the Upper Hutt Rams in ninth round King’s Birthday Weekend fixtures

Ifeanyichukwu Nnebechukwu runs in one of this three tries today for Pōneke  against Oriental-Rongotai. Pōneke had come back from 0-24 down to draw level 24-24 at halftime and then lead late before two tries in the closing minutes took the game away from them and Ories won 39-34. Photo: Andy McArthur.

• By Steven White & Scott MacLean

Four of seven Swindale Shield matches were decided late in a series of thrilling fixtures around the region in more fine, sunny conditions this afternoon in the King’s Birthday Weekend round.

An unofficial Swindale Shield points table after nine rounds of 13 looks like this:

Petone 39, Tawa and HOBM 37, Upper Hutt Rams 34, OBU 32, Paremata-Plimmerton 31, Ories 29, Wainuiomata 25, MSP 20, Northern United 16, Wellington 15, Pōneke 14, Johnsonville 13, Avalon 5.

Wainuiomata got up to beat Tawa 33-26 at William Jones Park as part of their 80^th anniversary celebrations.

Under a heavy whistle, Wainuiomata led Tawa throughout most of the game in a close contest of big moments. Wainuiomata were led by the Solomona brothers, openside flanker Elijah and Emmanuel who both produced committed performances for their teammates to rally around. Emmanuel was sinbinned early but came back to score two of his side’s four tries, while the Kotuhi brothers were also influential together late in the game.

Left wing Renata scored a 70^th minute try and first-five Keanu converted and then added a 75^th minute penalty which was the final scoring of the game. Tawa had also scored four tries, including a double to hooker Joseph Ulugia Ah-Sini.

Oriental-Rongotai held off Pōneke in the last play of the game to win 39-34 at Kilbirnie Park (more on this game below).

The Upper Hutt Rams retained the Bill Brien Challenge Shield and the Terry Farrow Cup with a 27-22 win over Northern United at home at Maidstone Park.

The Avalon Wolves beat the Wellington Axemen 22-20 for their maiden win of the season at the Graveyard at Hataitai Park.

Avalon’s win was their first win in 49 Premier matches going back 1,126 days to their last Premier victory on 29 April 2023, also against the Axemen. In that time, they had drawn 26-26 with Wainuiomata later in 2023, before losing their next 42 games on the trot before today.

The Axemen led 10-0 early, before the Wolves came back to win, with a 62^nd minute penalty to first-five Caleb Pohipi ultimately the difference. Both sides scored three tries, with wing Esera Andrews, lock Sam Tonise and replacement front rower Haifine Aisea crossing for the Wolfpack and Pohipi kicking two conversions and that penalty.

At Kilbirnie Park, the Ories Magpies snatched a late, dramatic 39-34 Jimmy Grbich Memorial Shield win over Pōneke.

In a second half of swings and roundabouts, Oriental-Rongotai won the game with a brace of tries to replacement wing Sam Tautiaga later in the match. Pōneke had a regal change to win on fulltime with an attacking scrum inside the 22 centre field. But the Ories defence held and they won a turnover and won the game.

Earlier, Ories had raced to a 24-0 lead in almost as many minutes. Fullback Jordan Soli (2 tries) and right wing Tom Maiava, after a 70 metre ghosting run up the far touchline, scored tries in the Evan Bay Marina corner of the ground. It got worse for Pōneke when Ories hooker Sase Va’a went on a bursting run up the near side of the field to score their bonus point try.

Pōneke regrouped and got back into the match with three tries of their own to cut the lead to 24-19. They then scored a fourth try through prop Moses Tuifao-Galuvao after more pressure and it was locked up at 24-24 at halftime.

Ories moved ahead 27-24 with a penalty, before Pōneke scored twice more to lead 34-27 heading into the final 10 minutes but couldn’t close this one out. Second five Ifeanyichukwu Nnebechukwu scored a hat-trick for Pōneke, including the try that put them ahead, but it was all in vain.

The other three games of the day resulted in clear-cut victories to the winners, Hutt Old Boys Marist, Petone and Paremata-Plimmerton.

The Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles were too strong for the Johnsonville Hawks in the clash of the birds of prey. The Eagles won 66-19 in a 10 tries to three win. Nine different players scored tries for HOBM and midfielder Caleb Robson scored two, while Kyha Wilson landed eight conversions.

Petone were comfortable 59-19 winners over Marist St Pat’s in their Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy match at the Petone Recreation Ground, and with this win and Tawa’s loss go to the top of the Swindale points table.

Playing with the wind, Petone put on a first half masterclass of attacking rugby to score six tries and lead 40-5 at halftime. Five of the six tries were scored in the scoreboard corner at the Petone Rec with halfback Logan Henry converting all five of these from out wide.

Petone were all over MSP from the outset, going wide at every opportunity, and left wing William Davis-Lenz scored two of the first half tries.

Petone scored their first three tries through first five Jacob Waikari-Jones, left wing Davis-Lenz, and midfielder Losi Filipo to go 21-0 in as many minutes.

MSP supporters got some respite when they won a penalty and scored a try to openside flanker Lakisipone Lamositele to make it 21-5. However, Petone resumed their all-out attack and scored another three sweetly made tries, to hooker Conley Alexander, right wing Wesley Faitele, and left wing Davis-Lenz again.

Any hopes of a comeback by the visitors were quickly dashed after halftime when halfback Henry scored off a tap penalty and converted to make it 47-5. This was followed by the hammer blow which brought up 50 points, which saw openside flanker Braith Ingram break from a lineout and offload to left wing Davis-Lenz for his hat-trick try.

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The remainder of the game failed to reach the same heights as Petone lost a couple of players to the sinbin and brought on their subs.

MSP were next to score off a penalty and lineout drive, but Petone were in again for their ninth try in the 67^th minute to replacement halfback Axel Daken after an attacking scrum.

MSP rallied to the end to score the final try off a penalty and scrum, but their efforts to score a fourth and bonus point try were in vain.

With this win, Petone must be touted amongst the favourites come the end of the season, their only concern today could be losing prop Heath Tuifao to injury late in the game.

For MSP, it’s back to the drawing board following their big win last week over Paremata-Plimmerton.

Paremata-Plimmerton got their season back on track with an ultimately comfortable 32-5 win over the Old Boys University Billygoats in front of a bumper Old Timers’ Day crowd at Ngati Toa Domain.

In perfect conditions OBU had first use of the light northerly but really failed to make much use of it. Josh Morgan Ranui missed an early penalty and the Goats were soon after held up, but aside from No. 8 Folau Vea and centre Ben Gordon were unable to make inroads into the home defence.

Pare-Plim on the other hand were dominant at scrumtime but lost several good opportunities through inaccuracies. In face the only scoring of the first half came from referee Ethan Loveridge, who awarded the hosts a penalty try from a pushover scrum moments after Gordon bore the Goats collective offside indiscretions.

OBU introduced Malo Manuao at the interval as part of a wholesale reshuffle, but it was the hosts that scored first. From an attacking lineout they threw to the back where Tia Va’alepu – who must be about fifth on the depth chart at openside – caught the ball and effectively strolled over.

The hosts missed two handy penalty shots after that but would extend the lead anyway. Manuao tried an ill-advised grubber kick inside his own half only for Jono Ryan to get to the ball and send it back where the only question was whether he or teammate Nick Robertson would win the race; Ryan did.

OBU eventually got on the board when skipper Jono Riley borrowed over. But any hope of a comeback was snuffed out by a late burst. Zane Edwards knocked over penalty, and just when OBU looked like they might be narrow the margin Va’alepu stole a turnover, Louis Northcott streaked downfield and fed Esi Komaisavai to score. Northcott would have the final say when he was put in space again, and no one was catching him.

Harper Lock Shield

Petone, after their ninth straight bonus point win, are on a collision course to meet HOBM in the decider of the Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield in a fortnight following their 42-27 win over third placed MSP today.

Fullback Max Hosking went big over the closing stages of the match. With Petone holding a 29-27 lead heading into the final 10 minutes, Hosking collected an MSP kick and went on a 70-metre weaving run to the try line. He converted his own try, and then he closed out the match for his team by slamming two late penalties. All this was done with Petone reduced to 14 players, after their wing had been red carded for two yellow card offences.

Earlier, it was all on when MSP’s first five Daniel Rogers went centimetres from scoring a long range intercept try. He was tackled just short, but it was in this moment that the red card was awarded and MSP were instead given a penalty try to lead 27-24.

Petone regrouped and rallied off the kickoff and retook the lead with a try that set up the exciting finish involving fullback Hosking.

Petone had led 24-20 at the end of a high octane first half, scoring four tries which included two to halfback Daken.

With the wind in the second half, Petone tried to extend their advantage over the first 15 minutes of the second half, but they met stiff resistance at the breakdowns in particular, and they had to bring out some magic at the end to win.

Petone are jointly unbeaten at the top of the table with the HOBM Eagles, who had a crushing 85-17 win over Johnsonville in a 13 tries to three win.

In the early game at Ngati Toa Domain OBU initially belied their bottom place as they streaked to a 10-0 lead in side seven minutes. But the rest of the half belonged to the home team as they ran in seven tries to lead 40-10 at the interval. The second half was more even, with the hosts scoring three tries to one to notch a 57-15 victory.

The Upper Hutt Rams beat Northern United 71-22 in the Maidstone Park curtain-raiser. The Rams won 11 tries to four.

Tawa beat Wainuiomata 28-7, the Axemen beat the Avalon Wolves 41-0 and Pōneke defeated Ories 52-19.

An unofficial Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield points table looks like this: Petone and HOBM 45, MSP 36, Upper Hutt Rams 35, Paremata-Plimmerton 33, Avalon 30, Tawa 28, Poneke 22, Wellington 20, Ories 18, Norths and Johnsonville 10, Wainuiomata 8, OBU 7.

Colts

There was one catch-up Colts fixture today, with the MSP Colts beating the Pōneke Colts 43-22.

Women’s

There were some one-sided results in today’s eighth round of the Rebecca Liua’ana Cup.

Northern United continued their strong form with an 89-0 win over the Wellington Axewomen. Norths scored 13 tries, with Name Withheld bursting through to score four of these.

The Pōneke Women beat the OBU Impalas 41-7.

Petone also continued their hot form, beating Stokes Valley 68-0 in a game-on situation. Right wing Ofeira Hunt crossed for three of Petone’s 12 tries.

Wainuiomata accounted for Avalon 32-3 in the first match played at William Jones Park.

College

The second round of the College Premiership saw all but one of the scheduled games going ahead.

The St Pat’s Town versus Wairarapa College has been rescheduled for Tuesday 16 June with the visitors seeking the deferment owing to playing numbers.

St Pat’s Silverstream had their second straightforward win of their campaign, beating Rathkeale College 57-0 at home.

Hopes of a resurgent Scots College have been dashed this year with Wellington College beating them 53-3 at home.

Hutt International Boys’ School beat Rongotai College 37-10 and St Bernard’s College overcame Mana College 55-0.

In Premier 2, the St Pat’s Second XV defeated their Third XV 52-3, The St Pat’s Town Second XV beat Paraparaumu College 46-15, Kapiti College beat Porirua College 38-17 and Aotea College tipped over the Wellington College Second XV 39-19.

In a worrying result, Hutt Valley High School beat Tawa College by default. This was after Tawa had defaulted last week and then fronted on Wednesday and beaten Bishop Viard College (Premier 3) 44-39 in their opening Beard Trophy defence.