HOBM and Upper Hutt Rams earn week off, while OBU and Paremata-Plimmerton drop out of Jubilee Cup race

The Upper Hut Rams enjoyed their new temporary home of NZCIS 1, belting out some lively tries in their 47-29 win over Tawa, to earn next week off in the Jubilee Cup. Photo: Andy MacArthur. 

• By Steven White & Scott MacLean

Premier draw next weekend at a glance (seedings from the first round in brackets):

• Jubilee Cup: Hutt Old Boys Marist and Upper Hutt Rams byes. Petone (4) v Wainuiomata (8), Tawa (3) v Oriental-Rongotai (7)
• Hardham Cup: Old Boys University (5) v Avalon (14), Paremata-Plimmerton (6) v Northern United (12), Marist St Pat’s (9) v Johnsonville (10), Wellington (11) v Pōneke (13)

Hutt Old Boys Marist and the Upper Hutt Rams are the two Premier teams that can put their feet up next week, beating Petone and Tawa today in today’s ‘top 4’ opening round Jubilee Cup matches.

HOBM beat cross-river rivals and top qualifiers Petone 23-10 at the Petone Rec in their ‘McBain Shield’ replay match and the Rams were convincing 47-29 winners at their ne new temporary home ground of NZCIS.

In today’s two other first round Jubilee ‘5-8’ matches, Oriental-Rongotai overcame Paremata-Plimmerton 28-18 at Ngati Toa Domain while Wainuiomata knocked over Old Boys University 43-35 at Nairnville Park in a lively fixture.

This means that OBU and Paremata-Plimmerton drop down to the Hardham Cup for the remainder of the season.

Hardham Cup results today saw Marist St Pat’s beat Avalon 50-1-17 at Evans Bay Park, Pōneke prevail over Johnsonville 20-17 at Helston Park and the Wellington Axemen beat Northern United 46-17 at Hataitai Park.

In a run-down of some games today, a determined HOBM beat Swindale Shield winners Petone in their match, which saw a red card to the Eagles and a later change in field for the final 15 minutes after a serious injury to Petone flanker Braith Ingram.

The Eagles were playing into the strong wind and it was evident that they came to play when they denied Petone early opportunities.

HOBM first-five Khya Wilson kicked two penalties to see his side go up 6-0 late in the first half. Petone finally put themselves on the board with a try to hooker Kaleb Saxon who scored out on the wing. This came soon after HOBM No. 8 Rupeni Raviyawa was red carded for a tackle offence. HOBM went into halftime leading 6-5.

Now with the wind, they scored again early in the second spell to centre Caleb Robson and it was 11-5. The Eagles then crossed again to go up 16-5 ahead of Ingram going doing injured and a change of field and HOBM holding on to earn their week off.

Oriental-Rongotai will stay in the Jubilee Cup next week after a 28-18 win over Paremata-Plimmerton at a blustery Ngāti Toa Domain. Much of the second half was an evenly contested arm wrestle between both sides with their championship seasons on the line.

But the damage was done by Ories in the first half when they created and scored three outstanding converted tries to lead 21-5 not long before the break.

Playing into the stiff wind in bright sunny conditions, Ories made a strong start with an early raid up field that stretched the home side to near breaking point. They subsequently had a penalty and a scrum from which openside flanker David Leota-Johnson scored under the posts.

Just a few minutes later, Ories were in again for their second try to go up 14-0, with No. 8 Dominic Ropeti making a clean break up the centre into the 22 and passing inside to halfback Declan Hay for the try.

Paremata-Plimmerton regrouped and finally put themselves in a strong position to reply through a series of lineouts and. The Ories pack set their benchmark for much of their second half play by keeping their opposites out, but there was no keeping out left wing Louis Northcott when he flew in for a spectacular try from a cross kick by first five Zane Edwards to cut the score to 14-5.

It didn’t take long for the Magpies to score their third try which again involved No 8 Ropeti and Hay who handled the ball before prop Tua Taituave flew in to score untouched.

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Needing points before the break and with the wind, Edwards finished the first spell by kicking a 49- metre penalty to make it 21-8 at the turnaround.

Ories went close to scoring again early in the second half in another stirring piece of attacking rugby, right wing Tom Maiava being heavily involved. Somehow Paremata-Plimmerton held on and they worked their way up-field and scored a breakout try against the run of play to left wing Northcott, his second for the day.

This 21-13 score remained unchanged over a period of helter-skelter rugby with both sides creating chances but both making their tackles. This period ended with Ories scoring their fourth and most decisive try. After going close, they packed a 5-metre scrum and three phases later they went wide to second five Skivi Va’a for the try. Fullback Jordan Soli kicked his fourth conversion to put the visitors ahead 28-13.

With a good 20 minutes still to play, Paremata-Plimmerton dug deep on attack and enjoyed most of the possession, but the close-quarter defence of Ories, led by No, 8 Ropeti and flanker Leota-Johnson and others such as tighthead prop Nico Metuariki, was up to the task of stopping them. Ropeti was probably the game’s dominant figure, however a late yellow card scuppered his chances of any best and fairest points.

With several minutes to go, Paremata-Plimmerton finally cracked the 14-man Magpies and scored their third try in the scoreboard corner. Momentum remained with them until the end, including spending two minutes hot on attack at the very end, but the act of holding them up over the line on fulltime summed up Ories’ performance and sealed a well-deserved win.

For Paremata-Plimmerton, a number of their forwards were in the thick of the action all day, such as lock Junior Davey and flanker Christian Faavae, as well as the Coburn brothers in the front row as always. Halfback Esi Komaisavai looked to spark throughout the match, with a typical energetic effort.

Ories will Tawa after a committed first half by the Upper Hutt Rams put them up 19-10 at halftime. This continued into the second spell and two more tries to the Rams had them ahead 33-10, with the Rams backs on fire.

Tawa gave themselves hope by scoring two quick tries which cut the gap to 33-24, but the Rams, as they have done all season, found another wind in the final quarter and came home strongly to win well.

For the Rams, Scott Svenson scored two of their seven tries, while fullback Liam Slight kicked six of seven conversions. Wing Thomas Temu scored two of Tawa’s tries, with fullback Randall Bishop and wing Isi Saumaki scoring the other.

Despite the premonitions of that most pessimistic of their supporters (yes Kevin Anderson, I’m talking about you!) Wainuiomata progressed to the second week of the Jubilee Cup playoffs with a 43-35 win over OBU at Nairnville Park.

With the westerly breeze at their backs it was the hosts who started the strongest. Twice they drew Wainuiomata into offside penalties, twice they got over the line but not down, and twice the visitors dropped-out from under their own sticks; eventually that told and openside Mitch Shields crossed. The visitors were finally able to get downfield and after a couple of cracks at it, prop Mike Sa’u burrowed over.

OBU would have the next two, both through winger Ben Gordon. Firstly he went full Watene-Zelezniak in the corner, and then pilfered an intercept to dash away under the posts. With Malo Manuao’s boot on song, it was 21-5. Unfortunately, Gordon’s game would end before halftime with a suspected broken jaw.

But as soon as that happened, it was back to near-level as the visitors struck twice in 90 seconds. Firstly from a midfield break Liam Aitken fed DX-class locomotive Tyler Tane on a short ball and the veteran had enough in the tank to make the line, and from the restart tear away flanker Elijah Solomona managed to break into space and dash away. The Goats would regroup and take a nine-point lead into the interval when Jack Riley found himself near the near and reached out to score.

Wainuiomata would introduce veteran Genesis Mamea soon after halftime, and newly-returned from France and with an approval to play his first action was to carry four Goats with him on a 15m surge. The visitors would close the gap when blindside Braydon Soi – who had an excellent game –  went over, and would go in front minutes later when Emmanuel Solomona joined his younger brother on the score sheet. OBU would nab it back when Folau Finau-Vea busted his lungs down the terrace side, but after surviving a yellow card at 74th minute penalty to Tane pit the visitors ahead. They would seal the game when the Goats took a desperate quick throw deep in their own end, knocked it on and Ray Va’a profitted. Tane’s conversion delivered the coup de grace on OBU’s Jubilee hopes.

MSP perhaps had the most comfortable win in Premier rugby today, with an 8 tries to 3 win over the Avalon Wolves.

Pōneke enjoyed a 20-17 win over Johnonsville, winning four tries to three with just one successful conversion taken. Kaden Bond scored two tries for winners Pōneke.

The Wellington Axemen ran in 8 tries in their 46-17 win over Northern United at home at Hataitai Park, with lock Archie Treadwell scoring two more tries to take his season tally to 13.

Premier 2 Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Cups

One notable upset in today’s Premier 2 playoff action, with Ories beating Tawa 39-36. The remaining Ed Chaney matches went as expected; top seeds Petone beat Pare-Plim 48-21 while across the river HOBM beat MSP 33-19. The fourth match in these saw Upper Hutt beat Avalon 39-22.

In the HD Morgan Cup matches Wellington beat OBU 33-21, Johnsonville beat Wainuiomata 19-10, and Poneke took out Norths 34-24.

It is our understanding that next week’s Ed Chaney Cup games will see MSP play the Upper Hutt Rams and Paremata-Plimmerton meet Oriental-Rongotai.

It was a remarkable match at Lyndhurst Park, as Ories fought back from a horrid start to send Tawa into the HD Morgan bracket in their match at Lyndhurst Park.

Tawa scored twice in the opening five minutes, and while Ories replied with a penalty, a third try to the hosts had them up 19-5 playing into the stiff nor’wester.

But the visitors fought back with three tries of their own – the pick of the bunch a long-range effort to the always entertaining Calvin Siaosi – against one to the hosts, leaving it 26-20 at the break.

Turning into the breeze, Ories took the lead early in the second half, perhaps controversially as the referee was unsighted for a possible knock-on, only for Tawa veteran of unknown age Peni Tokakece to put his side back in front. But soon after a midfield disagreement saw Tawa incur a red card, and not long after that the Magpies went back ahead. Eden Govind kicked a penalty to give Tawa the lead with less than five minutes left. But Ories marched downfield, assaulted the Tawa line, and worked it left for the winner in the northwest corner under the trees.

Women’s Tia Paasi Memorial and Izzy Ford Cups

Results to form in the Women’s competitions today. Petone celebrated Jackie Patea-Fereti’s 100th game in style beating Norths 55-10, while Wainuiomata overcame Poneke 45-7 in the Tia Paasi Memorial Trophy matches.

In the Izzy Ford Cup clashes, Avalon were too good for Pare-Plim by 75-21, and OBU accounted for Wellington 52-36.

Colts John Kelly and Vic Calcinai Cups

Petone and HOBM remain on course for a meeting in the Colts John E Kelly Cup final after both winning today. The young Villagers beat MSP 63-24, while their Eagle counterparts beat Tawa 50-20.

The two Vic Calcinai matches both went the way of the visiting side. OBU beat Upper Hutt 28-10, while Pare-Plim topped Norths 57-26. Poneke had the bye.

Under 85kg Paul Potiki and Tony O’Brien Shields

Semi-finals of the U85kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield today, with the first round winners the Tawa Ducks beating the Johnsonville Terrahawks 49-21 in the early match at Helston Park and the Pōneke Wanderers defeating the Paremata-Plimmerton Piranhas 48-19 at home at Kilbirnie Park. The final will see Tawa and Pōneke meeting with details to be confirmed.

The Division 2 sides continued their double round-robin format with the Wellington Light Axemen beating Eastbourne 48-21 at MacAlister Park and the OBU Scallywags defeating HOBM 25-17 at Kelburn Park.

College

Rongotai College’s 38-33 win over Scots College was both the closest and most notable win in today’s round of Premiership First XV rugby in Wellington.

All other games were all-too one-sided. Rathkeale were 71-3 winners over Mana College, Wellington College beat Wairarapa College 51-5 in the battle of the WCs, St Pat’s Town beat St Bernard’s College 67-10 and St Pat’s Silverstream eased past HIBS 71-6.

In the Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup, Beard Trophy holders Aotea College beat Hutt Valley High School 27-17, the St Pat’s Town 2nds beat the Silverstream 3rds 36-17, the Wellington College 2nds beat Paraparaumu College 31-24 and the Silverstream 2nds accounted for Porirua College 115-7. The Tawa College v Kapiti College match has been deferred.

In another results of interest, but not to be celebrated, the Wellington College 4ths beat the St Bernard’s College 3rds 171-0 in a Premier 5 fixture.

Elsewhere

Old foes Taradale and Napier OB Marist will meet in next Saturday’s Maddison Cup final in Hawke’s Bay after their wins today. Defending champions Taradale were 37-21 winners over a gallant Napier Tech, while NOBM prevailed in a close one 40-38 over Hastings.

Varsity and Kia Toa will collide in the Manawatu Hankins Shield final at the Arena next week. Varsity beat a plucky Old Boys Marist 38-29, while Kia Toa rebounded from last week’s shock defeat to delete Feilding Yellows 69-33. In the subsidiary Val Holland Cup College Old Boys beat Freyberg 62-15, and Feilding OB-Oroua upset Linton 36-29.

A country invasion in New Plymouth next Saturday. Unbeaten Clifton will face Coastal next week in Taranaki’s decider after both won tight affairs. Clifton did just enough to beat defending champions Stratford-Eltham 20-19 in front of the Tikorangi faithful, while down in Rahotu Coastal snuffed out New Plymouth OB 17-7.

The field is set for the semi-finals in Horowhenua-Kapiti. Foxton wrapped up top spot long ago and they’ll face Wanderers; Foxton beat Waikanae 31-24 while Wanderers beat Levin COB 52-29. Waikanae will face long-time rivals Paraparaumu, who beat Rahui 40-31.

Greytown marched on in Wairarapa Bush, beating closest rivals Carterton 38-12 this afternoon. Greytown will face East Coast, who went through despite losing at home 38-24 to Martinborough. Carterton will take on Marist, who were defaulted to by Masterton Red Star this morning. In the Senior Reserves quarter-finals there were upset wins for East Coast (7-5 over Gladstone) and Marist (17-10 over Greytown) while Tuhirangi and Martinborough were handy winners.