Rampant Norths Haul In Hutt Old Boys Marist

A destructive Northern United ended Hutt Old Boys Marist?s unbeaten run with a 20-point walloping in round seven of the Swindale Shield. In doing so Norths also overtook HOBM as the new competition frontrunners. The two sides are now level on 27 points, but Norths lead by virtue of this win.

The defending champions excited their home crowd by throwing the ball around and they raced to a 24-0 lead after 30 minutes. The deficit proved too steep for the Hutt side and only a try in the dying stages added some respectability to HOBM in an otherwise one-sided affair. Recalled hooker Fono Salu was the main benefactor for Norths, stealing a hat trick of tries.

Not to be outdone were Petone who also enjoyed a famous victory of their own, plundering Poneke to move to fourth spot. Petone attacked Poneke up-front and the usually sound Poneke pack cracked, allowing Petone to run away with an easy win. The loss sees Poneke slip from second to third. But with a mere five points separating the top seven teams the outcome is no mere formality.

The Club Weekly went to leafy Lyndhurst Park this week where eighth placed Tawa hosted ninth placed Upper Hutt in an equally important clash to see who could pull away from the bottom end of the ladder and keep in touch with the pack. Both sides had shown glimpses of the sort of form needed to compete with the big boys, but it was Tawa who prevailed over the visitors.

Not without a heart-flutter though as the home side valiantly repelled wave after wave of Upper Hutt attack in the final quarter of the game to defend a slim six-point lead. And then when Tawa?s outstanding forward, hooker James Buckland scored on fulltime to secure the win the Lyndhurst faithful breathed a huge sigh of relief. Watching their charges they also know they have a team who could yet do something special in 2004.

The hard work had been done earlier by Tawa though, when running with the biting southerly that affected much of round seven?s play, they raced to a handy 22-3 lead after 30 minutes. They could thank first five Gene Johnston for slotting five penalties and the conversion of centre Willie Lafaele?s try, including one kick from halfway. Upper Hutt clawed back through their committed forwards though and when blindside flanker Martin Asiata scored on halftime it was game on. Tawa played the second spell with a desperate edge and entertained with their counterattacking, before the inevitable Hutt comeback, with first five Ben Aoina slotting a further penalty and scoring a try, but it was not to be for the men in maroon.

Elsewhere Marist St. Pats pleased their Old Timers with a predictable whipping of Johnsonville; first five Darren Kapene scored 26 of Avalon?s points, including two tries, in a similar dispatching of Oriental-Rongotai and Old Boys-University employed their get out of jail free card in coming back to draw with the unlucky Western Suburbs.