Levi, Losi and Leti-l'iga tries lift Wellington U19 and Pride teams

Above: Maile Koloto makes a break for it for the Wellington U19s today in their win over the Hwke's Bay U19s at Petone. 

UPDATED: Try scoring bursts by Levi Harmon, Losi Filipo and Ayesha Leti-l'iga went a long way to securing representative rugby victories today for the Wellington U19s and the Wellington Pride teams.

Centre Levi Harmon scored two first half tries and Left wing Filipo atoned for an earlier yellow card to score a late hat-trick to give the Wellington U19s a 38-3 win over Hawke’s Bay U19, after their 14-3 halftime lead remained unchanged until well into the fourth quarter.

Right wing Leti-l’iga lit up Jerry Collins Stadium, scoring two first half tries that were the difference at halftime as the Wellington Pride led the Otago Spirit 14-13. She then helped set up the game’s key try to fullback Georgia Daals soon after the break after latching on to a kick and chase from a scrum on halfway and flashing towards the chalk. The Pride eventually won 40-20, their third straight Women’s NPC victory.

In other games, the Wellington U18s defeated the Tasman Makos U18s 57-38, with fullback Reece Plumtree contributing 32 points.

Plumtree scored four tries and kicked six conversions. Other tries were scored by left wing Reuben Va'a, props Meinrad Fitismanu and Sefo Numia, second five-eighth Denny To’o and replacement back Malachi Unasa.

The Wellington Pride Development team defeated the Wellington Samoans Women 43-29 in the Porirua Park curtain-raiser.

The Wellington U16A side has had a 58-12 win over the Wairarapa-Bush U18s, while the Wellington U16 Development team has beaten Wairarapa-Bush U16 19-12 and Wanganui U16 28-0.

The Wellington Centurions U85kg side has retained the Gallon Cup with a 48-11 win over the Waikato U85kg team. Wellington led 29-11 at halftime.

Second five-eighth LA Moemai scored a hat-trick and was jointly selected as the Player of the Match along with lock Yianni Hilder, in the eight tries to one win.

Other tries went to flanker and captain Cam Prestidge, halfback Matt Fowler, wings Aki Tuangalu and Tui Vatuloko and lock Hilder Fowler kicked four conversions.

Westlake Boys' High School beat St Pat's Silverstream 21-15 in the final of the Hurricanes U15 tournament. Gisborne Boys' High School beat Scots College by default in the playoff for third and fourth. 

See below for a round-up of the U19s and Pride games:

Wellington U19s (38) – Hawke’s Bay U19s (3)

The Wellington Under-19s were comfortable victors in their Central Region Shield hit-out against the Hawke's Bay Under-19s, seeing off the junior Magpies 38-3 at the Petone Recreation Ground.

While the scoreline suggests a sound Wellington performance, it was far from it. Lineout time was a major struggle for the hosts, as was their handling. 

Their defence, on the other hand, was impenetrable, with Hawke's Bay barely looking a chance at crossing Wellington's line.

Poneke-based centre Levi Harmon opened the scoring with two tries on well-taken opportunities, before Hawke's Bay responded immediately with a penalty goal through the boot of Liam McFarland.

Wellington wing Losi Filipo was sent to the sin-bin five minutes before the break for back-chatting to one of the assistant referees, opening an opportunity for Hawke's Bay to strike before the half but Wellington's defence held strong.

Filipo, upon returning to the field, did a good job in making up for his yellow card as he went on to score a hat-trick of tries as Wellington ran away with the game in the last 20 minutes.

Substitutes Kerrod Foaese and Folau Finau Vea both played big roles in two of Filipo's tries and were standouts off the bench for Wellington. Replacement back Willie Fine scored Wellington’s other try.

The Wellington U19s meet the Manawatu U19s next weekend in Palmerston North, a match that will determine top seeding from the Hurricanes region for the upcoming National tournament in Taupo. Manawatu beat the Hurricanes Barbarians teams 91-5 in their game today. 

Wellington Pride (40) – Otago Spirit (20)

Ayseha Leti-l'iga’s two first half tries were highlights of an underwhelming first half by the Pride at Jerry Collins Stadium in bright sunshine this afternoon.

Following the game’s first try to Otago, Porirua College wing Leti-l'iga put in a lovely outside swerve to beat her marker and starting first five-eighth Lizzie Goulden added the extras to put the Pride ahead 7-5.

The wing’s second try came 10 minutes later after a powerful break up into the 22 by her Oriental-Rongotai teammate Bernadette Robertson that split the defence and she went in near the poles.

But Otago, fought back to trail the Pride by a point, and they would have led at the turnaround if halfback Megan Manson had slotted another kick and they were more accurate in the air and at kick-off time. The Spirit’s pack dominated the Pride at scrum time and disrupted them at the breakdowns throughout much of the first half, while their backs were to be dangerous all match. Second five-eighth Michaela Baker, centre Greer Muir and Olympic Sevens silver medallist and fullback Kelly Brazier always looked likely.

The Pride made several changes at the break, including switching halfback Accacia Te Iwimate and flyhalf Goulden around. This was to reap dividends.

Goulden kicked ahead from the base of a scrum and a flying Leti-l'iga collected the kind bounce and took off looking for a hat-trick. She was stopped, but passed inside to fullback Georgia Daals who ran through to score to make it 19-13 to the Pride.

This was soon 26-3 when standoff Te Iwimate sailed through a yawning hole in Otago’s defence to score the Pride’s bonus point try.

Leti-l'iga went close again to scoring a third try when she regathered a Goulden kick in play that sat up cruelly for the defenders and raced away again. She was brought down again, but momentum soon saw Daals cross out wide for her second try. Goulden converted from the sideline to put the Pride up 33-13 after 62 minutes.

Otago hit back with their third try, running back an exit play kick and centre Muir making a big break and tackled by lock Joanah Ngan-Woo. But fullback Brazier was on hand to score the try.

The Pride pressed back on to attack and, following a missed penalty attempt, Ngan-Woo was rewarded for an industrious game by galloping through a gap and scoring the final try of the afternoon to make the final score 40-20 to Wellington.

Next week the Pride plays the Counties Manukau Heat in a possible semi-final showdown with just one round to play following that.