Upper Hutt Rams lead ANZAC Day attack, Stalemate at the Polo Ground

 Above: Old Boys University left wing Chris Crichton scores his first Premier try in his first start in competition leaders OBU’s 47-10 win over the Wellington Axemen this afternoon.

The Upper Hutt Rams were the day’s biggest winners, while Oriental-Rongotai and Poneke finished all square in two of today’s ANZAC Day Swindale Shield matches that were once played in glorious sunshine throughout the Hutt Valley, Welington and Porirua.

The Upper Hutt Rams defeated Avalon 72-6 to retain the Harper Vine Trophy, running away with the match on Maidstone Park after Avalon prop Solomon Tuiano was red carded just before halftime for two head high tackle offences. Openside flanker Mitch Markov was the main benefactor, scoring a hat-trick of tries, while midfielders Kona Feauanti and Josh Hunt both bagged braces in the 11-try win for the Rams.

For the Rams, No. 8 and last year’s Wellington U19 captain Josh Brown had a top match, as did lock Vern Sosefo and halfback Paddy Gluck who was filling in for Hayden Schrijvers.

Back in town, Ories and Poneke finished their match for the Jimmy Grbich Shield locked up at 30-30, with both sides missing late chances to win but for wayward kicks. Trailing 25-30 with several minutes to play, Ories halfback Adam Deck ducked under a ruck and sliced through on a 20 metre run to score under the poles. But his conversion from in front was charged down by the Poneke players.

Poneke swung on to attack and won a late penalty to the right of the uprights, but first five-eighth Hilton Gibbons pushed his attempt wide.

Both Poneke and Ories scored some entertaining tries in the match, which saw Ories led 15-13 at halftime and then 18-13 just after the break following back-to-back Deck penalties. Poneke came back to take the lead after a big raid up the middle by flanker Greg Foe and a try from the subsequent 5-metre scrum. Poneke increased their lead to 30-18 when second five-eighth Ivan Vaisagote ran back a kick in play and kicked ahead for centre Levi Harmon to score. In reply, Ories centre Paulo Aukuso sliced through to set up a close finish in front a big crowd at the Polo Ground.

For Poneke, lock Cole Stewart was a workhorse throughout, while all three loose forwards Foe, Galu Taufale and Jarrod Bryan were industrious as always. For Ories, Deck and veteran centre Paulo Aukuso both had busy games, while Ambrose Curtis scored a terrific opening try when he collected an Alex Ropati kick ahead and crossed. The Magpies tenacious defence was a strong point of their game, digging deep after an early second half momentum shift threatened to take the game away from them.

In another Derby Day and ANZAC Day thriller, Hutt Old Boys Marist held on to beat Marist St Pat’s 31-28 in their Father Cleary Shield encounter.

It was a helter-skelter first half, with HOBM leading 25-23 at halftime, after coming back from 0-15 down following two tries to MSP fullback Andrew Wells. HOBM came back to score the next 17 points of the match to hit the front.

The second half was a much tighter affair, with HOBM’s Brandyn Laursen slotting two long-range penalties on the Hutt Rec and MSP scoring a solitary unconverted try to second five-eighth Willie Schultz.

Wainuiomata beat Petone 28-17 in their Darren Larsen Cup clash at home at William Jones Park.

Wainuiomata scored their bonus point and match winning try with about 15 minutes to play to replacement flanker Matt Jacobs, which made the score at that juncture of the contest 28-12.

Earlier, Wainuiomata had scored three tries and led 18-7 at halftime, after lock Jalan Farris had opened the scoring running off the shoulder of block busting No. 8 Ben Tupuola. Petone replied with an intercept try to second five-eighth Lester Maulolo, but the green machine replied before the interval with tries to first five-eighth John Monu and centre Mike Lealava'a. 

Petone put themselves back in the game when Tupuola took the ball into contact whilst hot on attack, the ball was spilled free and Willie Fine sprinted all of 80 metres to set up a try to second five-eighth Jonny Sykes on debut. But a penalty to increase the margin to 21-12 and then Jacobs’ try sealed Wainuiomata’s fifth win in seven matches.

The other three games were more clear-cut, on the scoreboard at least.

The result is there’s a clear gap forming between eighth and ninth, with eighth placed Tawa on 20 points and ninth equal Petone and Poneke both on 14, heading into this coming Saturday’s eighth round set of Swindale Shield matches.

Competition leaders Old Boys University won their seventh straight match to hold a 20-point buffer to ninth and effectively qualify for the top eight with six weekends remaining.

The OBU Goats defeated the Wellington Axemen 47-10 for the Dean Gifford Memorial Cup at Hattaitai Park. OBU lead 12-0 early and then had the bonus point in the bank when they ran in their fourth try before the turnaround to take a 26-3 lead.

The run of play throughout the second half was tight, the plucky Axemen scoring the first try to close to 26-10, but the Goats pulled clear after that. OBU’s tries in this match were scored by seven individuals while flyhalf Dale Dabbargh kicked five conversions to take his season tally to 85 points.

Northern United vaulted into second place in overcoming crosstown neighbours Paremata-Plimmerton 53-8 for the Ivan Hargreaves Trophy at Jerry Collins Stadium.

The hosts didn't have it all their own way despite the eventual scoreline, with the visitors soaking up wave after wave of Norths attack in the first 10 minutes, and inevitably the first points went to Pare-Plim when Blake Neve picked off a pass and ran 80m to score. It took Norths 23 minutes to score but one they did it came in bunches, and two in two minutes before half-time broke the visitors’ resolve. Pare-Plim were guilty off nodding off too many times, conceding three times in the aftermath of restarts, while their last 20 demons returned again. Chris Middleton was the standout for Norths, while John-White Silva was dominant at scrum time and Esi Komaisavai, making his Premier starting debut, showed good touches at 10. Neve, Tane McMillan-Parata, and Grant Robson were Pare-Plim's best.

Tawa continued their ascent up the points table after losing their opening three games, beating Johnsonville 40-10 at Helston Park for the Carman Cup.

Tawa took the ascendancy early, laying on two early converted tries and going to a 14-3 lead. They added two more tries and went into halftime with their four-try bonus point and 26-3 up. More tries followed and it was game over barely 10 minutes into the second half. For Tawa, left wing Elijah Va’a-Brooking and centre Pepesana Patafilo both scored two tries in the six tries to one win.

Harper Lock Shield

Like the Swindale Shield match that followed, the curtain-raiser at the Polo Ground between mid-table Ories and Poneke proved a thriller.

Ories started off strong, laying on a penalty and a converted try to lead 10-0 after as many minutes. Poneke replied but so did Ories and the Magpies deserved their 22-12 lead at halftime. But Poneke finished stronger and found themselves trailing 26-29 with about 10 minutes to play. Poneke hammered away at Ories at the death and eventually cracked to score the match-winner on fulltime in front of the changing rooms.

At the Hutt Recreation Ground, Premier Reserve leaders the HOBM Eagles beat Marist St Pat’s 29-20 to register their sixth win of the season thus far.

Old Boys University are still second after defeating the Wellington Axemen 53-17 at the Graveyard, while Northern United are third after beating Paremata-Plimmerton 36-14 at Porirua Park.

In other second XV matches this afternoon, the Upper Hutt Rams defeated the Avalon Wolves 51-31, Petone beat Wainuiomata 36-20 and Tawa clipped Johnsonville’s wings 57-19.