Jubilee Cup playoff race heats up after fifth round

Above: The Tawa Colts celebrate their match-clinching try in today's top of the table Les Mills Colts match against previously unbeaten Petone, Tawa winning 31-27.

The race to the Jubilee Cup semi-finals looks set to go down to the wire over the final fortnight of matches after today’s matches, with seven of the eight teams still in contention to make the playoffs and at least one home semi-final berth wide open.

Old Boys University saw off Oriental-Rongotai 39-24 to take a clear lead at the top of the standings on 20 competition points, but throw a blanket over the other contenders still in the race, who are separated by just seven points and all looking to press their top four claims.

Wing Malachai Unasa scored an early try for Ories, but the visitors fell off tackles regularly and found themselves trailing 19-5 after the opening quarter. A dribbling try by Scotsman Gavin Parker was a highlight for the Goats.

Ories pegged it back to seven at halftime, but was always chasing the game when wing Te Wehi Wright crossed early in the second-spell to make it 26-12.With 15 minutes to go prop Ories prop Alex Fidow bulled his way over to close the deficit to 29-24, but mistakes at inopportune moments and a dropped goal to first-five Dale Saabagh four minutes from time sealed OBU’s 11th win in a row at fortress Nairnville Park

Tawa (on 13 points) defeated Petone (3) 30-20 to move in to fourth place, while also ending the Villagers’ run. Tawa’s pack out-muscled a spirited Petone side at home at Lyndhurst Park. Scores were locked up at 6-6 after an exhibition of penalties before Hemi Fermanis broke through to score to make it 13-6 at the break. Two consecutive tries followed for the defending champions in the second 40 minutes as Tawa sailed to a match-sealing 25-6 lead.

Marist St Pat’s (18) came back to snatch a 24-24 draw with Wainuiomata (10), after openside flanker Isaac O’Connor was red carded just before halftime for an incident. 

At the time of O’Connor’s sending off, the hosts led 21-7 through tries to wing Nash Fiso-Vaili (2) and Tutasi Masoe against one by wing Willie Schultz, but as sometimes the case the 14 men re-doubled their efforts and fought back to make it 21-all with tries to lock James Zino and Fa'atonu Fili. Wainuiomata retook the lead through a penalty before conceding one at the death in front that fullback Andrew Wells converted to leave a 24-all final.

Northern United (9) played like it was 2010 in beating Hutt Old Boys Marist (13) 48-29 in the other match, an early length of the field try to Norths setting the tone at Jerry Collins Stadium.Left wing TK Bishop scored the first two of his eventual three tries to push Norths further ahead to 17-5 at halftime. Norths scored twice more to make it 29-5, before and pulled away further, but the Eagles emptied their bench and fresh legs saw them score a burst of four tries to keep things exciting. But Norths had the final say in what was a 77-point contest. As well as Bishop, flanker Parekura Lalaga scored two tries for Norths, while Samoa fullback Tomasi Alosio crossed for a brace for HOBM.

Hardham Cup

In the Hardham Cup, the Johnsonville Hawks held on to beat a spirited Upper Hutt Rams side 28-26 to retain their unbeaten record and lead at the halfway point of the 10-match round-robin Premier 2 competition.

Johnsonville’s abrasive forwards took it to the lighter Rams in the first half, scoring three converted tries and leading 21-0 at halftime. They should have gone ahead further early in the second half but lost their composure close to the chalk and the Rams held on. The visitors got on the board with a converted try to close to 7-21, and then scored twice more to close to 19-21. The Hawks finally crossed in the second half to extend their lead to 28-21, with the Rams scoring their bonus point try on fulltime to make it a two-point win for Johnsonville.

Poneke piled on the points in the second half in beating the Avalon Wolves 53-31, after the Wolves had led the match 19-3 at one stage. In fact, Avalon went into the interval holding a 19-8 lead, so Poneke came out and scored 45 points in the second half in an entertaining fixture on Kilbirnie Park. Poneke scored seven tries all up, with lock Cole Stewart and left wing Nick Robertson scoring braces.

The Wellington Axemen enjoyed firm footing in beating Paremata-Plimmerton 36-17 away at Ngatitoa Domain. The Axemen scored four converted tries to lead 28-0 at halftime and then led 31-0 before the home side got on the board.

Premier Reserve

Ed Chaney Cup front-runners Old Boys University had a high scoring 48-40 win over Oriental-Rongotai this afternoon, while Tawa slipped into second with their 43-24 win over Petone. Marist St Pat’s scored four tries in edging Wainuiomata 24-21 and Norths accounted for Hutt Old Boys Marist 36-15.

The Upper Hutt Rams earned their fifth straight bonus point win in the HD Morgan Memorial section, blanking Johnsonville 26-0. Poneke took their fourth win with a 36-3 victory over Avalon and Paremata-Plimerton beat Wellington 35-13.

Women’s

In women’s matches, the Old Boys University Impalas beat Marist St Pat’s in a Division 1 Victoria Tavern Trophy thriller. MSP scored three tries and led 21-5 at halftime at Ian Galloway Park, but OBU launched a comeback and won at the end.

Leaders Oriental-Rongotai marched on, seemingly unabated, with a 57-17 win over Northern United at the Polo Ground. The 40-point margin of victory was achieved through them crossing the line nine tries. Raylene Lolo and Lillian Mapu scored two tries each and Ories led 33-5 at halftime.

In one Division 2 match played today, Petone defeated Paremata-Plimmerton 40-27. Petone scored six tries through six different players, after leading 21-15 at halftime. Poneke beat Tawa by default in the other scheduled game.

Les Mills Colts

With the top four of the Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Memorial all in action against each other the table was always going to get a shakeup.

In the top of the table clash at Redwood Park Tawa inflicted a first defeat of the year on Petone, edging their contest 31-27 with both sides showing plenty of endeavour but Tawa ultimately prevailing through their superior forwards power.

The well-drilled Tawa pack pounced on Petone’s ill-discipline and scored the game’s opening three tries directly through lineout drives (2) and their scrum, to lead 17-3 late in the first half. Both sides lost players to the sin-bin, with Petone’s prop and Tawa’s centre taking early halftime breaks. Petone scored through their first five-eighth off an attacking scrum close to the line to cut the lead to 17-10 at halftime. Tawa scored a pushover try to extend their lead to 24-10, before Petone closed to 22-24 with two long-range tries in quick succession. However, Tawa kept their cool and scored the match-winner with a few minutes to play.

The win means that Tawa are already qualified for the semi-finals with two weeks spare. In the other top-four clash, defending champions OBU Green dragged themselves back into contention with a 24-15 with over Oriental-Rongotai in a physical clash at Te Whaea, making use of a dominant scrum to score a pair of pushover tries.

Elsewhere Hutt Old Boys Marist kept their hopes afloat and ended Norths' with a 24-18 win at Porirua Park, and Marist St Pats came out ahead of their clash with Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngati Toa Domain in an entertaining match, winning 34-32

Leaders the Upper Hutt Rams beat Johnsonville 29-3, while the Kapiti Colts beat Avalon 53-7 to make it four from four and with a game in hand.

U85kg

The Wellington Light Axemen had a narrow 11-10 win over the Kapiti side this afternoon in the Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield to keep their lead at the top of the standings after three weeks of the second round. The Tawa Titans were convincing 45-10 winners over Johnsonville and the Avalon Wolves beat the HOBM Howlers 33-5 in another match to hand.

Stokes Valley beat the OBU Bunnies 32-29 in the Division 2 feature contest.

College

In the three College WelTec Premiership matches an undermanned Scots kept pace with leaders St Pat’s Silverstream in beating Kapiti 43-22, and St Pat’s Town gave themselves plenty of breathing room in the playoff race in thumping Tawa 79-7. In the third match Porirua capped off a good week for them beating Hutt Valley HS 36-21. The rest of round seven saw Silverstream beat Rongotai 60-0 on Wednesday, and Wairarapa and Wellington College play in two weeks’ time.

In Premier 2 Silverstream's 2nd XV kept their place at the top, overrunning St Bernard's 36-5. Wellington College's 2nds were also victorious, beating Taita 36-21, Aotea beat Town's 2nds 38-7, and Hutt International edged Bishop Viard 28-27.