Billygoats kings of the Wellington rugby jungle

For the second time in three years, Old Boys University held aloft the Jubilee Cup trophy, beating Hutt Old Boys Marist 32-19 this afternoon.

In bright sunshine at the Petone Recreation Ground, Old Boys University became the first team since Tawa in 2013 to win the Swindale Shield, Andy Leslie Trophy and Jubilee Cup treble in one season.

The students led from start to finish, despite being reduced to 14 men shortly before halftime and being forced to combat waves of Hutt Old Boys Marist attack.

OBU began at a furious pace stretching the heavier Hutt forwards and crossing the chalk twice in the first 10 minutes.

A skip pass by first-five Dale Sabbagh created an overlap for winger Teegan Minkley to capitalise on. Moments later openside Daven Candy scored in the opposite corner supporting an OBU breakout which saw No.8 Teariki Ben-Nicholas charge 30-metres off the back of a scrum and link with Tomasi Palu who was denied agonisingly short. Palu didn’t panic recycling the ball for a profitable outcome.

HOBM showed they too could play the stretch game when wing Fereti Soloa was the recipient of a long cut-out pass by second-five Brandyn Laursen.

Candy scored again after OBU re-gathered the kick-off and launched another furious assault on the line and second five-eighth Regan Verney made a telling burst up into the danger zone.

The Billygoats were now up 17-7 – but their supporters had good cause to temper their celebrations.

HOBM enjoyed sustained attack on the OBU goal line and repeated penalties resulted in OBU hooker Stu Simonsen being yellow carded. The Eagles could have and should have scored their second try to close the margin right up.

Instead, the 14-man OBU responded with a spectacular try to Minkley, that would prove telling. OBU ran the ball all of 95 metres from a defensive scrum and crossed to the roar of the packed Petone Rec grandstand.

HOBM, with the best forwards drive in the competition, scored a try before halftime, Laursen scoring under the poles after a patient build-up. OBU went into the oranges leading 24-14.

The Eagles pack meant business early in the second half, a lineout drive in the far corner leading to a try to loosehead prop Simon Malaeulu and it was game on at 24-19.

The final remained tense and willing throughout the next 20 minutes of the second half, as first HOBM then OBU had their moments. A HOBM breakout and kick ahead by livewire halfback Sheridan Rangihuna almost set them away for a try they might have changed the game.

The Goats first five-eighth, Dale Sabbagh, shanked a long-range penalty but then kicked another from right in front, to extend the lead to 27-19 and more importantly ask HOBM to score twice to win the final.

They couldn’t, and OBU finished the final and won the game in style with second five-eighth Verney scoring in the grandstand corner off a pass by fullback Jono Ihaka after another stunning breakout from inside their own half.

Verney became the first midfield back to win the Jim Brown Memorial Medal as player of the final. Apt that Brown was a midfielder who played for Petone. Inaugural winner Tamati Ellison, later an All Black, played first-five in the 2004 final which Norths won 20-18 over Poneke.

Sam Coventry added energy and aggression from the bench and when things appeared to be wobbly for OBU the bench added value with Junior Makapelu busy as well despite the Eagles disrupting the students' lineout.

Afterwards, OBU halfback Tomasi Palu rated this win highly.

"That is the highlight of my career - it is bigger than 2015 when I came off the bench," he said. "It is awesome to win this again with these guys."

Palu praised the value of the flying start his team made, withstanding the HOBM comeback.

"The message at halftime was just to cut out all our silly errors and keep our discipline and keep our structure.

"The final was right in the balance, but once that try was scored at the very end we definitely knew we were going to win from there."

A big celebration is coming up this evening. "A few of our other teams in today's finals missed out, so at least we got one victory, and we will go back to the Cambridge and celebrate as a club."