This week in club rugby history – 23-29 April

Oriental-Rongotai's Malo Tuitama evades a Poneke tackler in their clash on ANZAC Day last year, for the Jimmy Grbich Shield. 

In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below.

23 April

1994: After trailing 8-18 at halftime, Johnsonville comes storming back to beat previously unbeaten Avalon 24-23, while Tana Umaga scores twice in Petone’s 56-21 win over Tawa and Poneke No. 8 Paolo Savelio scores a second-half hat-trick in his side’s 55-13 win over Wainuiomata.

2003: All Black Pita Alatini scores a stunning 40-metre individual try for Norths in a big midweek 13-5 victory under lights. The sixth round win propels Norths towards their maiden title, while Poneke loses their first match of the year.

2006: OBU ends a 19-game Swindale Shield in losing streak in style by thrashing Western Suburbs 52-17 at Ian Galloway Park and consigning Wests to their previously occupied wooden spoon position on the points table. In another surprise thrashing, Tawa runs in seven tries to beat defending Jubilee Cup champions Petone 46-21.

24 April

1954: Back-to-back defending champions University beat Oriental 23-17 in today’s season opener thanks to a 90-metre runaway try to All Black wing Ron Jarden. But other close results indicate that the students won’t have it all their own way this season.

1999: MSP wing Lome Fa’atau scores a stunning solo try to help MSP beat Petone 12-11, while defending champions Wests snatch an 18-18 draw with Poneke courtesy of a last-gasp penalty to first five-eighth Scott Leighton, and HOBM beat Avalon 19-17 with a converted try in injury time.

2004: They were wooden-spooners last year, but HOBM lead the Swindale Shield and are unbeaten after four rounds after seeing off Petone 27-17 in a classic McBain Shield clash at the Petone Rec. Blindside flanker Polonga Pedro is the individual star, scoring two tries, while lock Doug Power and halfback Nick Risdon are influential as the Eagles soar to a 17-0 lead by halftime. Petone comes out firing, but HOBM hangs on in the second half. In another Hutt Valley derby, Avalon grabs a dramatic 34-32 win over Upper Hutt while Tristan Meo scores a hat-trick for Wests in their 41-27 lowering of Johnsonville.

25 April

2013: The power and passion of Tawa's forwards eventually win over Norths at Lyndhurst Park, rumbling over for the winning try a couple of minutes from the end to win 28-27 and capture the Sammy Saili Memorial Shield. Wainuiomata hold off a Petone comeback in the second half to win 36-29 at William Jones Park and retain the Darren Larsen Cup.

2015: HOBM take home the Father Cleary Shield and also defend the Bill Brien Challenge Cup with a remarkable 54-49 victory over previously unbeaten Marist St Pat’s, coming back from a 10-29 deficit, and Tawa defeat Johnsonville for the Carman Cup with a last-gasp James So’oialo 50-metre penalty to win 18-15. Oriental-Rongotai breaks Poneke’s hearts, with first five-eighth Trevor Marama kicking an extra time penalty to give them a 28-27 Jimmy Grbich Shield win.

2017: The Upper Hutt Rams are the day’s biggest winners, while Oriental-Rongotai and Poneke finish all square in two of today’s ANZAC Day Swindale Shield matches played in glorious sunshine this afternoon. The Upper Hutt Rams defeat Avalon 72-6 to retain the Harper Vine Trophy, Ories and Poneke finished their match for the Jimmy Grbich Shield locked up at 30-30. Trailing 25-30 late, Ories halfback Adam Deck ducks under a ruck and slices through on a 20-metre run to score under the poles. But his handy conversion is charged down by the Poneke players

26 April

1958: Halfback Vince Bevan is prominent in Poneke’s 11-6 win over WCOB in the main game at Athletic Park. The curtain-raiser for this match? The second hockey Test between New Zealand and Pakistan. The two teams battle out a 2-2 draw in front of 8,000 sports fans.

1993: The current gulf between the top clubs and the battlers is highlighted today when MSP beat Wainuiomata 95-0 and Petone accounts for Stokes Valley 76-3. Individually, fullback Kelly Rolleston runs in five tries for MSP and Jason O’Halloran (3) and Tana Umaga (2) score five of Petone’s tries.

2014: The Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles come back from 17-40 down to bonus point 41-40 winners over the Upper Hutt Rams. Seemingly down and out, the Eagles lay on three converted tries and then a penalty on the stroke of fulltime to Glen Walters to win the game.In another stunning last-gasp win today, Old Boys University halfback-turned first five-eighth Tomasi Palu kicks the match-winning penalty with the final play of the game to give Old Boys University a 30-29 win over Marist St Pat's.

27 April

1997: Tawa are convincing 40-12 winners over Petone, while Johnsonville take a meritorious 17-12 victory over MSP and a 75-metre breakout try by Toto Moananu seals a 14-6 win for Poneke over Wests.

2002: Avalon’s Mano Flutey kicks a penalty on fulltime to see his side beat Wests 11-10 in atrocious conditions to extend Avalon’s unbeaten run to six rounds.

28 April

1973: Petone right wing Vern Winitana scores four tries in his side’s one-sided 43-10 win over Onslow. Winitana has now scored tries in Petone’s first four matches and they their rollicking start to the season has seen them 155 points and conceded 30.

2007: Upper Hutt overtakes Wainuiomata with a last-gasp try to win 19-17 and register their first win of the season. Halfback Daniel Beckett proves the hero in the shadow of fulltime, charging down a clearing kick and scooting over in the corner for the winning try. Old-Boys University and Hutt Old Boys Marist fight out a 15-15 draw at the Basin Reserve, with HOBM coming from 10-15 behind to draw the contest with a length-of-the-field try.

29 April

1961: Marist fullback P.C. Dellabarca kicks five conversions and a dropped goal and scores a try for 16 points in his side’s second round 43-3 win over Taita. Elsewhere a feature of University’s 8-0 win over Poneke is a 55-yard penalty into a strong wind by standout fullback Mick Williment.

1983: Poneke beat MSP 22-21 with captain Grant Griffith potting a last second 40-metre dropped goal for victory. MSP had led 21-0 after just 15 minutes, but Poneke clawed their way back and times their win perfectly.