Eagles hang on to beat Tawa, as Poneke and Paremata-Plimmerton register late wins

Above: Ben Power surges over to score for Hutt Old Boys Marist against Tawa today.

Wellington club rugby Swindale Shield frontrunners the Hutt Old Boys Eagles returned to winning ways today in the ninth round of the competition on a blustery afternoon – but only just.

The HOBM Eagles held on to beat Tawa 30-28 in a thriller the Hutt Recreation Ground this afternoon in a match the visitors should have won after being awarded a penalty on fulltime but they opted to turn down the penalty shot in favour of an attacking scrum and failed to score a try.

Tawa’s scrum had been dominant all afternoon but HOBM repelled it when it mattered most and held on to win their eighth match in nine games. HOBM had led 17-16 at halftime, then 24-16 early in the second spell with an intercept try with the wind and then 27-16 with a penalty. Tawa came back with tries to No. 8 Tito Ioane off a monster scrum and midfielder Kalim Kelemete to take a 28-27 lead. HOBM re-took that lead with a penalty and held on to the end.

How much that loss costs Tawa remains to be seen. Tawa remain inside the top 7 cut-off for the championship round Jubilee Cup but have Petone and Ories breathing down their necks and Wainuiomata and the Upper Hutt Rams with cases to make over the remaining five rounds.

Of that trio, just Ories were winners today, beating Petone 25-17 for the Jim Brown Memorial Trophy on their Old Timers’ Day. Ories raced out to an 18-0 lead, which proved insurmountable for the Villagers to rein in.

Wainuiomata went down 21-25 to Poneke in a stirring match on Poneke’s Old Timers’ Day for the Hakaraia Trophy. Poneke laid down the challenge with a pre-game haka, but it was the visitors who struck with two first-half tries to flanker Matt Jacobs and wing Nash Fiso-Vaelei to lead 13-3.

Wainuiomata extended their lead to 18-8 and then were ahead 18-11 when the game turned when they found themselves having two players in the sin-bin at the same time in John Monu and Teru Time. Poneke closed to 14-18 and then talisman lock Galu Taufale scored to put them ahead 21-18. Wainuiomata kicked a penalty to draw level at 21-21 but replacement Poneke centre Alex Morrissey crossed for the winner.

Paremata-Plimmerton beat the Wellington Axemen 14-8 at Hataitai Park on the battle of the Hardham Cup-bound sides, winning a willing match with a 78th minute try that was converted from the sideline.

The game unravelled in the final few stirring minutes of play. The Wellington Axemen, who had completely dominated both territory and possession in the second half playing into the wind, finally scored a try. Loosehead prop Tala ala Kitekei'aho came up with the try that put them ahead 8-7.

Paremata-Plimmerton swung straight on to attack and crossed in the left corner and first five-eighth Dre Melvin converted.

That wasn’t it though. The Axemen launched a desperate late assault up into the visitors’ 22. A Paremata-Plimmerton defender was sin-binned and the Axemen packed down a scrum. But- as they had done all day with their swarming defence – Paremata-Plimmerton repelled this and celebrated victory.

The Axemen had led a tight one just 3-0 at halftime, both sides missing clear-cut chances to score after building momentum.

The Axemen spent the opening 10 minutes of the second half camped inside Pareamata-Plimmerton territory but couldn’t break through. Instead it was industrious vsiting No. 8 Peni Tapau who broke through to score a 50 metre intercept try to put them up 7-3. The next 20 minutes ebbed and flowed before the match unravelled at the end.

At Maidstone Park, Marist St Pat’s extended their unbeaten run to 26 matches against the Upper Hutt Rams, rallying from a 14-16 halftime deficit to win comfortably 45-23.

MSP conceded a dozen penalties in the first-half as Upper Hutt’s forwards muscled up for an hour, before fading badly in the last quarter.

Wing Kerrod Foaese and No.8 James Tuia scored MSP’s two tries in the first-half while Tyler Tane kicked three penalties and converted a Nev Apineru try from the sideline for Upper Hutt.

MSP rocked the Rams with two tries in two minutes to start the second-half. Daniel Schrijvers scored a try from a lineout in the 55th minute to cut MSP’s lead to 28-23, but MSP had far greater firepower off the bench and finish with a flourish to register their third win in a row.

MSP Second-Five Isia Petelo seemed to break at will at times. Andrew Wells was lively at fullback and scored the last try. Ken Kapeli was a try scorer and leader for MSP while lock Natioa Ah Kohi was exceptional again and James Tuia adds considerable punch in the loose.

Apineru looked like he’d gone cold turkey after his gallant effort and Schrijvers and halfback Greg Tu Kura never stopped trying.

At Helston Park, home side the Johnsonville Hawks gave an honest account of themselves against the Old Boys University Goats. OBU won this one 28-5, but the Hawks swooped throughout much of the match and held them to 7-5 with the wind by halftime.

With the wind, OBU scored two more converted tries and extended their lead to 21-5, but could only manage one more as they left grateful to take maximum points.

At Jerry Collins Stadium, Northern United took control of their match against the Avalon Wolves from about midway through the first half, eventually winning 78-22.

Norths scored twelve tries, with second five-eighth Kienan Higgins scoring two and replacement back Esi Komaisavai also scoring a brace. Jackson Garden-Bachop scored 23 points. Avalon contributed to a lively match by scoring four tries themselves.

Northern United and Marist St Pat’s are on track to meet in the last round decider to settle this year’s Premier Reserve first round Harper Lock Shield competition.

Both rolled on with their ninth straight wins this afternoon, Norths beating Avalon 69-5 and MSP defeating the Upper Hutt Rams 73-15.

Poneke beat Wainuiomata 42-15 to remain third, ahead of Petone who beat Ories 31-17. OBU are fifth after edging Johnsonville 22-15 and Tawa are sixth after beating HOBM 34-28. The Wellington Axemen beat Paremata-Plimmerton in the other match of this grade.

The Les Mills Colts competition remains close with more tight battles in the Division 1 Paris Memorial Trophy this afternoon.

MarIst St Pat’s remain unbeaten after a month of play after pipping the Upper Hutt Rams Colts 12-11. Defending champions Petone missed out to Norths 36-19, while OBU beat Ories 27-14 after being rocked by two early tries to trail 0-14 after as many minutes. The HOBM Green Colts scored a last minute try to beat Tawa 24-20.

In the JRD Cup Colts Division 2 competition, the Paremata-Plimmerton Colts beat Wellington 59-14 in the inaugural Daniel Baldwin Trophy match, while Johnsonville put OBU White to bed with a 68-0 win and OBU Black beat the Avalon Wolf Cubs 30-13.

In the Women’s Rebecca Liua'ana Trophy competition, there were three big wins and a one-pointer.

The close match was Paremata-Plimmerton beating Marist St Pat’s 22-21 - halfback Jamie McIntosh kicking the conversion of second five-eighth Sharn Rohloff's try 5 metres to the side of the posts with the final play of the game to win the game.

MSP led 21-10 at halftime, with three tries including another double to midfielder Monica Tagoai but Paremata-Plimmerton came back to pip them at the end. This match was also marred by a long injury break to a broken ankle for a MSP player.

The Old Boys University Impalas came off their bye to register their first win of the season, beating Poneke 69-5.

Petone put in their most convincing performance to date in beating Avalon 91-7.

Oriental-Rongotai beat Hutt Old Boys Marst 75-5 but if you took the freakish skills of left wing Ayesha Leti-L’iga and another soft try or two out of the equation it was much closer than that.

Leti-L’iga scored four first half tries, and crossed for a fifth in the second half. Ories rocked HOBM early and led 47-0 at halftime playing into the wind. HOBM played well with ball in hand but lacked penetration out wide.

Eastbourne frolicked to a 69-0 win over the HOBM Howlers in their U85kg Paul Potiki Shield match beside the sea at HW Shortt Park, registered their third straight win.

Last year’s beaten finalists Avalon beat the Johnsonville Terrahawks 39-13, while defending champions Wellington missed out 7-43 to the Upper Hutt Rams and recent champions the Tawa Titans were struck down 17-24 by the Wests Roosters and the Paraparaumu side beat MSP 36-0.

Scots College flew the flag in Masteron for Wellington schools in the first round of the pre-season First XV series.

Scots College beat Gisborne Boys’ High School 31-22, while Wellington College were walloped 20-57 by Palmerston North Boys’ High School and defending Wellington champions St Pat’s Silverstream were lowered 22-40 by Napier Boys’ High School. St Pat’s Town beat Rathkeale College 3-17 in the other fixture.