This week in club rugby history – 7-13 May

Above: Petone scores on fulltime to beat Poneke 28-21 in their 125th anniversary match this week in 2010.

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

7 May

1955: Former Petone first five-eighth Jackie Dougan has made the switch to Onslow and today makes his debut for his new club against his former one. Petone win the match 6-3. Petone and University, who defeat Taita 27-6, are the two unbeaten teams after three rounds.

1988: Denis Tocker scores a hat-trick of tries and Chris Welch scores a brace for MSP in today’s 41-15 win the feature match against previously unbeaten Ories. Elsewhere, Poneke wing Tony Waldron scores a hat-trick in his team’s 45-10 win over Tawa and Wainuiomata fullback scored one try and sets up several more in their 41-9 win over WCOB.

2011: Ories, One of this year’s favoured teams, are pipped 17-12 by Tawa in a thriller. Tawa scores the winning try at the end after trailing 12-10 deep into the contest. Elsewhere, Petone inflicts an emphatic 46-14 victory on Marist St. Pat’s to win back the Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy in style. Petone leads 17-7 at halftime but take control of the match soon after halftime, No. 8 Piers Gordon scoring a hat-trick.

8 May

1965: University wing Alan Osborne scores a Wellington club record six tries and fullback Mick Williment scores 18 points in University’s 42-6 win over Wellington College Old Boys. Osborne’s six tries equals the most scored on Athletic Park by one man after Ron Jarden had scored six tries there for Wellington versus East Coast in 1953 in a Ranfurly Shield defence.

2010: Petone celebrates their 125th anniversary weekend with a stunning 28-21 win over long-time rivals Poneke. In a fairytale finish and with scores locked up, Petone captain and hooker Eugene Smith scores after 20 phases and first five-eighth Ben Aoina adds the fulltime conversion.

9 May

1969: Poneke defeats previously unbeaten Petone 9-0 in this round four clash, and also win the Fred Tilyard Memorial Shield off Petone who had won it for the first time the previous year. Poneke and University are now the two undefeated teams, defending champions University overcoming Taita 28-12 and young fullback Mick Williment scoring 19 points.

1987: Wellington fullback Evan Hopkin scores 19 points in the Axemen’s 27-6 win over University. Frontrunners Wellington have scored 24 tries in six games and Hopkin is the competition’s leading points scorer so far with 61

10 May

1969: Senior division newcomers Upper Hutt cause a major upset, beating in-form Wellington 12-3. Upper Hutt’s two heroes are fullback Alan Dudley and No. 8 David Allan. Upper Hutt’s first win of the season means Petone - who beat Onslow 20-15 - have a four-point (two-match) lead at the top of the table to a group of six teams in second place.

1997: Johnsonville springs one of the upsets of the season in routing Tawa 47-15. Johnsonville race to a 28-3 lead through tries to playmaker Sio Thomas (2) and fullback Damien Wards (2), while flanker Sene Ta’ala is the Man of the Match. This win is a catalyst for Johnsonville going on to win this year’s Swindale Shield.

11 May

1994: Underdogs MSP beat Petone 18-15 to win the Swindale Shield in tonight’s midweek final under lights at the Hutt Recreation Ground. MSP lead 15-3 at halftime and, led by flanker Gordon Simpson, hold on throughout the second half.

1996: Upper Hutt celebrates their Old Timers’ Day and captain Loni Katoa’s 145th and last match for the club with an 18-15 win over Petone. Katoa and wing Craig Foster score Upper Hutt’s first and second tries en route to a winning 18-6 halftime lead. Of note, Petone have Hurricanes players Tana Umaga and Tim Mannix arrive at the start of the match by helicopter and both come off the bench in the second half.

12 May

1984: MSP miss nine of 12 shots on goal, but still come away with an 18-15 win over Petone, while fullback John Gallagher scores 20 points for Ories in their 40-13 win over Titahi Bay to become the first player to reach 100 points this season, and wing Steve Haturini scores a hat trick in Wellington’s 41-12 demolition of Western Suburbs.

2012: HOBM left wing Leka Tupuola is the hero for the Eagles scoring two tries in the shadows of fulltime to give his side a 27-22 victory over previous joint leaders Upper Hutt. Tupuola finishes off a length of the field try to see HOBM draw level at 22-22. He scores again at the end to take the match away from Upper Hutt at the death. HOBM go on and win the Swindale Shield.

13 May

1989: Poneke go nine from nine with a 25-13 win over Petone for the F.J Tilyard Shield. Poneke trail Petone 14-13 at the break but come back to win the second half 21-0. Fullback John Jackson scores 13 points to take his season contribution to 106. Poneke’s next opponents are Wellington who have a solid win over Upper Hutt.

2006: Another week and another remarkable win for Hutt Old Boys Marist, on their Old Timers’ Day, maintaining their unbeaten record at the top of the table after 7 rounds with yet another amazing come-from-behind win, this time pipping Tawa with the last act of the game to win 22-20. HOBM win with a converted try to wing Dennis Unasa, after a 10-minute assault, converted from the sideline by fullback Mike Kingsbeer.

2017: Petone pulls clear late to beat Hutt Old Boys Marist 49-31 today in an entertaining McBain Shield match at the Hutt Rec, while Oriental-Rongotai holds off Marist St Pat’s 32-27 to pull 16 points clear of the ninth-placed team and become the first team to officially for this year’s Jubilee Cup. MSP first five-eighth Fa’atonu Fili played his 200th match for the club since his debut in 2001 (plus a season at Ories in 2013) at the Polo Ground.