Big Guns Poneke, Minnows HOBM Remain Unbeaten

Jubilee Cup champions Poneke and unheralded Hutt Old Boys Marist emerged as the only unbeaten teams after three rounds of the Swindale Shield. HOBM knocked off Marist St. Pats and Poneke, thanks to their powerful forward pack, easily accounted for Upper Hutt to top the table with maximum points in a round otherwise leaving the field wide open in the scramble for early competition points.

HOBM?s conquering of MSP to retain the Rose and Crown Cup and win back the Father Cleary Shield was richly deserved and it was achieved without their marquee player, Piri Weepu, away on Hurricanes duty. Playing into a stiff Hutt Recreation Ground wind the home side had scored tries to blindside Polonga Pedro, and wings Michael Pehi and Jonathon Manu to lead 17-3 after 30 minutes. MSP hit back in the second spell and trailed by just four points at one stage, but in a show of their new found resilience HOBM held on before sealing a famous win with a Leone Tumua drop goal and a second try to Pehi on fulltime.

Meanwhile the Club Weekly travelled to the Basin Reserve, to see Old Boys-University host Avalon. OBU had scored 14 tries in dispatching Tawa and Johnsonville in the opening two rounds but were yet to be seriously tested up-front. Subsequently Avalon did just that. It took them 35 minutes, but Avalon?s tight five first wore down and then totally dominated their OBU counterparts. With the Waldrom brothers, Thomas and Scott, in the loose, and decisive backs led by first five Darren Kapene and centre Willie Collins, Avalon ran in six tries and won easily.

The first half was largely a stop-start affair though, as both sides continuously made mistakes and gave away silly penalties at the breakdowns. Avalon with the wind behind them enjoyed a huge territorial advantage and scored three tries. A tap penalty from halfback Mitchell Forbes saw second five Katoni Katoa crash over in the 15th minute, before two further tries to fullback Ian Breeban and openside Scott Waldrom gave them a 19-0 lead at the break.

Avalon?s forwards came into their own in the second spell. They kept it tight and worked cohesively. OBU couldn?t match their intensity and the holes opened. Thomas Waldrom put them further ahead with a try out-wide, and when Collins burst through to score under the bar in the 65th minute the game was as good as won. A consolation try to OBU wing Shannon Paku was answered in kind by Avalon captain Jason Goble, with a score of his own.

In other matches Petone came from behind to keep Western Suburbs winless, Northern United beat Johnsonville in an gruelling slugfest and Tawa comfortably beat struggling Oriental-Rongotai to see the Miramar team languishing with Johnsonville at the foot of the table.