Wellington club rugby season review Part 3

Above: Hutt Old Boys Marist's new mascot Smeagle the Eagle makes his way past Wainuiomata's supporters during the Jubilee Cup final

Part 3 of 3 below below of our 2014 Wellington club rugby review, including the Upper Hutt Rams, Oriental-Rongotai, Marist St Pat's, Wainuiomata and Hutt Old Boys Marist.

Upper Hutt Rams

Record: Swindale Shield 4^th W7 L4 / Jubilee Cup 5^th W3 L4

What happened: The newly-constituted Rams had a largely successful debut season following the merger of Upper Hutt and Rimutaka over the summer. The merger did have an unfortunate start, with the death of former Rimutaka flanker Ritchie Vanderlinden in a car accident prior to the start of the season.

The Rams made a resounding start, dispatching OBU 22-8 on opening day. A loss to MSP followed, but wins were rattled off against Wainuiomata, Oriental-Rongotai (coming back from 6-22 down at halftime) and Wellington. Then came their trip to the Hutt Rec for HOBM's first home of the year; the Rams led 40-17 after 69 minutes, yet coughed up three tries in the next 10 minutes before conceding a penalty in front to lose 40-41. The effects of that seemed to linger, going down to Tawa and Petone before righting the ship and finishing off with wins over Poneke, Johnsonville and a Norths side desperate for a win of their own to grab a Jubilee Cup place.

Back in the main event after both predecessor clubs played in the Hardham Cup last year, losses in the opening three games to Wainuiomata, MSP and HOBM left them trailing the field, with history also against their chances of qualifying. A win over OBU at the Basin Reserve revived hopes and saw them claim the Bill Brien Challenge Cup, before going down to Ories in a match where the score blew out late after the Rams were reduced by yellow cards to 13 men. That result meant that they needed help elsewhere and while they secured the bonus point win over Tawa, those results weren't forthcoming and their season came to an end. The Bill Brien Challenge Cup will reside at Maidstone Park for the summer.

Who stood out: Jordan Simpson-Heft delivered several good performances from fullback and was a constant counter-attacking threat. The loose forward group of openside Josh Hunt, blindside Murphy Taramai and, until his midseason departure, No8 Mathew Luamanu were amongst the very best in the competition and combative at every breakdown. Halfback Hayden Schrijvers made the transition from openside and was an elusive open field runner, with hard-nosed hooker and captain Anaru Rangi a tireless worker. After two injury-riddled seasons lock Christian Lloyd returned late in the season with eye-catching performances, while after another polished season veteran Ben Aoina announced his retirement after more than 170 games in Upper Hutt colours.

The rest of the club: The Senior 1 side (inheriting Rimutaka's place) flirted with contention for a Hardham Cup place before a final round loss to Norths consigned them to an eighth-place Harper Lock finish. In the second round they again started well, winning three of the first four matches, however lost four of their last five, including a last round default to Tawa, to finish 12 points out of the playoff spots. The Senior 2 side struggled for numbers all year, going winless on the field. The Under 85kg side recorded fifth and sixth placed finished in the two rounds of their grade, winning seven and drawing two of their 17 matches.

The club fielded two Colts sides, both of which played in the lower divisions. The ‘A' squad bowed out in the Division 2 semi-finals to eventual winners Poneke, while the ‘B' side made the Division 3 final where they claimed the new clubs first title, the Eric Connolly Cup.

Oriental-Rongotai

Record: Swindale Shield - 6^th W6 L4 D1 / Jubilee Cup - Semi-finalists W3 L4

What happened: Few people question the talent that Ories have available, nor their contribution as a club to the higher levels of the game, but locally there was a feeling that a couple of outings aside, the side that had been to the previous three Jubilee Cup finals never really hit their straps.

They opened the Swindale with a lacklustre 13-all draw with Wainuiomata, before dealing a lesson in Premier rugby to Wellington. After beating OBU they coughed up a half-time lead to lose to the Upper Hutt Rams on Good Friday before surprisingly falling at home to Johnsonville on Easter Monday. Alternating wins and losses the rest of the way, they went into their final match against Poneke needing to win to assure passage to the Jubilee Cup, and did so by 31-10.

Benefitting from the availability of several professional players owing to the June international window, they dished out a 45-15 hiding to Tawa to open the Jubilee Cup. That was followed by a four game slide; dropping matches to OBU, MSP, Wainuiomata and HOBM. Two bonus point wins over the Rams and then Petone proved sufficient to see them through to the semi-finals and a repeat of last year's matchup with HOBM. There wasn't to be another extra-time thriller however as HOBM blasted out a 31-0 lead en route to winning 43-26.

Who stood out: It's probably no coincidence that Ories' best performances of the year came when Ardie Savea took the field, where he was simply riotous at this level and his absence from the semi-final owing to a shoulder injury that has likely ended his season following surgery was a severe dent to their hopes.

Of those who played most of the season James Proctor returned to the club and delivered consistent performances in the #10 jersey, Andrew Ellis scored nine tries in 14 games on the wing while Paulo Aukuso notched up his 150^th game for the Magpies in the semi-final after another season of bustling midfield performances before he embarks on a contract in France. Upfront loose forward Pau Halafihi had another fine season while Wellington Academy lock Liam Hallam-Eames impressed in his first season out of Palmerston North BHS. Captain Whetu Henry was a rock at tighthead.

The rest of the club: Ories had relatively few teams compared to its neighbours. The Senior 1 side trailed home 10^th in the Harper Lock Shield and only won its last two games in the Ed Chaney Cup to avoid the wooden spoon in that competition. The Colts side competed in division 1, finishing fifth in the first round and sixth in the second and avoided the late-season defaults that have plagued their participation in recent years. The club's only winners of silverware was the Women's side, who did the double in winning both the first-round Fleurs Trophy and second-round Victoria Tavern Trophy, beating Norths 32-24 in the final.

Marist St Pat's

Record: Swindale Shield - Winners W8 L2 D1 / Jubilee Cup - Semi-finalists W4 L3 / Hardham Cup - 8^th W1 L6

What happened: MSP lifted the Swindale Shield after a pulsating last-round winner-takes-all clash against Tawa, prevailing 28-21 after playing the last 20 minutes with 14 men. Before that they had enjoyed a fast start with 4 wins and a draw in their opening five matches as they looked to keep pace with the-then rampant Lyndhurst side. They had a blip when they lost at the death to OBU, though wins over Petone and Johnsonville followed; but it initially looked like their loss to Ories ended their bid. However Tawa also lost that day and wins for each side in the penultimate week set up the showdown.

The exertions of that game perhaps had an effect in the opening game of the Jubilee Cup, where they produced a disjointed performance in losing to Petone. The return to Evans Bay the next week - after playing their home Swindale matches at Kilbirnie and Hataitai Parks owing to refurbishment - saw them trounce the Upper Hutt Rams and then edge Ories the following week. Losses away to HOBM and Tawa left them with work to do but home wins over Wainuiomata and OBU saw them through, but their challenge ended in the semi-finals when beaten 26-13 by Wainuiomata at William Jones Park.

Who stood out: It's hard to go past Isaac O'Connor and Isiah Petelo as the standout players. Openside O'Connor finished up third in the Best & Fairest, was industrious around the park and combative at the breakdown before a broken hand prematurely ended his season, while midfielder Petelo won plenty of admirers with his hard-running play. Fa'atonu Fili slipped back into the side like he'd never been away, Ryan Setefano and Andrew Wells were constant attacking threats and Hurricanes squad player Cardiff Vaega was more than a handful at this level. In the pack Valentine Meacham toiled hard as both a loose forward and at hooker, while the return of NZ U20s rep Matt Peni was a welcome boost at the end of the season. Peter Sciascia led the side in every game from halfback.

The rest of the club: The Senior 1 were strong contenders for the Harper Lock Shield before finishing third. In the Hardham Cup they struggled, suffering a string of heavy losses with only a solitary win over Paremata-Plimmerton as consolation. The Senior 2 side finished 8^th and 7^th in their two competitions. The Colts played in Division 1 in both rounds and although they only won 1 of their 14 games they did come closer than anyone to ending OBU Green's long winning streak in their final game. The Women again combined forces with Poneke and although the competition minnows introduced more players to the game. The club's most successful side - the Under 85kg Blues - again went undefeated en route to another JC Bowl/Paul Potiki Shield double, eking out a 6-3 win over Tawa in the final, while the Red and Green sides performed credibly with the Reds finishing as runners-up in division 2.

Wainuiomata

Record: Swindale Shield 8^th W6 L3 D2 / Jubilee Cup Runners-up W4 L2 D1

What happened: A case of so near but yet so far for Wainuiomata, who contested the first Jubilee Cup final in the clubs 68-year history but ultimately found the title to be just a step too far.

After three rounds of the Swindale Shield Wainui sat bottom, an opening day draw with Ories followed by a loss to Tawa and then to the Upper Hutt Rams at home. A rollicking 30-all draw with MSP under lights at Porirua Park saw them move off the foot of the ladder, before they ran off a streak of six straight wins over Petone, Wellington, Poneke, Norths, Johnsonville and HOBM. With passage assured to the Jubilee Cup they rested players for the match against OBU - switched to the Basin so OBU could pay tribute to the passing of Richard Newsome - where the winning streak came to an end.

It didn't halt the momentum though. The Jubilee Cup started with a win over the Rams, followed by a draw with Tawa and successes over OBU and Ories - all improvements over the first round meetings. There were two blips that followed, coughing up a late lead to lose to Petone and then a close one to MSP the following week. A one-point win over HOBM in the last round meant that they would finished second, and host a semi-final for the first time in the clubs history. MSP were vanquished 26-13 that day, setting up their third tilt of the year with HOBM for the main prize. Despite leading 8-0 at the break it wasn't to be however, as HOBM made better use of the wind to eventually prevail 14-11.

Who stood out: No.8 Ben Tupuola made the most of his imposing 130kg+ frame as a destructive ball-runner. Named in the Best & Fairest points nine times and gathering the 3 points on five occasions (four of them consecutively) he deservedly took home the Billy Wallace award for the season. Shahn Eru was outstanding at both lock and blindside with his aerial ability and mobility and his move to a contract in Italy while deserved will be a loss to the local scene. Greg Leolofi returned to the club from Counties-Manukau and showed he remained a force at the breakdown, John Monu was a steady assured hand at first-five and Josh Robertson-Weepu enjoyed a solid first-year out of school, becoming the first choice fullback by years end. Justin Va'a combined coaching duties with being an immovable object at tighthead.

Henry Stowers and propping twins Andrew and Anthony Mamea were all selected for the Manu Samoa U20 side, with Stowers appointed as the side's captain. In first year coach Justin Wilson, they also have someone whose stocks are also on the rise in those ranks.

The rest of the club: The Senior 1 side had a difficult Harper Lock campaign, with their solitary success coming over Wests. They fared somewhat better in the Ed Chaney round, notching wins over the three sides that finished below them in Norths, Ories, and Wests again. The club elected to withdraw from the Senior 2 competition, focusing playing resources on their top teams. The Colts began the season in Division 3 of the grade, winning the first round title, before then winning 9 of 10 matches in division 2 and their semi-final before going down to Poneke in the final. The Under 85kg side weren't the force of past years, going winless in the first round and winning three from eight in the second. The Women's side finished fourth in the first round Fleurs Trophy, then third in the Victoria Tavern Trophy where they beat Norths in the round-robin, then held eventual champions Oriental-Rongotai to a 16-8 scoreline in their semi-final and establishing that they are challengers to the top two.

Hutt Old Boys Marist

Record: Swindale Shield - 7^th W6 L5 / Jubilee Cup - Champions W6 L1

What happened: Few teams would have had more contrasting beginnings and ends to seasons than the 2014 Eagles. Smashed 14-50 on Opening Day by defending champions Tawa; it was a different story after beating Wainuiomata 14-11 to claim the Jubilee Cup.

The team seemed to struggle through most of the Swindale Shield, perhaps not helped by the unavailability of the Hutt Rec early on which saw them play each of their first five games away. During that time they lost both the McBain and Father Cleary Shield matches to Petone and MSP respectively and only won their first match at home over the Upper Hutt Rams 41-40 after a ludicrous comeback, scoring 24 points in the last 12 minutes. A last-minute win over Norths followed a few weeks later, but their place in the Jubilee Cup wasn't confirmed until they beat Wellington 60-14 in the last game of the round.??

The Jubilee Cup round was another picture however. Close wins over OBU, Petone, the Rams and Tawa were interspersed with wider margins over MSP and Ories, and the Andy Leslie Trophy and top spot in the finals series was secured with a week to spare.

They did lose the last game, to Wainuiomata 11-12, but the next weekend were simply rampant in the first-half against Oriental-Rongotai, leading 31-0 at the break before prevailing 43-26. In the Cup final they trailed Wainuiomata 8-0 at the same point, but with the breeze behind them the played the field position game with a try to Chase Tiatia and three penalties to Sheridan Rangihuna seeing them home.

Who stood out: After starts at 10, 12 & 15 Chase Tiatia eventually found a home on the left wing where he proved a revelation in his first year out of school, topping the try-scoring charts in both the Swindale (9) and Jubilee (8) Cups. His all-action style and natural skills saw him pop-up all over the park and deservedly was runner-up in the best and fairest. Parataiso Silafai-Leaanna and Opetera Peleseuma forged a solid midfield combination following the loss of centurion and captain Alexis Time for the season to injury, while Glen Walters was solid and dependable at 10. Up front they were less settled but James O'Reilly stood-out when not on national U20's duty, as did Dylan Hayes between injuries and his departure to France. Flanker Jason Risdon, who took over the captaincy, and lock Steven Bradshaw were in fine form at the end of the season with the latter announcing his retirement after claiming the Jim Brown Medal in the Jubilee Cup Final.

The rest of the club: The Senior 1 side challenged for a place in the Hardham Cup before finishing mid-table in the Harper Lock Shield. They then finished fourth in the Ed Chaney round-robin before falling to Petone in the semi-finals. The Senior 2 side also contended for promotion, before going undefeated en route to winning the HD Morgan Cup only a year after being Senior 3 runners-up. The Colts were slow starters, winning only two games in the first round before taking six from seven in the second round and then beating Norths in the semi-final, before falling in the final to the OBU Green side for the second successive year. The Under 85s played the season in division 2, finishing the first-round in third before topping the table after the round robin. However they lost their semi-final Wellington to exit the competition.