HOBM Continue To Soar High In Swindale Shield

Hutt Old Boys Marist kept their unbeaten run alive with a 29-15 win over Western Suburbs in round six of the Swindale Shield. The Eagles also grabbed a late four-try bonus point against Wests, extending their lead over Northern United at the top of the table to three points at the halfway mark of the competition.

Norths rebounded from their first loss to Poneke last week by overpowering Upper Hutt 21-15 at Porirua Park. Norths extended a 6-0 lead over Upper Hutt to 13-3 late in the first half with a converted try to centre Daley Harper. But Upper Hutt came back with tries to second five-eighth Ollie O’Leary and fullback Cory Jane to trail 16-15 and set up a tense finish. Harper then proved the hero for Norths, scoring his double for the match winner.

Poneke moved to third with a four tries to two, 34-10 win against Oriental-Rongotai in their Southern derby at the Polo Grounds. First five-eighth Brad Cooper continued his good form with 19 points. Also featuring on the scoreboard was Petone’s New Zealand Sevens fullback Tu Umaga-Marshall with 24 points, including two tries, in his side’s 49-22 romp over Johnsonville at Helston Park. Petone gallivanted away from Johnsonville after leading 20-17 in the second half.

In the round’s surprise result, Old Boys-University continued their improvement, drawing 27-27 with Tawa, in a stirring comeback. Tawa led throughout, and had opened up a 27-5 lead midway through the second half, before the students rocked them with three tries and almost won.

Elsewhere, Avalon lifted themselves from their mid table position with an important 29-25 bonus point win over Marist St. Pats, keeping them in touch with the leaders and leaving MSP seventh equal with Upper Hutt. The stage is set for a real dogfight for top eight spots from here on in, with only six points separating the bottom six sides.

There’s a growing list of quality halfbacks in Wellington club rugby, with several halfbacks key cogs in their respective sides. Nigel Hunt (Tawa) Lua Vaoloaloa (Norths), Alby Mathewson (Upper Hutt), Cam Incledon (Petone) and Nick Risdon (HOBM), are all influential players. Standing tall amongst them is Peter Sciascia, Avalon’s livewire number nine, who has made a strong start to 2006.

Sciascia and Hurricanes No. 8 Thomas Waldrom were the pivotal players for Avalon in their narrow win against Marist St. Pats in this week’s feature game at a pleasant Fraser Park. In a comparatively high scoring game between the two teams with the second and third best defences in the competition heading into this clash, Avalon outscored MSP four tries to three, with Waldrom and Sciascia both featuring strongly.

Waldrom was the game’s outstanding forward, with his strong ball carrying and sense of space increasingly prominent as the match opened up, while Sciascia’s sharp passing and eye for a gap was equally influential.

Avalon absorbed early pressure from MSP, before seizing the initiative with a flurry of scoring in a ten-minute spell just before and just after halftime.

Three tries in the 38^th, 43^rd and 48^th minutes proved decisive, forcing MSP to play catch up rugby for the rest of the match. In this period, Avalon went from 7-10 behind to 26-13 in front, and while MSP responded with two further tries, it was a match winning lead for Avalon.

MSP had been unable to capitalise in the opening 30 minutes, when they dominated field position and made all the running. But poor accuracy and tight Avalon defence ensured their lead was only a slender one.

MSP were stung early with Avalon scoring first against the run of play, when Waldrom linked with right wing Noel Woods and fullback Andrew Turner, on a 70-metre blindside run to the line. Turner dotted down under the posts, completing a breakaway try which was all started from a defensive scrum on his own 22.

MSP first five-eighth Fa’atonu Fili was successful with one of his three first quarter penalty attempts, before he produced a slick inside switch of play to hooker Ged Robinson, who ran through a gap and put lock Saina Mekaio away for their opening try.

Avalon then struck, with first five-eighth Mano Flutey scoring from a well-constructed scrum move between Waldrom and Sciasica, with the pair combining for Flutey, who was rumbled driven over for a converted try.

This was followed by Fili kicking his second penalty for MSP on halftime, and Avalon turned into the gentle breeze leading 14-13.

The Waldrom and Sciascia show resumed after the break off the base of another scrum close to the line, with Waldrom breaking open and attracting the defence then offloading to Sciasica, who made a strong dart to the line.

Avalon were soon stretching the MSP defence again. With good continuity they shifted their attack across both sides of the field and Flutey crossed for his second try. Taking over the kicking from Flutey, a regular Avalon phenomenon, Sciascia couldn’t convert, but Avalon now led by 13 points.

Needing to score next, MSP duly replied, with Mekaio crashing over for his second try from a well-constructed lineout drive. This narrowed the deficit to 26-20 with 25 minutes still remaining.

A frenetic battle ensued, with both sides creating several clear opportunities, but unable to break free. Sciasica was then presented with a penalty in the 68^th minute, which he landed for Avalon to take a 29-20 lead, with MSP now needing to score twice to win.

Once again MSP hit back in style with left wing Jope Naupo finding space up the right flank and offloading to right wing Julian Tupai to scorch through to score. The conversion from out wide just missed and the stage was set for a close finish, but Avalon were able to hold on till the end.