MSP, Tawa and HOBM make it two wins from two, as Poneke hold off OBU in an epic in the Cage

Above: Wellington’s Vaea Fifita snaffles the ball at lineout time from Johnsonville’s Kane Le’aupepe. Both players had busy games today, but it was Fifita’s Axemen that prevailed 17-12.

UPDATED: There’s still a lot of rugby to be played and several big head-to-head battles coming up over the next few weeks, but the Wellington Premier club rugby points table has a familiar look about it after the opening fortnight.

Defending first round Swindale Shield champions Marist St Pat’s, defending Jubilee Cup championship winners Hutt Old Boys Marist and 2013 powerhouses Tawa are the three clubs with two wins from two, after a tightly fought set of matches around the region today.

In stark contrast to the hot conditions of last week’s season opener, stroppy skies and slippery surfaces made for a close set of matches, with Tawa, Poneke and the Wellington Axemen all winning ding-dong battles and Marist St Pat’s coming from behind to lay on 20 unanswered point against Avalon to register their second successive bonus point victory.

Avalon led MSP 15-10 at halftime at their match played on the Evans Bay Park Articficial, but MSP sailed home with the wind at their backs to score two unanswered tries to left wing Emmanual Quintaine and hooker Valentine Meachen and win the Joe Aspell Cup.

Tawa also came from behind to withstand the challenge of Ories’ strong pack and win their match 23-18.

Ories scored first half tries to outside backs Aukuso Tuitama and Ben Tuiatua and led 15-6 at halftime, but Tawa came back with tries to blindside flanker Telea Seumanutafa, whose yellow boots dazzled at Trentham last week, and in-form No. 8 TJ Fermanis.

After leaving it late to beat the Wellington Axemen last week, Hutt Old Boys Marist were super-fast out of the blocks against Northern United today, the Eagles racing to a 20-0 lead after half an hour en route to winning the match 25-7.

For the second week in a row, HOBM left wing Fereti Soloa was right in the game, scoring two tries. Whole-hearted loosehead prop Simon Malaeulu scored their other try as they effectively shut out Noths in the second half.

The Upper Hutt Rams were the day’s biggest winners, beating Petone 40-18 in a thorough all-round display at home at Maidstone Park, retaining the Bill Brien Challenge Cup and winning the Tom Connolly Cup off the Villagers.

The Rams opened up a 20-3 lead midway through the first half when halfback Hayden Schrijvers and Wellington U19 loose forward Sam Wasley both scored tries. Petone came back with a try to blindside flanker James Bowen after a cheeky lineout win and 20 metre run to the corner.

Three yellow cards were doled out to members of both teams in an unfortunate incident, as Petone came back. But the Rams pulled clear and second five-eighth Joyner Key scored a long-range try to seal victory. Rams fullback Jordan Simpson-Hefft kicked 20 points.

Poneke and Old Boys University fought out a tough battle in the cage, with five penalties to Poneke’s second five-eighth Greg Mullany enough to hold out the Goats and win their Beet Algar Cup fixture 15-8. An extended report of this match can be read below.

There was little joy for Johnsonville on their Old Timers’ Day at Helston Park, with both their teams missing out in close contests to the visiting Wellington Axemen. The Wellington Axemen scored a late try to give them a 14-6 win in the early Premier Reserve game, while the Axemen’s top side also hit back with about 10 minutes to play to beat Johnsonville 17-12 in their Swindale Shield and Mick Kenny Memorial Cup fixture.

The Hawks thought they may have had the winning score when hard working tighthead prop Ha’amea Ahio crashed over a sustained period of pressure in front of their clubrooms supporters. The conversion to Chance Doyle put the Hawks ahead 12-10 with the wind and now misty rain in their faces.

But the Axemen hit right back when lock Vaea Fifita broke from a lineout and almost set up a try in the right hand corner to wing Paddy Hughes. They swung play back the other way and No. 8 Sam Gard’ner scored the match winner.

Fifita had scored the first try of the match when he crashed through the defensive line from a ruck and exchanged passes with flanker Terry Soli to put Wellington ahead 10-0 after 20 minutes.

Johnsonville, back-pedalling at scrum time and rarely in the match, got themselves involved when Samoan halfback Jack Taulapapa kicked ahead, re-gathered and sent wing Mohi Aupouri across the line.

Johnsonville finished the first half on top of Wellington’s try line, but the score remained 10-5 to Wellington at the beak.

Much of the second half was absorbing rather than exciting, as both teams worked hard for ascendancy.

After a strong period on attack and a series of penalties in the corner, Ahio scored. But the Axemen re-gained the lead barely a minute later and they buried the heartbreak of their one-point defeat to HOBM last week.

Wainuiomata won their opening match of the season at home at Mary Crowther Park, beating Paremata-Plimmerton 44-5 to celebrate fullback Tau Mamea's 100th Premier match for the club.

Wing Tyler Tane scored a hat-trick of tries, as Wainuiomata skipped to a 24-0 lead at halftime and pulled clear in the second half at Mary Crowther Park.?

Harper Lock Shield

Tawa and Marist St Pat’s are the two sides with maximum points after today’s second round of Premier Reserve matches, both winning well at home.

Tawa defeated Ories 30-10 and Marist St Pat’s beate Avalon 52-8.

Petone, Wellington, Wainuiomata and Poneke have also all won their first two Harper Lock Shield matches. Petone beating the Upper Hutt Rams 22-6, Wellington pulling away from Johnsonville to win 14-6, Wainuiomata defeating Paremata-Plimmerton 21-3 and Poneke ousting OBU in another close battle.

Norths beat HOBM 31-23 in the other fixture, registering their opening win of the season in this grade.

Mullany haunts former club as Poneke defeat OBU
Swindale Shield match report by Jack Callender

In tough conditions at Ian Galloway Park, Poneke secured their first win of the season on the back of ferocious defence with a hard earned 15 points to 8 victory.

The visitors made a slow start and paid the price for repeated infringing. Goats halfback Luke Campbell kicked a penalty early on and scored the sole try of the game in the first half.

His try was caused by a poor Poneke scrum which were shunted past their own tryline. Campbell dummied and made a sniping run to score, reminiscent of Chiefs halfback Augustine Pulu. With his team up 8 – 0 OBU couldn’t afford to let Poneke back into it.

But after a few OBU mistakes and poor discipline, Poneke crept back in. Former OBU player Greg Mullany who played at second five for Poneke stepped up with gusto. He kicked 2 penalties in the closing stages of the first half to bring his team within a sniff of taking the lead.

The first 15 minutes of the second half were mistake ridden. OBU had a big chance to score, but a forward pass was called. The Poneke defence really came into their own, with loose forwards Greg Foe and Christian Perese making some thumping tackles.

Foe made a telling run towards the OBU tryline but the ball was lost forward.

Poneke set up camp in the OBU half with 15 minutes to go. Unfortunately for OBU

Luke Campbell knocked the ball on leading to a Poneke scrum and from there, Mullany made up for his early second half miss with 2 successful penalties, taking his team to 15 – 8.

OBU began to fire up with 10 minutes to play. Wave after wave of attacking pressure saw Poneke receive 2 yellow cards for poor discipline, repeatedly being offside.

A wide pass to centre James Waddell almost saw him dot down in the corner to have a chance at drawing the contest but, like many other tryscoring chances from the Goats, it was a loose pass into touch.

OBU dominated possession and territory throughout the contest and despite a backpedalling Poneke scrum they came up short. The Poneke defence was outstanding and despite losing 2 men to the bin, including Greg Mullany, they held firm and deservedly got home to secure the Beet Algar Rosebowl. Last year OBU won 24 – 21 in this fixture at Kilbirnie Park, so it was sweet revenge indeed.