Wainui Topple Johnsonville To Set Up Exciting Hardham Cup

Wainuiomata made a giant step towards regaining their premier status in 2007 when they toppled Johnsonville 13-11 in the notable second round result of the Hardham Cup. Wainuiomata fully deserved their victory in front of a sparse Helston Park crowd, dominating both territory and possession and leading throughout on the scoreboard.

The decisive moment of the game came towards the end of the first half when Wainuiomata first five-eighth Earl Va'a crossed for his side's one and only try, giving them a 13-5 lead, after lock Jarred Beyer had kicked two early penalties. Johnsonville then kicked a pair of second half penalties, but they weren't enough to overhaul the visitors, who now have two wins from two.

The other three Hardham Cup games went as expected, albeit in contrasting circumstances. In the two early games Oriental-Rongotai fought adverse conditions and a competitive Poneke side to win 10-0 at Kilbirnie Park and Western Suburbs edged out a fast finishing Northern United 24-21 at Porirua Park to both register their second wins. Meanwhile Upper Hutt recorded the biggest winning margin in premier rugby this season to date with a 75-0 demolition of Hutt Old Boys Marist at Maidstone Park.

Wests were nearly tripped up by Norths in their encounter, largely thanks to an exhilarating hat trick of tries to Norths replacement first five-eighth Vale Vale. Vale cut a swathe through the Wests defence on three separate jinking runs from close in. Previously Wests had scored converted tries through fullback Jack Stark and No. 8 Natano Tiatia, with first five-eighth Tony Manase adding a penalty to give Wests a 17-0 after 30 minutes.

A 50 metre breakout and a chip-and-chase from Norths created pressure, allowing them to hit back through Vale on halftime. Wests extended their lead to 24-7 early in the second stanza, with second five-eighth Richard Cooney strolling over to score untouched beside the uprights. But Norths struck with two further converted Vale tries to set up a potential upset, before being thwarted by time much to the relief of the Roosters.

Preservation of the playing field for the Jubilee Cup to follow meant a transfer to the number two ground at Kilbirnie Park for Poneke and Ories, the visitors from the Polo Ground, who came up with their second win in a messy two tries to nil result in their fixture.

With the ground more like a mud bath than a rugby field, attractive rugby was always going to be difficult, with constant stop-start play, handling errors and a lot of kicking the feature themes from the match. Ories held the key at set pieces with a slightly bigger pack and their Japanese first five-eighth Shindo Kamaike showing some nice touches. Ories led 5-0 at half time, with a try to their lock Mark Reddish coming from a strong lineout drive deep in Poneke's half.

Poneke started the second half with the stiff southerly behind them and held early field position but could not maintain momentum, again allowing errors to lead the way and Ories' scrum really taking its toll. With one-off running from Ories around the rucks and little kicks in behind the Poneke line, they slowly ground out the result with a try to prop Mui Liumaihetau late in the game to end up winners. Given the conditions neither team is likely to lose much sleep over this encounter.