More club rugby titles decided; wins for Scots College and Wellington Pride

Above: Thomas Umaga-Jensen dives over to score a vital try in his side’s 23-19 win today for Scots College over St Pat’s Town in the Hurricanes Region First XV final.

Four more Wellington club rugby titles were decided today, with the Tawa Titans, Poneke Ruffnuts, Petone Saxons and Upper Hutt Rams Pirates all winning their finals.

In a bruising U85kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield final, the Tawa Titans defeated the Poneke Cavs 8-3 at Kilbirnie Park. Poneke led 3-0 early, but Tawa came back to score the game’s only try and then added a penalty to seal victory. Beaten finalists last year, the Titans also won the first round U85kg Division 1 title earlier this season.

Across on Kilbirnie Park No. 2, the Poneke Ruffnuts completed an unbeaten season with a 36-14 win over the Johnsonville Cripples to take out the Reserve Grade championship. The Ruffnuts won the John Davies Cup.

At Delaney Park, the Petone Saxons prevailed 17-10 over Stokes Valley to win the First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup.

Elsewhere, the Upper Hutt Rams Pirates defeated the OBU Teddy Bears to claim the Reserve Grade Division 2 Alan Seerup Cup for 2015.

In the two Festival Series matches today, Wellington City beat Wellington Suburbs 35-0 and Wellington Maori beat Wellington Samoan 32-31

In some other games, there were wins for the Wellington Pride and Scots College and a defeat to the Wellington U19s extended squad.

Wellington Pride 34 – Manawatu 0

Hunger and cohesiveness in the forwards and penetration in the midfield paved the way for the Wellington Pride’s well-taken 34-0 win over the Manawatu Cyclones in their 2015 Women’s NPC opener at the Petone Recreation Ground.

The Pride out-scored the Cyclones five tries to nil, scoring three tries playing into a moderate wind in the first half and two in the second. They had the game won soon after the opening exchanges of the second half when hard running centre Georgia Daals made one of her several clean breaks of the match but came up just short of the line. From the next play, halfback Agnes Dean took a quick tap penalty and darted over to score. First five-eighth Lizzie Goulden added the extras, putting the Pride ahead 29-0.

A strong tight forwards effort and some dynamic loose forward play had seen the Pride get on top early. They put all sorts of pressure on both Manawatu’s scrum and lineout, while they harried and hustled the Cyclones at the breakdowns, where co-captain and No. 8 Jackie Patea and openside flanker Caroline Sio were both key figures.

In the midfield, co-captain and second five-eighth Amanda Rasch and centre Daals both proved a handful for the Cyclones. All three of their first half tries were run in from long-range.

After getting on the scoreboard early through a Goulden penalty, the Pride made a sweeping break up field, No. 8 Patea offloading a final transfer to debutant left wing Ayesha Leti-L’iga to put them ahead 8-0 after 15 minutes.

Daals cut through on a 65-metre run to score the try of the match and Goulden converted to extend the lead to 15-0. The OBU centre was almost in again moments later, but was tackled just short of the chalk.

The Pride continued to harry the Cyclones into mistakes and prop Noleen Nonu  was on hand to finish off another excellent team try that was started on the Pride’s own side of halfway.

After extending their lead to 29-0 early in the second half, the Cyclones came back with a strong period of possession and territory, but the Pride’s committed defence held them out.

Working their way back into Manawatu’s 22, openside flanker Sio crossed to wrap the game up with almost 20 minutes remaining.

Again, Manawatu exerted pressure, but the Pride kept their line intact and it was Wellington that finished the match off at the other end of the field searching for more points.

The Pride’s next match is away against Waikato next week.

In two other female matches today, Wellington Maori Women's beat Wellington Samoan Women's 30-14 and the Wellington Under 18 Girls beat Bay Of Plenty Under 18 Girls 31-7

Wellington Pride 34 (Ayesha Leti-L’iga, Georgia Daals, Noleen Nonu, Agnes Dean, Caroline Sio tries; Lizzie Goulden pen, 3 con) beat Manawatu 0. HT: 22-0.

Wellington U19s 33 - Tasman U19s 41

The Wellington U19s extended squad missed out in an U19 competition warm-up match to the Junior Tasman Makos at Landsdowne Park in Blenheim.

Despite the loss, the Wellington side took plenty out of the match as they continue their preparations for the National U19 tournament in Taupo in October. Next week they play the Hurricanes Barbarians U19s side in Palmerston North in their first seeding competition match, ahead of consecutive home matches in mid-September against Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu.

Both the Wellington and Tasman U19s scored five tries apiece, but the home team won on penalties. Wellington also lost first five-eighth Piri Parone to the sin-bin early, which put the Makos’ fins up early.

For Wellington, tries were scored by lock Vern Sosefo, flanker Peter Pili, midfielder Pepesana Patafilo, prop George Taeiloa and midfielder Bernard Nickel.

Captain Patafilo was a standout for Wellington, whilst halfback Kaide McCashin, lock Lui Luamanu and fullback Josh Robertson-Weepu were others to play well. Wellington were also missing two key players, Lester Maulolo (family bereavement) and lock Antony Petett (concussion stand down), whilst Malo Tuitama could be back in the fold as soon as next week.

In another representative match today, Wellington Centurions Under 21 lost to Wanganui B 14-58

Wellington U19s squad 33 (Vern Sosefo, Peter Pili, Pepesana Patafilo, George Taeiloa, Bernard Nickel tries; Josh Robertson-Weepu 4 con) lost to Tasman U19s 41. Halftime: Tasman 22-14.

Scots College 23 – St Pat’s Town 19

Scots College earned the rights to defend their National Top 4 title beating St Pat’s Town 23-19 in the Hurricanes Regional Final in front of a bumper crowd at Porirua Park this afternoon.

Scots College were forced to rally from a 3-16 deficit to earn the right to make the trip to Rotorua.

St Pat’s Town started strongly by scoring the first 10 points. No. 8 Hannon Brighouse stormed 25 metres off the back of a scrum and scored under the posts, converted by Zac Donaldson.

Malo Manuao  kicked a penalty to get Scots College on the board and make it 10-3, but this was answered by Donaldson who kicked a second penalty to make it 13-3.

The vital play was just before halftime when Scots College right wing Malo Manuao  sizzled 20 metres from a lineout move and scored a try. This closed the gap to 16-8 at halftime.

In the second half Scots College started the ball rolling when second five-eighth Thomas Umaga-Jensen scored in the corner, following a break by his brother and centre Peter. This closed the gap to 16-13.

Donaldson kicked another penalty to make it 19-13, before Malo Manuao  kicked another penalty to make it 19-16. Then the moment of the match came when Scots College lock Henry Mexted offloaded in a two-man tackle to link with Peter Umaga-Jensen and then with prop Alex Fidow who steamrolled the fullback and scored under the posts. This put Scots ahead 20-19.

St Pat’s Town rallied, Scots were penalised five times in a row and had Thomas Umaga-Jensen yellow carded. They knocked the ball on five metres out from the line and ultimately lost.

St Pat’s Town were also left to rue two missed tries, one in each half. No. 8 Brighouse chased up a Scots fumble and knocked on over the line, and then fullback Siosaia Paese made a 50-metre break and got his jersey scragged by his opposite Jack Gray, which resulted in him scoring a forward pass to centre Billy Proctor who was in the clear.

Scots College play Otago Boys' High School in their Top 4 semi-final, after Otago steamrolled St Bede's 4-10 today.

Feilding High School will be taking both their boys and girls 1st XV to the top 4. The girls beat Wellington’s Aotea College Girls 38-12, while the boys defeated Wellington’s Bishop Viard College 33-8 in the Hurricanes Co-Ed Final.

Scots College 23 (Malo Manuao, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Alex Fidow try, Malo Manuao  2 pen, con) beat St Pat’s Town 19 (Hannon Brighouse tries; Zac Donaldson 4 pen, con). HT: St Pat’s Town 16-8.