Norths And Poneke Prevail In Contrasting Jubilee Playoffs

It will be a Northern United - Poneke Jubilee Cup final at Westpac Stadium next weekend, after both won their home ground semi-finals in wildly contrasting circumstances. Norths ran riot against Petone in their 54-17 victory, outscoring them nine tries to two and leading 29-3 after 30 minutes. However, Poneke were made to fight tooth and nail for their 15-13 win over Hutt Old Boys Marist.

Poneke first five-eighth Brad Cooper kicked his side to victory, with four first half penalties and one in the second half reflecting another dogged, hugely determined Poneke performance. For Norths, centre Daley Harper was the individual star with a first half hat trick, while hard running No. 8 Anare Koliavu chimed in with a second half brace in a Jerry Collins inspired thrashing.

Collins, who along with Petone's Ben Herring and Neemia Tialata, backing up from Friday night's win with the Vodafone Wellington Lions was a pivotal figure in much of Norths' attack, with Petone having no answer to their power and audacious ball running. The Porirua Park faithful were treated to some spectacular running rugby from Norths at their best. Norths - playing into the wind, were fast out of the blocks, scoring five tries in the opening half an hour before the Villagers pegged the procession back following the introduction of All Blacks prop Tialata with a try to elusive right wing Willie Moala. But it was Norths' day, with a further try after the halftime break to points scoring machine Peato Lafaele sealing their dazzling win.

Meanwhile, at Kilbirnie Park the run of play was considerably tighter and more befitting of knockout rugby, where hugely determined defence and a second half into-the-wind revival helped Poneke to hold off HOBM. Holding a slender 12-3 halftime lead, the Red and Blacks were able to defend several epic waves of HOBM attack in a compelling 20-minute period after halftime, before chancing their arm successfully with some hardnosed counterattack to turn the pressure back on the visitors.

After an eventful but tryless first half, where Cooper's four penalties were answered by a lone low-skidder dropped kick from HOBM first five-eighth Jonathan Bentley, it was all HOBM after halftime. The Eagles dominated territory and possession with the southerly behind them, using their well-organised lineout, bolstered by Vodafone Wellington Lions lock Jeremy Thrush, and an expansive gameplan to attack with vigour. Several times they had Poneke in trouble, with the cunning footwork of the diminutive Bentley and the strong running of centre Tui Raeli proving hard to contain.

But up against steely defence and a strong Poneke scrum all they could muster was a penalty to fullback Mike Kingsbeer, closing the deficit to 6-12, before a definitive momentum shift on the three quarter mark towards Poneke brought the home side back in control. Led by loosies Neil Meyer and Masefau Leuluniu, locks Conrad Pau'u and Rob Turuwhenua and left wing Evan Belford in particular, Poneke lifted their intensity at the breakdown and secured possession. Good continuity and committed support play set up a penalty opportunity, which Cooper punched between the uprights much to the delight of the Poneke end-zone posse for a 15-6 advantage.

But for all this good work Poneke then briefly let HOBM right back into the game, when Bentley charged down a sluggish Cooper clearing kick from his goal line and scored under the posts, bringing them to within two points and setting up an anxious finish. Once again though, the Red and Blacks dug deep and used all their experience to clinically close out the game inside HOBM territory. They came within a whisker of scoring a try with a series of drives in the corner near the end. But with the result already safe it needn't have mattered, and when referee Mike Best signalled fulltime HOBM were pinned in their own 22 and their gallant season was over.

Ultimately it was Poneke's experience under pressure, combined with their capacity to shift their tempo and focus that was the defining factor in this hard fought win, while for Hutt Old Boys Marist they will continue to soar high and be a real threat in 2007.