Crowded Points Table As Upper Hutt Topple Ories

The Hardham Cup will go down to the wire next week following Upper Hutt's upset 17-11 win over previously unbeaten Oriental Rongotai in the penultimate round robin set of matches.

Upper Hutt edged out an undisciplined Ories, with two Ben Aoina dropped goals proving the difference, while their three promotion-relegation rivals, Avalon, Wainuiomata and Johnsonville all had bonus point wins as excepted over Premier Two opposition. These results presenting a congested points table with just one round remaining.

Just a solitary point separates these four sides as they chase the three semi-final spots on offer and a secure place in next year's Swindale Shield. Despite losing to Upper Hutt, only Ories can rest easy this week, still picking up a bonus point to qualify first and book a Polo Ground playoff with a round to spare.

At Kilbirnie Park, Avalon bounced back from their round five defeat to Johnsonville with a 60-11 shellacking of Poneke. Midfield back Finau Hopoi bagged a hat-trick, blindside Jurell Tekahu and winger Lemafa Tuluauau each grabbed doubles and veteran halfback John Bradbrook made his 100th appearance for Avalon in a comfortable ten tries to two win.

The margin of victory was just as comfortable for Wainui against Northern United at William Jones Park, the green and blacks also running in ten tries to two, to win 62-10. Wainui established a 21-5 halftime lead, before pulling clear in the second half with an easy victory.

Johnsonville were made to work harder against Marist St. Pat's at Helston Park, leading just 12-5 at halftime, but upped the ante in the second half with in-form captain and No. 8 Paul Wharekura leading the way with two of his side's five tries.

In the feature match of the round between Ories and Upper Hutt, the closeness of the contest was signaled with an early successful dropped goal from Upper Hutt first five-eighth Aoina.

Both sides struggled to put phases together in the reasonable conditions with loose handling and some wayward tactical kicking making for a frustrating spectacle. Few chances arose and the respective first-five's had the score-sheet to themselves at half-time with the score locked at 6-all.

Ories looked to step up the pace in the second half with some good midfield inter-play inside Hutt's 22. But Upper Hutt's calm back three - along with flanker-cum-first five Blair Cowan - was able to clear the danger to the Polo Ground sidelines.

Then a series of grubber kicks finally yielded a result and yet another touchdown for prolific tryscoring fullback Fa'avae Tuma'ai.Thrown the ball on the wing, he nudged it through the defensive line where Johnny Sola chased it down amid traffic and eventually fed it back to Tuma'ai to take a rare chance. Karl Harding missed the conversion and Ories led 11-6.

Soon after, hard-working right winger Jona Tuitoga was substituted for Ma'a Nonu who slotted in to second-five and shifted his brother Samson out to centre.

The move seemed to signal an approaching killer blow from the competition leaders, but instead Upper Hutt nailed Ories inside their own half - and thanks to some shoddy clearances, were able to apply pressure.

Ories' forwards could not match the determination of the Hutt pack, and consequently Daniel Leavasa saw yellow from referee Wayne Dickson after a series of cynical ruck infringements, the resulting penalty bringing Hutt to within three points of the lead, 9-11.

Starting from their own half again, Upper Hutt's halfback Daniel Beckett marshaled his loosies for a 30-metre blindside gain, and the following kick went out deep inside the Ories half.

The quick throw-in and clearance from Ories was caught infield by Anthony Davidson and run back well for a set-up which tied in much of the defense.

From there the ball was fed quickly via a deft flick in the midfield to Mathew Luamanu who drew and passed out to eventually find replacement winger Sam Williamson wide and unmarked to dot down for the clincher. A good team try was reward for some patient build-up from the maturing Hutt side.

From the kick-off that maturity was shown when Upper Hutt once again surged upfield through their forwards and Aoina made up for his missed conversion with a snap dropped goal from 30 metres out.

With Hutt up 17-11, Ories still had a chance with their full complement restored and 10 minutes to play, but as the teams returned to half-way for the restart referee Dickson told Ma'a Nonu to keep marching to the opposition goal-posts where he sat out the rest of the game.

The final nail in, Upper Hutt kept it tight for the final minutes and really showed the staying power of their forwards.

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