Club rugby booming tries Part Three

Above: Buxton Popoalii streaks in for one of his two tries for Northern United against Petone in the 2008 Jubilee Cup semi-final. 

As part of the build-up to the start of the 2017 Premier club rugby season, we’re recapping some of the memorable tries in Wellington Premier club rugby over the past 15 years or so.

There’s been approximately 10,000 tries scored in this period, so these are just the tip of the iceberg and ones that stuck out or we reported from our vantage point on halfway or through our camera lens. Part three below 2007-2009.

Jubilee Cup Round 9 (final) 2007: Malakai Kisina for Hutt Old Boys Marist (18) v Marist St Pat’s (10)

For the most part the 2007 Jubilee Cup final at Westpac Stadium was trench warfare. Wellington’s two Marist clubs slugged it out for 55 minutes before the Eagles finally gained an edge. The score was 3-3 at halftime and 6-3 to HOBM well into the second half when their forwards started to wrestle control and their backs, directed by flyhalf Jonny Bentley, were given more ball. Wing Eroni Ekevati found space and openside flanker Jason Risdon was bundled into touch by Victor Vito. Then, with 20 minutes to play and the final on tenterhooks, replacement second five-eighth Malakai Kisina ran off a Bentley short ball and crashed over to make it 11-3 to score a defining try. Centre Mike Pehi scored a second try four minutes from fulltime and HOBM were celebrating.

Swindale Shield Round 8 2008: David Palu for Old Boys University (37) v Northern United (26)

Old Boys University fullback David Palu scored a gem of a try early in the second half in an entertaining top-of-the-table match at a sunny Basin Reserve. After conceding an intercept try to Palu’s opposite, Buxton Popoalii, after barely 30 seconds and another soon after OBU were on the back foot against the expressive Northern United side. OBU soon got back into the match and whatever was said at halftime did the trick. Lock Ian Kennedy won clean lineout ball and Palu sliced through on a damaging run to dot down. From there the match swung in OBU’s favour. Other tries were scored by David’s brother and halfback Tomasi and by replacement midfielder Paula Kinikinilau (2). Norths went on to finish second in the 2008 Swindale Shield and OBU fourth.

Swindale Shield Round 11 2008: Fa’atonu Fili for Marist St Pat’s (41) v Upper Hutt Rams (0)

Marist St Pat’s went into this last round match at home at Evans Bay Park needing a bonus point win to claim the Swindale Shield outright and win their 10th first round title. Upper Hutt threw everything at them early, but MSP responded by scoring four first half tries. The celebrations started just before halftime when first five-eighth Fa’atonu ran at Upper Hutt’s inside backs, showed a dummy and skipped through to score untouched under the poles. MSP went on to share the 2008 Jubilee Cup with Northern United.

Jubilee Cup Round 3 2008: Alby Mathewson for Upper Hutt (24) v Northern United (18)

Halfback Alby Mathewson had a blinder as Upper Hutt came back from 0-18 to pip Northern United away at Porirua Park. Mathewson’s bustling, energetic play caused all sorts of problems for Norths and it was fitting that the Player of the Match scored the winning try. With time running out, Mathewson took advantage of tired defenders by re-gathering his own stab kick in general play and sprinting clear. First five-eighth Ben Aoina converted and Upper Hutt celebrated taking a big scalp. This was Upper Hutt’s second win in three matches to start the 2008 championship round. But they tapered off and finished fifth. Norths finished third and made the final (see below).

Jubilee Cup Round 8 (semi-final) 2008: Buxton Popoalii for Northern United (18) v Petone (5)

Conditions were terrible on the day of the 2008 Jubilee Cup semi-finals. Not a day for the backs. It It But it didn’t deter Northern United fullback Buxton Popoalii. In his first year in Premier rugby out of Wellington College and two years after having major heart surgery, Popoalii was electric in his maiden club rugby season and he won the Ranfurly Shield with the Lions later in the year. He scored all 18 points for Norths in this semi-final, including two tries. His first try had the Petone Recreation Ground stand crowd in full voice. With the semi-final in the balance, Norths ran the ball from a scrum 60 metres out. Popalii received the ball near touch on halfway and cut back on his inside, sliced through a hole and streaked away to score unopposed.

Swindale Shield Round 5 2009: Fraser Middleton for Petone (38) v Poneke (14)

A torrid forwards battle was predicted when Petone and Poneke met in their annual first round match for the F.J. Tilyard Shield. It had certainly lived up to its billing when, midway through the second half, Poneke bombed a try that would have put them on even terms at 19-19. Instead, Petone regrouped and stormed home with three late tries. The second of these tries was a sublime strike, fullback Fraser Middleton finishing off a sweeping attacking movement involving multiple pairs of hands. With this win, Petone were unbeaten after five weeks and they went on to co-win the 2009 Swindale Shield with Norths – their last major Premier title.

Swindale Shield Round 9 2009: Alapati Leiua for Northern United (27) v Hutt Old Boys Marist (12)

Recently out of Porirua College, up and coming centre Alapati Leiua scored a brace of tries in this match to extend his then try scoring tally for Northern United to 21 in 19 games. His second try here had the 1,000-strong Porirua Park crowd dancing in the stand. There was much to admire about the Norths teams that won 11 combined Swindale Shield-Jubilee Cup titles between 2003-10 and their ability to soak oodles of pressure and then capitalise on the smallest of mistakes. Like the All Blacks only in a smaller scale. This try in this match typified that. Norths broke out from a maul on their own 22, second five-eighth Robbie Fruean fed centre Leiua with plenty still to do. The latter sidestepped his marker on the inside, accelerated past several HOBM defenders and fended off the last man before making a beeline for the chalk.

Jubilee Cup Round 7 2009: Marika Kau for Poneke (18) v Oriental-Rongotai (5)

Poneke beat Ories here at the Polo Ground to grab top spot for the following week’s semi-finals and they won the Andy Leslie Trophy for the first time. But it was anything but plain sailing for Poneke who met a fired up Ories with nothing to lose. Poneke led just 3-0 at halftime. The pressure vale was released somewhat soon after the turnaround, Poneke halfback Brad Faulkner scoring from a lineout. Then big right wing Marika Kau finished off an excellent team try to seal the hard fought victory. Centre James Pointon made a lovely outside break up into the 22, floated a pass out to fullback Ben Huntley on the sideline, who in turn passed back inside to Kau who raced in for the try. Poneke’s season ended the following week when they were beaten 30-10 by Norths in their Kilbirnie Park semi-final.