OBU, Norths, Ories and Wainuiomata unbeaten after three rounds

Updated: Defending first round champions Old Boys University, Northern United, Oriental-Rongotai and Wainuiomata are unbeaten, while Marist St Pat’s and Petone both flexed their muscles with big wins in today’s third round set of Wellington club rugby Swindale Shield matches.

Played in cloudy, breezy conditions, the OBU Goats, Norths and Ories each won their third successive bonus point wins to start the 2017 season.

At Nairnville Park, OBU accounted for Johnsonville 64-11, at Hataitai Park, Norths defeated the Wellington Axemen 35-17 and at the Polo Ground Ories ousted Tawa 32-24. The Axemen and defending champions Tawa both registered their third straight defeats.

Both MSP and Petone turned in clinical second half performances in pulling away from the Upper Hutt Rams and Avalon respectively. MSP turned a 9-0 halftime lead into a bonus point 35-7 win over the Rams and Petone were leading Avalon 10-8 but sailed home in the second spell to win 41-15.

At William Jones Park, Wainuiomata also earned their third straight win, beating Poneke 39-28, to leave the red and blacks and 2002 first round champions winless after three rounds.

In the round’s other clash, the Hutt Old Boys Eagles defeated winless Paremata-Plimmerton 37-17.

Ories came from 15-24 down to beat Tawa 32-24. In an exciting clash which saw both sides pick up a try-scoring bonus point, a late 80-metre try to Ories wing Malachai Unasa sealed the game for the Magpies.
 
Tawa's set piece was much improved, though some poor decision making, specifically towards the end of the game, was what cost them most with some ill-advised kicking and difficult offloads.

Halfback-turned-first five-eighth Adam Deck was the star of the show, scoring 17 points for Ories, including their go-ahead try in the second half.

Wainuiomata retained the Hakaraia Trophy with their win over Poneke. Wainuiomata, against the breeze took it to Poneke in the first half with their bigger forward pack. Flanker Cameron Ross and halfback Frae Wilson scored two tries.

Poneke hit back when their elusive first five-eighth Hilton Gibbons slipped through and provided a try to second five-eighth Ivan aisagote to cut the lead to 14-7. Wainuiomata scored the next two tries, No. 8 Ben Tupuola and fullback Jason Love making it 26-7 at halftime.

The game changed when Poneke lost two loosehead props to injury, meaning the scrums to being uncontested. Then Poneke scored a try, Levi Harmon crossing and Love foot tripping him in the in-goal, resulting in a yellow card and a penalty try. With Love off the field, Poneke took a 28-26 lead, with tries to impressive reserve hooker Andrew Jones and No.8 Jarrod Bryan.

With 20 minutes to go, Matt Jacobs kicked a penalty for Wainuiomata from 40 metres to make it 29-28 to the home side. Then Jalan Farris crashed over to make it 36-28 and then Jacobs kicked a 35-metre penalty on fulltime to seal the win.

It was tight early on for OBU against Johnsonville, Both sides traded tries and Johnsonville went briefly ahead with an added penalty. OBU’s Wellington Lions halfback Tomasi Palu scored to put OBU ahead 12-8, and later then 31-11 at halftime. The Goats then accelerated, with centre Regan Verney and flanker Will Mangos both scoring two tries each. In the second half, Dutch international prop Alex Barendregt scored two tries as part of the 10 tries to one winning margin.

Norths pulled clear in a tight, abrasive match against the Wellington Axemen, in part because of a red card handed out to lock Simon Shearer early in the second half.

Norths opened the scoring with a try to No. 8 Mike Ioapo, but the Axemen hit back with an intercept try to draw level. Norths kicked two penalties and went into halftime leading 13-7.

They turned around and extended their lead with a try to long-serving blindside flanker Parekura Lalaga, but the Axemen fought back once more with a try to right wing Tony Smith to close the gap to 18-14 and then a penalty which made it 18-17. Shearer was shown red and Norths were able to skip clear and hold to fulltime.

Swarming defence and a clinical forwards effort paved the way for MSP’s 25th straight Premier club rugby victory over the Upper Hutt Rams, the Red Mist, Issac O’Connor, and No. 8 Matt Peni both playing well and locks Ben Nansett and Sean Bridge both prominent in the engine room.

It was tight early, both outfits missing chances to score. The boot of MSP first five-eighth Fa’atonu Fili put MSP ahead 6-0 late in the first half, before the sin-binning of Rams right wing Joyner Key helped see MSP go ahead to 14-0 early in the second half with a third Fili penalty and scorching try up the left hand lane to wing Mike Buckley. MSP maintained the pressure and when fullback Andrew Wells made a break up towards the try line and big prop Ha’amia Ahio scored from the next ruck it was effectively game over.

MSP scored third try to replacement flanker and former Orie Lucky Tuiatua to go 28-0 up, before the Rams finally scored through halfback Hayden Schrijvers with about 10 minutes to play. But there was to be scorching comeback, MSP sealing victory with the final try to Tuiatua again.

Petone celebrated their Old Timers’ Day by regaining the Morgan Family Trophy and defending the Bill Brien Challenge Trophy against Avalon.

Avalon made much of the running through the first 25 minutes or so, but Petone were able to absorb pressure.. Lock Ta’amilo Va’a crossed for Petone’s first try to put them ahead, but Avalon came back with a try to centre Kenning Barribal after a bust by second five-eighth Ben Peni. Avalon flanker Tui Yandall was sin-binned and Petone led 10-8 at halftime.

Early in the second half, Samoa U20 wing Losi Filipo scored for Petone to make it 17-8 and the shackles were loosened. Hurricanes U20 centre Lester Maulolo crossed for a brace of second half tries, at which point the game was safely won for the home side.

Second five-eighth Izzy Foai scored two tries in HOBM’s five tries to two win over Paremata-Plimmerton. HOBM led 18-3 at halftime and were able to keep their foot on the pedal throughout the second 40 minutes to register their first win of the new season. For Paremata-Plimmerton, fullback Blake Neve scored a try and scored 12 points overall while flanker Shane Hedges scored their other try.

Harper Lock Shield

Hutt Old Boys Marist and Northern United are the two unbeaten teams after three rounds of the Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield, but in the case of the former only just.

The Eagles pipped Paremata-Plimmerton 27-26 in today’s Ngatitoa Domain curtain-raiser, with both sides scoring four tries.

Norths beat the Wellington Axemen 28-12, emulating their top team in winning all their games so far this season.

The OBU Goats smoked Johnsonville 75-7, while MSP beat the Upper Hutt Rams in a lively Evans Bay Park opener. MSP led 19-0 at halftime but the Rams came back to trail 14-19. Two runaway tries, including an intercept, in the final quarter gave MSP victory.

Wainuiomata’s second side was too strong for Poneke’s, winning 45-22, while Petone beat Avalon 36-3 and Tawa reversed the result of the match that was to follow by defeating Ories 37-10.

Les Mills Colts grade

The opening weekend of the Les Mills Colts grade saw Division 1 wins to MSP, Tawa, OBU green and the Upper Hutt Rams.

There were two contrasting matches on Kilbirnie Park, with MSP edging Poneke 17-12 in a tight tussle that saw a flurry of scoring early in the second half, and the OBU Green side put on a set-piece clinic in beating the Wellington Junior Axemen 55-7.

Elsewhere, the Upper Hutt Rams Colts edged Norths Blue 15-7 and Tawa beat Ories 39-7.
In Division 2 Colts matches, 2015 champions HOBM Green defeated Johnsonville 19-14, Paremata-Plimmerton beat Wainuiomata 36-9, Kapiti beat OBU Black 20-10 and Petone tore into the Avalon Wolves in winning 73-7.