Tawa alone at the top Of Hardham Cup

Tawa claimed a place on its own at the top of the Hardham Cup after two rounds, beating Marist St Pat's B 32-15 at Lyndhurst Park. Wests is second on the table thanks to a 15-all draw with neighbours Johnsonville, while Avalon and Wainuiomata each scored wins to claim a share of third place.

Back at Lyndhurst, a rusty Tawa eventually ran out 32-15 bonus-point winners over MSP B after leading by just three with ten to play. Electing to play the first half into the wind and sun, and without the creative genius of the injured Willie Lafaele at centre, the home side struggled to assert their dominance. Several muffed lineouts also helped keep MSP in the game right up until the final minutes.

MSP's loosies ran hard all day, while for Tawa captain and number 8 Iona Fuatai once again shone. Tawa's tries came through fullback Aaron Harris, in-form winger Jon Masaga, centre Shaun Treeby and substitute Samuelu. Veteran Gene Johnston added 12 points with the boot to round out a healthy score-line. Marist stayed in touch through tries to lock Marcus Slade and centre Daniel Kauraka. Halfback Sean Hay kicked a conversion for the visitors, while second-five-eighth Andrew Wood scored a penalty.

A spirited Rimutaka hosted Wainuiomata at Maoribank Park, and for a long time held the visitors 0-0. But fifteen points before half-time meant that Wainui was well in control at the break. Rimutaka was first to score after the break, but two further tries to the Green and Blacks put the match beyond doubt, at 27-5 with ten to play. For the second week in a row, though, Rimutaka came back strong at the end, through a penalty and two tries, to claim a bonus point in their eventual 27-20 loss to the reigning Hardham Cup champions.

For their part, Wainui did well to claim a bonus point without regular halfback Corey Draper. But thanks to a brace of tries to fullback Jason Love, and with big wing Mike Williams and abrasive number eight Raakai Maxwell also crossing the line, they were able to get their Cup defence under way. Michael Lealava'a added seven points with the boot. Rimutaka's points came through tries to flanker Hone Pahi and hooker Johnny Mokotupu. A penalty try and five points from the boot of first-five Raymond MacDonald accounted for the rest.

At Porirua Park, a minor piece of history was etched, with Avalon scoring five tries to two over Norths B to notch their first win of the season. Leading 21-0 at half-time, the visitors were always likely to win, though an early second-half try to Norths number 8 Nathan Iro must have worried the Avalon faithful. Still, second-half tries to winger Lemafa Tuluauau and substitute Siu Katoa completed the good work begun in the first by Jonathan Tupuse, Aaron Hurley, and Isia Luaai. Hurley also added eight points with his kicking.

For pure rivalry and undisguised antipathy, though, the place to be was Helston Park, where an embattled Johnsonville welcomed near neighbour Wests. It was a cross-town derby that promised much by way of competition but delivered less in terms of high quality football.

Johnsonville opened the scoring and closed it, two tries early in the first half and one late in the second serving as bookends for the fifteen points Wests mustered in between times. This saw the game close at 15-all, a scoreline which felt like defeat to Wests, but triumph for the home side.

After kicking off into the sun and wind, Johnsonville camped in Wests territory for the first quarter hour, eventually receiving a kickable penalty on the right-hand touch by referee David Walsh. Wests looked to have escaped unscathed when fullback Azim Beganovich's hoisted kick held up in the air a long way right of the posts. But what should have been a simple take for lock Simon Shearer turned into a fumble in-goal. All it took was for industrious Johnsonville winger Dane Robertson to fall over, and the try was his. Beganovich's conversion attempt was better than his penalty, but still not over, and the home side led 5-0 with twelve minutes up.

From the kick-off, Wests looked better, piecing together some patterned play inside the J'ville half. Despite variable service from his forwards, halfback Jayden Scorringe fed good ball to his backs. But with the Wests backs looking to run and sending it right, a long pass on the J'ville 22 was meat and drink to Johnsonville halfback Denis Sim, who snaffled the ball and ran 60 metres across luminous turf to score. Determined chasing on the angle by winger Liam Townsend was not enough to prevent the try, and suddenly the fancied Wests were down 10-0 and looking sick. Beganovich missed once more with the conversion from the touchline.

The Roosters now asserted their dominance, winning most of the ball and playing the game in the Johnsonville half. With five to play before the break, Scott Mudgway put over a simple penalty, and then two minutes later, after some strong running by the ever eager Damian "Thunder" Winter, Mudgway was over in the right corner. His successful conversion from the right-hand touchline saw the scores tied at 10-all at half-time.

Turning into the wind didn't seem to faze Wests, who scored immediately after the restart through a try on the left to second-five Robert Rameka. Mudgway missed a difficult conversion, but it seemed as though the older brother Wests had weathered the frenzied efforts of the younger Johnsonville, and were heading for a predictable victory. The Johnsonville forwards seemed tired, and as if sensing this, the Roosters pack began taking play up the middle of the field for some concerted phase play.

But dominance did not become points, and with the score still just 15-10, Johnsonville was never out of the running. With fifteen to go, the home side began to feel its way once more into Wests territory. It was as if they remembered that the game could be played up that end of the field. They liked it up there. A bevy of penalties awarded by Walsh to J'ville meant first-five Anaru Atkins was able to peg Wests inside their own territory. When with five to play, Wests failed to clear from a mark, the smattering of spectators sensed an upset. J'ville winger James Faatuata took the ball up the right-hand touchline, before slipping it to flanker Mati Sulusi. Substitute Dallas Penetito was on hand to take the last pass and had the strength to force the ball in the tackle to tie the game up at 15-all. Beganovich missed a touchline conversion to leave the scores level and the spoils shared.

Poet Denis Glover once wrote of "what may yet be seen in Johnsonville or Geraldine." Perhaps he had Penetito's try in mind - it's hard to tell - but Johnsonville's hopes of a return to premier rugby in 2009 will most likely hinge upon their game with Avalon back at Helston in round 6.

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