Eagles setting the pace, while Poneke win well after disruptive week

The Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles continued their fast start to the Wellington club rugby season this afternoon, earning their fourth straight bonus point win in beating the Wellington Axemen 69-15 at Hataitiai Park.

The Eagles have scored 206 points so far, almost 50 more than the joint second placed Petone who defeated Tawa 36-9 today and whom they meet next weekend in the famous McBain Shield.

With HOBM on maximum points, Petone, Marist St Pat’s and defending champions Old Boys University are all tied for second on 16 points, after today’s round that was played in cool, blustery conditions following a midday southerly change.

All three of these sides had convincing home wins. Petone pulled away from Tawa , Marist St Pat’s beat Paremata-Plimmerton 39-5 and Old Boys University held off a fast-finishing Upper Hutt Rams 52-31 in their first defence of the Bill Brien Challenge Cup of the year.

Poneke overcame a week of disruption to topple Norths 40-35 in a high-octane game for the Cyril Collett Shield at Kilbirnie Park.

Oriental-Rongotai left it until the shadows of fulltime to overtake Avalon and win 26-19 at the Polo Ground.

Wainuiomata defeated Johnsonville 32-21 in the day’s other Swindale Shield match.

At the foot of the table, the Rams and Johnsonville are the two sides yet to register wins so far this season.

The fourth round of the Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield saw Northern United and Marist St Pat’s remain as the two unbeaten teams.

Norths beat Poneke’s second XV 34-7 in a top-of-the-table clash. Norths carried off from where they left off last week and led 20-0 at halftime.

Directly across the road at Evans Bay Park, Paremata-Plimmerton rocked Marist St Pat’s early in their 1pm fixture, but MSP came back to lead 21-7 at halftime and went on to win 41-12.

There was late drama in the Polo Ground curtain-raiser. Ories led Avalon 15-0 at halftime. Avalon hit back with a try to the halfback under the bar immediately after the break. There was no further scoring for the next 35 minutes until a sin-binning of their own player spurred Avalon into life and they scored another try to close the gap to 14-15. With time ticking, they broke up field and a subsequent penalty put them in front 17-15 as the fulltime whistle went.

The Old Boys University second XV had the day’s biggest win of any team, defeating the Upper Hutt Rams 85-5, HOBM got their first win of the season with a 28-10 victory over Wellington, Petone edged Tawa 22-19 and Wainuiomata beat Johnsonville 33-26 in the other Harper Lock Shield fourth round game today.

The first round of the Thompson Memorial Cup was seemingly put in disarray with three teams defaulting and just two matches going ahead. In the two matches that were played, HOBM beat Stokes Valley B 37-31 and OBU defeated Tawa 54-5.

In U85kg first round knockout games, HOBM beat MSP Green 31-17, Eastbourne beat MSP Re 38-19, Avalon blanked the OBU Bunnies 39-0, the Tawa Titans beat the Wests Roosters 19-7 and the defending champions the Wellington Light Axemen beat Wainuiomata 73-27.

Some Swindale Shield commentary below:

With their former coach Mason Lawrence looking on and as a spectator, Poneke started in fiery and precise fashion over Norths, using the breeze at their backs to leap to a 14-0 lead. 

Norths enjoyed the ascendency at scrum time and a botched clearance invited Norths back into the game. 
Poneke regained control and two spectacular tries in two minutes made it 28-14 at halftime. 

Norths was first to strike in the second-half, but when Poneke surged ahead 40-21 the contest looked over. 

However, Norths enjoyed a resurgence and clawed the deficit back to five. 

The game ended when Norths knocks the ball on 20 metres out from the Poneke line while frantically attacking.

For Poneke first-five Pakai Turia played with flair and authority. He scored a try and nailed five conversions from six attempts. No.8 Greg Foe led by example, lock Cole Stewart was feverish, wing Nick Roberston was lively and halfback Toshi Takahasai grew in stature.

For Norths Perry Hayman was a menace and scored two tries. Front rowers Mike Ioapo and Johnwhite Silva were a hive of activity and captain Parekura Lalaga produced some quality moments.

Over the road, Marist St Pat’s were workmanlike in beating Paremata-Plimmerton to take their third win straight win. No. 8 Jake Goodger (2) and openside flanker Jay Hawkins scored three tries between them. Wing Marcus Issac scored the visitors’ sole try of the contest. First five-eighths James Proctor (MSP) and Dre Melvin (Pare-Plim and on debut) both played well.

The HOBM Eagles were rampant against the Wellington Axemen, winning this one at Hataitai 11 tries to three. Centre Francis Tunuvasa and replacement prop Simon Maleulu (for the second consecutive week) both scored two tries. Cousins Lise Soloa and wing Fereti Soloa also had strong games.

The Axemen were well beaten but lock Alex Dalzell had an individual blinder and he was the Player of the Match.

Petone halfback Logan Henry kicked well scored a try and have his backs good service in the Villagers’ 36-9 win over Tawa. Petone led 12-6 at halftime but sailed to victory in the second spell with a flurry of scoring. For Tawa, new captain James Coburn rallied his troops but their only scoring was three penalties to flyhalf James So’oialo.

At the Polo Ground, visitors the Avalon Wolves were left counting themselves unlucky not to take victory over Ories.

Avalon were up 20-19 with under five minutes remaining, with both teams engaged in a to-and-fro territory tussle. Avalon first five-eighth Jordan Aquila was then sinbinned for a reactionary head high tackle and was sinbinned.

Starting from an attacking lineout in the 22, Ories launched an assault but were initially kept at bay. But from a subsequent scrum on the far side, No. 8 Luca Rees powered over to score his second try and the match-winner, which was converted from out wide by pivot Alex Ropeti.

A bruising first half had seen Avalon ahead 3-0, before Ories scored the game’s first try on the stroke of halftime after 90 seconds of open play inside Avalon’s 22.

The Wolves looked dangerous up the middle, with No. 8 Daniel Sione-Leota and second five-eighth Ben Peni both particularly industrious with ball in hand. The Wolves shot to the lead early in the second half following a lineout centre field and a burst in midfield by Sione-Leota who offloaded to right wing Liddy Ah Wong in the clear. They soon scored in the far corner to put them ahead 10-5.

Ories went back in front when prop Mounga Aukafolau crashed over under the sticks, but Avalon’s response was two score twice in five minutes, first to Ben Peni and second to left wing Chris Aumua. They led 20-12 and had their tails up.

However, Ories scored got back down inside Avalon’s 22 and once more scored straightaway, this time through Rees who ran clean through Avalon’s defence to score of a lineout 15 metres out. This made it 20-19 and it remained close until Aquila’s sin-binning and Rees’ double snatched the win for the O-Tide.

In suburban Nairnville Park, the OBU Goats beat the Upper Hutt Rams comfortably in the end, but only after a Rams comeback that had many of their supporters worried for a while. The Goats were up 35-7 at halftime, but then it was 40-31 going into the last 10 minutes. OBU got good value off their bench and scored late tries to seal the win.