This week in club rugby history – 9-15 April

Above: Brendon Watt flashed in for five tries in one game this week in 2009 for Marist St Pat’s in their 55-3 win over Tawa. Poneke’s Charlie Ngatai scored four tries against Old Boys University in the same round. PHOTO: Dave Lintott Photography.

In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below.

9 April

2005: Porirua powerhouse Northern United and Marist St Pat's continue their menacing starts to the season. Norths rattle up 50 points against Old Boys University while MSP dispatch Ories by 30 points at the Polo Ground. Elsewhere, Upper Hutt grab their second win, beating Wests 22-13, their second of what will be 10 straight wins to win the Swindale Shield.

10 April

1965: Dennis Tindall and Wellington flanker Tom Lister run amok for Athletic in their season-opening six tries to nil 22-3 victory over Taita. The game’s outstanding back Tindall scores two tries and Lister one. With former All Black lock Nev MacEwan in the side as player-coach, Athletic have taken their first steps to winning this year’s Jubilee Cup.

1999: The Burt brothers, Josh and Corey, help spark Johnsonville to a 22-17 win over Petone. Trailing 7-10 at halftime, second five-eighth Josh slips through to score and first five-eighth Corey converts to put Johnsonville ahead. Then, in the 72nd minute with Petone ahead 17-14, Corey makes a clean break to set up the match-winning try.

11 April

1987: Petone have yet to taste defeat since August 1985, and there’s no reason to suggest their streak’s coming to a close when they score 11 tries and beat Paremata-Plimmerton 62-3 today. MSP are shaping as one of their main rivals though after their 15-9 victory over Hutt Valley Marist. 

2009: A sensational five tries to Marist St Pat’s left wing Brendan Watt and four tries to Poneke centre Charlie Ngatai are some of the numerous highlights of third round matches today.Wellington Lions utility back Watt  scores five of this team’s eight tries in a 55-3 win over Tawa at Evans Bay Park and Ngatai dots down four times in Poneke’s 76-0 rout of Old Boys-University across the road at Kilbirnie Park.

12 April

1969: Onslow go within a whisker of upsetting last year’s runners-up University, conceding a late penalty under their own posts to lose 14-15. Elsewhere, Wellington’s All Black wing Michael Knight scores four tries in the Axemen’s 19-9 win over Naenae Old Boys.

1997: Northern United beats MSP for the first time in their nine-year history to create the upset of the round today. Norths win 13-8, with outstanding defence the order of the day. Elsewhere, Johnsonville, who go on to win the Swindale Shield next year, are thrashed 17-47 by Avalon.

13 April

1959: The Lions are touring NZ later this winter and as a prelude the club rugby season begins with a hiss and a roar today. The season starts off sensationally when in the first minute of the early game at Athletic Park Poneke are awarded a penalty for obstruction. This helps them defeat WCOB 8-3. Defending champions University beat Marist 21-15 in an exciting game and soon-to-be champions Petone swamp Oriental 34-17.

1996: Harlequins make history by achieving the club’s first ever win over Petone since their creation five years earlier from WCOB and University. First five-eighth Glynn Champion kicks 20 points in the 25-9 win.

14 April

1956: Big wins by Marist and defending champions Onslow mark the first set of matches of the season today. Marist steamrolls Hutt 45-6 - in what is believed to be the heaviest defeat in the club’s history up to this point. Marist first five-eighth C.J. Stewart stars, while Mick Horan and Ivan Vadonavich are big in the forwards. In their match, Onslow blank Wellington 34-0.

15 April

1989: After beating Petone last week, Ories back up with a rugged 17-16 victory over Wellington. As part of a series of ‘incidents’ today across several matches, Avalon lock Chris Tregaskis and Petone centre Mike Umaga are sent off in their matches, as Avalon lose to Poneke 16-29 and Petone edge Tawa 23-21.

2000: Tawa wing Junior Togia scores a first-half hat-trick as part of his side’s 55-10 win over Wellington, while Petone beats Ories 47-12 and Wests beats Upper Hutt 44-0 in two other convincing victories today.

2006: After losing at the death last week to HOBM, defending Swindale Shield Upper Hutt find themselves on the wrong side of a high scoring thriller, going down to Tawa 30-34 at Maidstone Park. Trailing 0-22 after 30 minutes of play and then 7-27 soon after the break, Upper Hutt mounts a comeback and threatens to snatch victory. But after narrowly losing their first two games to Oriental-Rongotai and Poneke, Tawa hold on for their first win. Playmaking first five-eighth Malasia Mailo and right-wing Vice Saletele each score two tries for Tawa.