Second half comeback sees Norths win Swindale Shield with a round to spare

Northern United came from behind to beat Oriental-Rongotai 31-26 at the Polo Ground on Saturday to capture the 2010 Swindale Shield with a round to spare. Needing just a solitary competition point to secure their fifth first round title since winning their first in 2003, Norths overtook Ories with two quick tries after halftime and held on to take the spoils.

Northern United will officially be presented with the Swindale Shield after their last round match against Poneke at Porirua Park next week and are guaranteed to finish at least seven points clear of the second placed finisher.

In a terrific week for the Porirua based club, Norths also won both the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield and the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup competitions outright with a round to spare, with their Senior 1 team beating Ories 34-15 in the early game at the Polo Ground and their third XV beating Wellington 29-7 at Hataitai Park to see them move seven points clear of the nearest challenger with a week to play in the Senior 2 grade.

With a round remaining in the Harper Lock Shield, Norths (44 points) hold a five-point lead at the top of the Senior 1 ladder to joint second placed Hutt Old Boys Marist and Avalon (39), but the title is theirs next week due to their previous wins over these two teams earlier in the round.

Both HOBM and Avalon could have taken the Harper Lock Shield into the last week, but both failed to collect bonus point wins in their victories over Poneke and Avalon.

Norths, HOBM and Avalon will be joined by Marist St. Pat's in the Premier 2 Hardham Cup, who beat Paremata-Plimmerton with a bonus point to move six points clear of fifth placed Poneke with just next week to play.

Similarly, Norths' Senior 2 side (on 43 points) can't be headed by nearest challengers Poneke (35) whom they meet next week ahead of the start of the second round Ed Chaney Cup in a fortnight.

Meanwhile in the Swindale Shield, the race to finish inside the top eight for the right to join Norths in the coveted Jubilee Cup round kicking off on 19 June will go down to the wire, with Old Boys-University, Wainuiomata, Tawa and Upper Hutt set to fight it out next week for the last two places that are still up for grabs.

Like the Norths - Ories result, the tenth round set of Premier matches proved to be all extremely hard fought with all the away teams winning in a round of mostly evenly contested affairs.

In the all-important race for the top eight, Upper Hutt kept their chances alive with a 24-18 victory over Tawa at Lyndhurst Park, Wainuiomata pushed Petone close in going down 20-24 at William Jones Park and Old Boys-University scraped past the Wests Roosters 36-35 at Ian Galloway Park.

In other results, Poneke got up late to beat Hutt Old Boys Marist 20-18 at the Hutt Recreation Ground, while Marist St. Pat's proved the odd winner out of the round with their more comfortable 31-3 dismantling of Johnsonville at Helston Park.

At a fine and dry Polo Ground (after being under water the previous week) home side Ories appeared headed for an upset win over Norths that would have prolonged the title race for another week. After conceding the game's first try to Norths lock Eldon Paea, Ories came back to hold a 16-10 lead late in the first half. Winger Hayden Whelan replied with a try after a break in midfield by Johnny Sola and first five-eighth James Proctor converted from the sideline and also added three penalties.

But prolific Norths kicker James So'oialo, making his first start at first five-eighth, closed the gap with a penalty before the break. This was followed by tries after the break to right wing Nene Va'alepu - bringing up Norths' 500th point of the season - and to fullback Buxton Popoalii, which saw Norths lead 25-16. Ories lock Dan Reddish crossed for the home side, but So'oialo banged over two late penalties to clinch victory and the title.

At William Jones Park, two late tries to speedster Jason Love were ran in too late to threaten Petone, but still gave Wainuiomata a potentially crucial bonus point heading into their last round match-up with Old Boys-University

Love scored his seventh and eighth tries of the season to bring Wainuiomata close to Petone after first five-eighth Hayden Cripps scored the Villagers' third try of the match to take them to a 24-8 lead. Petone had earlier scored converted tries through both their wingers, Logan Luke and Sam O'Leary, and fullback Ben Aoina had added a penalty to ensure their lead was enough to retain the Darren Larsen Cup.

Both the Omar Cup contest between the Wests Roosters and OBU and Roy John Trophy match between Hutt Old Boys Marist and Poneke were crackers.

At the Cage, OBU got up to win by a solitary point against a Wests side who threw their attacking form guide over the fence to very nearly end OBU's Jubilee Cup aspirations. Having scored 86 points in all their previous nine matches of the year combined, the Roosters seemed to have a see-saw game won at 35-33 with time ticking down at a rapid rate. But first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga kicked a penalty at the end to give his side the win.

Earlier in the second half it was tit-for-tat scoring, with OBU taking a 36-30 lead when first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga nailed a penalty from halfway. But Wests weren't done and crossed for their fifth try to centre Ahtun Masun to pull the score back to 35-36. But Wests were unable to land the conversion at the end and OBU hung on the referee's fulltime whistle.

It was similar edge of the seat stuff at the Hutt Recreation Ground, where Poneke led 12-10 throughout the early and middle stages of the second half, after tries to halfback Brad Faulkner and left winger Marika Kau. But the Eagles replied with their third unconverted try to Hurricanes and New Zealand Maori winger Hosea Gear to put them in front 15-12 with about 20 minutes to go.

Both sides then traded penalties and HOBM took a 18-15 late in the piece after replacement first five-eighth Glen Walters' penalty and with skipper Polonga Pedro returning from the sin-bin. But Poneke winger Kau raced in at the death for his second and his team's match winning try to see the red and blacks enter the final week of the Swindale Shield in fourth place and HOBM now in sixth.

At Helston Park, MSP celebrated a try right at the end to centre Chris Slade that secured their bonus point victory over Johnsonville and their seventh straight win to see them enter the final week in joint second with Ories.

Against a competitive Johnsonville side, MSP scored three second half tries after leading just 10-3 at halftime through a try to No. 8 Tui Tuia. Two more tries after the break followed, to winger Paul Tuia and flanker Liu Taituave, ahead of Slade adding the finishing touches at the end.

At Lyndhurst Park, Upper Hutt's win over Tawa kept them in the Jubilee Cup mix for next week when they play Johnsonville. In an error-ridden match, Upper Hutt dominated possession and territory throughout much of the first half, absorbed plenty of pressure early in the second and then scored two excellent late tries that won them the game.

Tawa were left rueing key mistakes that led to several try scoring opportunities going begging, and they were lucky to escape in the end with a bonus point that could yet prove invaluable.

Momentum had been with Tawa after 50 minutes when fullback Junior Togia fielded a 22-metre re-start from a missed penalty attempt and ran flyer George Tilsley in for a converted a try in the corner to put them ahead 15-14.

But a poor lost lineout throw on their own side of halfway led to a slick counterattack up field by Upper Hutt and then a penalty awarded to them inside Tawa's 22 near the touchline. Seeing his team had Tawa stretched, Upper Hutt halfback Nua Fono-Hunt took a quick tap penalty and from the next play in front of the posts, prop Apa Heemi and second five Clayton Masina handed left wing Greg Tweddle a try near the corner.

Soon after, and with Tawa halfback Nigel Hunt in the sinbin, Upper Hutt centre Ofa Pongi burst through a hole off the shoulder of Masina and raced 40 metres to score another try to take them out 24-15 in front.

Sharp attack then turned to desperate defence as Upper Hutt kept the home side from making a late comeback. All Tawa could do from then on was kick a late penalty to close to within seven points.

Earlier, both sides had scored a try apiece in a lively first half dominated by missed chances at both ends of the field. In perfect conditions, Upper Hutt converted their early pressure into points through the boot of first five-eighth Rob Kaiwai and led 9-3 after almost half an hour.

Tawa's very first excursion into Upper Hutt's 22 with almost a quarter of the game gone yielded their first points through the boot of first five-eighth Peter Goldsmith as well as the game's first sinbinning with an Upper Hutt player shown yellow for a head high tackle.

Tawa then missed a prime chance to go ahead against the run of play when Hunt intercepted a pass from the base of a dominant scrum and scampered 70 metres towards the corner, but was pulled down short. From the ensuing play Tawa were awarded a penalty but Goldsmith missed.

Once more, Upper Hutt took the attack to Tawa and flanker James Wall scored in the corner to give his side a deserved 14-3 lead.

A second intercept by Hunt from a strong Tawa scrum again almost led to him scoring from a snipe up the blindside. But unlike the previous occasion, Tawa made the most of this opportunity and hooker Andrew Vailini rumbled over to score to close the deficit to 14-8.

In a complete reversal of the early stages of the first half, Tawa dominated after halftime. But they let themselves down through a combination of poor option taking and handling.

Goldsmith missed his second kickable penalty, but Upper Hutt's 22-metre re-start went down the throat of fullback Togia who ran the ball back and linked with right wing Tilsley who scored in the corner. This time Goldsmith nailed the kick and Tawa led by a point with half an hour remaining.

Tawa also made several substitutions at this stage in a bid to up the tempo, including an entire new front row off the bench. But Upper Hutt held on doggedly in a crucial period of the game and came storming back with two tries to carry them to 24-15 in front.

Sensing the importance of at least grabbing a bonus point, Goldsmith missed a third penalty from in front, but Tilsley stepped up to the plate at the death to kick a penalty to narrow the deficit to within seven points.

Meanwhile in the Paris Memorial Trophy U21 first round competition, Petone tipped up Norths 23-8 at home at the Petone Recreation Ground to take a one-point lead ahead of Norths and MSP into the final round next week. Petone plays Upper Hutt next week, where a bonus point would secure them the title.

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