Ories hold on for top spot while Rimutaka earn promotion in the Hardham Cup

Oriental-Rongotai held on to earn top spot for next week's 2011 Jubilee Cup semi-finals with tenacious 12-8 win over Wainuiomata in terrible conditions in the last round, while Rimutaka earned a 26-14 victory over Hutt Old Boys Marist B to qualify for the Hardham Cup playoffs and earn promotion to next year's Swindale Shield.

Ories will host Hutt Old Boys Marist's top side at the Polo Ground in one Jubilee Cup semi-final after HOBM beat winless Upper Hutt 22-5 away at Maidstone Park, while second placed qualifier Poneke and third placed Northern United will do it all again at Kilbirnie Park after Norths overran the red and blacks 19-13 on their own turf.

Ories collected the Andy Leslie Trophy for the first time for winning the round-robin and also qualified for their Jubilee Cup semi-finals berth since 2002.

The other last round Jubilee Cup match proved something of a boilover, with home side Marist St. Pat's rattling on five unanswered tries in an Evans Bay mud bath to extinguish Petone's playoff hopes going into the last round, beating the Villagers 31-6.

In the Hardham Cup, there was elation for Rimutaka and gloom for Avalon after the mighty Taka kicked four early penalties to help sweep to a 26-14 win over HOBM B at home at Maoribank Park and Avalon were beaten 26-3 by top dog Old Boys-University at the Hawkins Basin Reserve.

With other results going their way, there was double joy or Rimutaka who also got up to finish third and avoid raging hot favourites Old Boys-University in their semi-final.

Avalon will now once more have to fight their way back to Premier rugby from the Senior 1 ranks in 2012 after coming back up at the end of last year at the expense of Johnsonville.

The Wests Roosters also missed out on the Hardham Cup semi-finals to Northern United B, who defeated Poneke B 21-12 in the early game at Kilbirnie Park. Wests were beaten by Tawa 20-0 at home at Ian Galloway, although they survived relegation as Norths B can't be promoted to the Premier grade.

The two Hardham Cup semi-finals next week will thus see OBU host Norths B at the Hawkins Basin Reserve and Tawa entertain Rimutaka at Lynhurst Park.

In the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup, Petone suffered its first loss of the second round, going down 25-8 to Marist St. Pat's at the early game at Evans Bay Park.

Petone have been joined at the top of the standings with two rounds remaining by OBU who?earned a bonus point 26-0 win over Wainuiomata. Johnsonville held on to third with a 38-0 win over Tawa.

In other Ed Chaney Cup games, sixth placed Ories ran through bottom placed Avalon 60-18 and seventh placed Stokes Valley pipped dealt a blow to fifth placed Paremata-Plimmerton's playoff hopes with an 18-14 win.

The Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial remains a two-horse race at the top between leaders HOBM (now on 32 points) and Wellington (31), after HOBM beat Upper Hutt 24-3 and Wellington beat Johnsonville 37-3.

With a gap back to joint third OBU and Norths, HOBM and Wellington (both on 17)?officially grabbed the top two home playoff berths with a fortnight to spare after both OBU and Norths lost their matches. OBU lost to 11-9 to seventh placed Petone and Norths met a 25-12 defeat to fifth equal placed Poneke.

In the other round seven Senior 2 match, MSP climbed a spot from seventh to fifth equal with Poneke by beating the ninth placed Wests Roosters 26-7.

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Jubilee Cup

At the Polo Ground, home side Ories resembled emperor penguins more than rugby players at the end of their tough last round match with Wainuiomata, who threw everything at them but ultimately couldn't deny them victory.

In arctic conditions, scores were locked up at 0-0 at halftime, before? right wing Afa Fa'atau and second five-eighth Paula Kinikinilau ran in tries to put Ories ahead 12-3 and the game was as good as won with about 15 minutes to play. Too their credit, Wainuiomata cane back and finished off their season well, tighthead prop Justin Va'a having the final say with the last try of the day.

Three dynamic tries in the opening 45 minutes of play and massive defence gave Norths their victory over Poneke at a sodden Kilbirnie Park. Prop Steve Fa'atau, left wing AJ Va'alepu and replacement fullback Peato Lafaele were the try scorers as Norths pulled clear to a match winning 19-3 lead.

With the weight of possession and territory, and with Norths a loose forward down in the sinbin late in the match, Poneke came back to score two unconverted tries - both to prop Reg Goodes - to close the score up.

In a high quality first half that belied the awful conditions, Norths opened the try scoring against the run of play when a Poneke kick ahead by gathered up by first five-eighth David Palu who set the flying Va'alepu off for an 80-metre runaway try. Fullback James So'oialo's conversion made it 7-3 to Norths, following an earlier penalty to Poneke first five-eighth Ruki Tipuna.

A kick into the corner and an excellent, concerted drive by the Norths forwards saw halfback Tomasi Palu hand prop Fa'atau a short pass near the line and he rumbled over for a second seven-pointer to see his side go further ahead 14-3.

Poneke went closest to scoring the next try, giant striding fullback Ambrose Plaister ghosting towards the tryline in the right hand corner from an attacking blindside raid from a scrum.

Plaister was held up over the line, and the next several minutes up to halftime proved a desperate struggle between the two packs in this same corner with Poneke searching for a try with the wind at their backs to close out the half and big Norths defence, led by angry hooker Aiden Cains, Brad Thorn-like lock Eldon Paea and surgical Serge Lilo (in his comeback game from injury) keeping them at bay.

Norths then scored their third and match winning try soon after the break to veteran Lafaele, that now meant Poneke had to score three tries to win the game.?

The rest of the second half was all Poneke in the territory and possession stats, but Norths held them out. It wasn't until at least the 60^th minute mark when Goodes scored off a scrum to close the gap to 19-8.

With Norths No. 8 Dean Brunsdon sent to the sinbin after an all-in fight, Poneke rumbled up again and 20 phases later Goodes, who was "eating lightning and crapping thunder" according to Poneke's Twitter feed, scored again. The conversion was missed and the score remained 19-13 to the end as the two teams prepared for a repeat showing next weekend.

Across the road at Evans Bay Park, the northern sideline was a place only for the brave in the second half as home side poured on four excellent second half tries to end Petone's season.

MSP, who were on top from the start, wrestled a 7-3 lead at the break, before pulling clear after the interval. Petone kicked a second penalty, before right wing Thomas Atiilaoa crossed to extend MSP's lead to 12-6, and then loosehead prop Ano Kapeli scored an excellent try to make it 19-6. The floodgates opened and flanker Sio Tuia's try made it 26-6, ahead of another try at the end. For MSP, hooker Liu Taituave was again outstanding and led the way with a powerful game up front.

In the final game of the last round, Upper Hutt were hoping to finish their season on a high and spoil HOBM's semi-final plans. But the Eagles made no race of it, sailing to a 22-0 lead at halftime.

Loosehead prop Simon Malaeulu opened the scoring with a try and first five-eighth Brandyn Laursen kicked a penalty to put the Eagles in front 8-0 early. This was followed by tries to left wing Reuben Colquhoun and Malaeulu (his second of the match and seventh of the year). Upper Hutt held them scoreless in the second half and ended their season with a try to right wing Jared Churchwood.

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Hardham Cup

There were celebrations all-round at Rimutaka's clubrooms on Saturday night, beating HOBM B to not only reach the semi-finals but also earn promotion to the Swindale Shield next year.

The Rams kicked three consecutive penalties first five-eighth Te Ari Mahuri to take a 9-0 lead midway through the first half. A fourth penalty and a try to HOBM had Rimutaka leading 12-7 at halftime.

Rimutaka then scored two converted tries, to flanker Scott Donald and halfback Jason Robertson, to seal their victory and they now prepare to meet Tawa in their semi-final.

With the wind advantage at a bleak Ian Galloway Park, Tawa fullback Randall Bishop kicked two penalties to give his side an early 6-0 lead. This was followed by a try to No. 8 Milo Mekaio and Tawa went to the break leading 13-0.

The visitors then struck a blow to the Roosters by scoring a second converted try soon after halftime, lock Pati Gaualofa crossing and Bishop adding the extras to give them a 20-0 lead. There was no way back for Wests and their season ended when referee Walsh blew on his pea for fulltime.

With Wests losing, the fourth semi-finalist thus became the winner of the Norths B v Poneke B clash in the early game on Kilbirnie Park. In truly diabolical conditions, it was Norths, who pulled cleared with two late tries, that took the playoff berth.

The lead had changed hands four times and Poneke were ahead 12-11 when Norths scored the decisive try to see them pull ahead 16-12. This was followed by another one and they took the match 21-12.

Earlier, Poneke first-five eighth Chris Thomsen had struck two penalties with the wind behind him to put his side ahead 6-0. A kick ahead down field by Norths forced an attacking scrum in the corner and a subsequent try to close the gap to 6-5. Both teams kicked further penalties before halftime and Poneke led 9-8 at the interval. Tit-for-tat penalties followed early in the second half before Norths finally pulled clear with their second and third tries.

At the Hawkins Basin Reserve, home side Old Boys-University pulled clear late in the match to register their seventh straight win of the second round and consign Avalon to the Senior 1 ranks in 2012.

The students battled to a 7-3 lead at the break courtesy of a penalty try, before scoring three in the second half to win 26-3 and comfortably in the end.

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