Tawa roll on as Ories sink MSP with late dropped goal

Above:?it was a struggle at Maidstone Park on Saturday, as Norths openside flanker Dean Brunsdon crashes through Upper Hutt's defence.

UPDATED: A super-impressive Tawa made no contest of their round three top-of-the-table Swindale Shield clash with Petone at Lyndurst Park this afternoon, comfortably beating the Villagers 44-17 and taking the outright lead in the competition with their third consecutive bonus point win.

Although down to 14 minutes for 20 minutes of the first half owing to yellow cards, Tawa dined out on Petone to outscore their visitors five tries to three, after leading 27-7 at halftime.

Fullback Randall Bishop scored two tries and scored 24 points. He has now scored 64 points in his last three games against Petone.

Oriental-Rongotai replacement first five-eighth Oliver Best kicked a late dropped goal at the Polo Grounds to give his side a 21-18 victory over Marist St. Pat's in their 2012 Jubilee Cup Final re-match.

Ories came back from a 3-18 deficit late in the first half to draw level before Best struck his pot with about 10 minutes to play. MSP had scored two quickfire tries midway through the first half through halfback Peter Sciascia and lock Charlie Graham.

But Ories came back through Hurricanes fullback Matt Proctor who scored a hat-trick of tries, running strongly in combination of elusive centre Paulo Aukuso.

There were points scoring records at Kilbirnie Park in Poneke's 102-5 win over minnows Rimutaka.

In a scoreline resembling one out of Auckland club rugby, Poneke fullback Tauasosi Tuimavavae scored six tries and kicked 10 conversions for a personal haul of 50 points.

Tuimavavae's half century of points is an unofficial record in Wellington Premier club rugby, while his six tries equals the half dozen scored by Hutt Old Boys Marist's Mike Kingsbeer four seasons ago.

At Ian Galloway Park, the Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles beat the Wests Roosters 33-17 in the battle of the birds to register their third successive win, while keeping the Roosters winless. First five-eighth Brandyn Laursen kicked four penalties, three conversions and scored a try for 23 of his side's points, while they were also rewarded with a penalty try that ruffled the Roosters.

At the Krishna Way Sports Arena, Old Boys University continued their impressive start to 2013, demolishing an out of sorts Wainuiomata 45-17.

The students out-gunned and out-played Wainuiomata in almost every facet of play in the first half, scoring five unanswered tries in the first 40 minutes and taking a match winning 33-6 lead into the break. OBU scored again 15 minutes into the second half and it was game over.

Wainuiomata, badly missing prop Justin Va'a to a virus, but with the services of halfback Frae Wilson temporarily back up from the Highlanders' Development XV set-up, failed to click all match. Several opportunities went begging. In contrast, OBU were super-slick. Strong up front and bristling with attack out wide.

At Maidstone Park, Northern United won back the Terry Farrow Memorial Cup, and, more importantly, registered their first win of the season against Upper Hutt.

The home side, also without a win, were undone by two tries to former Wellington Lions halfback Tomasi Palu, one to Wellington Lions flanker Dean Brunsdon and one to veteran hooker turned tighthead prop Henry Smith. Norths earned a bonus point win.

Norths led 22-8 when Upper Hutt midfielder Joyner Key scored to close the margin to 22-13. But that was as close as the men in maroon came as Norths pulled clear at the end.

In round three of the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield competition the Old Boys University second XV made it three bonus point wins from three when they beat Wainuiomata 37-3 in the early game at Nairnville Park.

Avalon are in outright second, a point back from OBU, after edging past Paremata-Plimmerton 10-7 in their clash at Fraser Park.

The Wellington Axemen chopped up the MSP second XV 57-10, registering their second win of the season, while Johnsonville found the going easier this week in beating Poneke 29-3 to also win for the second time.

Tawa beat Petone 34-17 with a bonus point, while Norths accounted for Upper Hutt 31-20 in the curtain-raiser at Maidstone Park.

In third round action of the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup, Hutt Old Boys Marist and Avalon both recorded their third straight victories of 2013.

HOBM put the Wests Roosters in a flap, 51-5, and Avalon dispatched Norths 74-12.

OBU made it three straight wins for the club over Wainuiomata opposition, winning 45-11 at Prince of Wales Park, Ories completed a 36-15 win over MSP, while Petone and Johnsonville also won for the second time.

Petone edged out Stokes Valley 12-5 and Johnsonville defeated Poneke 31-19.

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For comprehensive Swindale Shield match reports read the online Dominion Post coverage here

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