HOBM take clear Jubilee Cup lead; OBU tip over Tawa in thriller

Above: Hutt Old Boys Marist first five-eighth Brandyn Laursen is surrounded by a swarm of Oriental-Rongotai defenders. Laursen scored 18 points as HOBM won the battle of the birds 28-16.

UPDATED: Old Boys University are the real deal. Any thoughts of them fading away over the back half of the 2013 Jubilee Cup have been dispelled today in the Nairnville Park mud after a character-filled 31-28 win over Swindale Shield champions Tawa.

After trailing 21-8 at halftime, OBU came roaring back with the wind in their favour to tie the score up to 21-21 midway through the second half. Tawa’s powerful? pack then flexed its muscles and scored a converted try from a tighthead scrum win in front of OBU’s line that put them in front 28-21.

Player of the match, Wellington and Highlanders first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga, then took a quick tap to set up a try out wide to wing Joe Hill. After previously kicking two booming penalties, Sopoaga converted Hill’s try from the sideline and OBU were back in it at 28-28.

Sopoaga missed a straightforward penalty before kicking another lovely long-range strike to put OBU in front. His day not over, Sopoaga then knocked on handing Tawa a prime chance at the end of win the game. But the Billy Goats held on and they are now third on the ladder on 15 points, just behind second placed Tawa on 17.

Meanwhile, Hutt Old Boys Marist are the Jubilee Cup leaders by five points on 22 after they beat Oriental-Rongotai 28-16 at home at the Hutt Recreation Ground.

With a nine-point lead to fifth placed MSP with two rounds to play and a maximum of 10 points on offer, HOBM are all but semi-final bound. Playing with a stern wind, the Eagles flew to 13-3 lead early, a lead they had extended to 23-3 by halftime. First five-eighth Brandyn Laursen was involved in all the early points scoring, scoring a try off a chargedown and kicking points. Hooker Manual Efaraimo then scored another try off a charge-down and HOBM were safely in front by the turnaround.

The Ories Magpies mounted a comeback of sorts in the second half, first five-eighth Fa’atonu Fili kicking two further penalties and wing Andrew Ellis scorching in for a converted try. But the damage had been done earlier and HOBM held on for perhaps their most important win of the Jubilee Cup season up to now. Ories are in fourth on 14 points.

Defending champions MSP are still alive in the playoff race, after coming from behind to beat Wainuiomata, and at the same time realistically knock Wainiuomata out of semi-final contention. Wainuiomata are now seventh on 6 points.

MSP trailed 0-12 early, after Wainuiomata scored two tries through flanker Henry Stowers, off a break by Samoan Sevens legend Uale Mai, and left wing Tyler Tane who also converted his own try.

The Red Machine rumbled into life on the heavily cut up William Jones Park and closed to 12-3 at halftime and then took the lead after the break with tries to No. 8 Pago Haini and replacement wing Julian Tupai. Poneke (on 8 points) remain with a mathematical show of still making the playoffs of they win their last two matches handsomely and other results go their way, after beating winless Petone 41-27.

In the highest scoring fixture of the round, Poneke came back from a 10-20 halftime deficit to overrun the Villagers. They won six tries to four

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Hardham Cup

In the Hardham Cup, Northern United climbed back on the winner’s wagon with a pounding 52-3 win over the Wests Roosters, the Wellington Axemen defeated Old Boys-University B 13-10, Upper Hutt held off Avalon 17-13 and Johnsonville defeated Rimutaka 18-10.

Upper Hutt remain unbeaten after a hard-fought win over neighbours Avalon. With tries to wing Greg Strickland and hooker Dion Silva, the men in maroon took their match winning lead into halftime and held on throughout a scoreless second half.

Upper Hutt hold a three-point lead to now third placed Norths who welcomed back outstanding flanker Dean Brunsdon, experienced hooker Henry Smith and Tongan international halfback Tomasi Palu to their ranks. Brunsdon scored two tries and wing Perry Hayman two in the eight tries to nil win. Norths led 31-0 at halftime.

With key matches to come against Upper Hutt and Norths, Johnsonville went into their clash with Rimutaka hoping for a bonus point win. In extremely difficult conditions at Maoribank Park their supporters were happy to take the win over the home side.

Rimutaka scored the first try of the match and enjoyed the rare position of leading a match, but poor discipline in the shape of two yellow cards contributed to the Hawks coming back and taking a 10-5 lead by halftime. ?

In the Hardham Cup curtain-raiser at Nairnville Park, the Wellington Axemen showed plenty of heart to defeat a super-competitive Old Boys University B side 13-10. The win lifts them ahead of Norths into second on the points table, just a point adrift of leaders Upper Hutt.

In wet, windy conditions, the Axemen, playing with the elements in their favour in first half, withstood an OBU onslaught that lasted almost the entire first half. OBU were all over the Axemen from the outset and raced to a 7-0 lead in as many minutes and then 10-3 after half an hour after an exchange of penalties.

In virtually their first foray into OBU territory of the entire match they hit back with a lovely try scored by right wing Harry Domett? but set up by the forwards who won a lineout steal and then by centre Ahtun Masum who made a sharp break and then grubbered ahead for wing Domett to run on to. First five-eighth Hilton Mexted converted from the sideline and suddenly it was 10-10 at halftime.

Most of the second half was a grim struggle, the Axemen dominating early territory but failing to break through, followed OBU with a period of ascendancy but unable to kick a penalty or crack the defence.

Wellington held tough, and with former goal-kicking Jubilee Cup winning lock Doug Froggatt showing his appreciation, Mexted kicked the winning penalty with several minutes remaining.

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Other Grades

Oriental-Rongotai and Northern United are both unbeaten after four completed rounds of the Premier Women’s Victoria Tavern Trophy.In round five matches, Oriental-Rongotai defeated defending second round champions Wainuiomata 26-5 while Norths defeated Old Boys University 22-5.

Norths and Ories were scheduled to meet in the third round postponement a fortnight ago, so their round-robin match coming up will be a key one.

The other women’s fixture of the round saw Avalon defeat the combined MSP-Poneke team 52-5.

The Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup continues to be tight as the nine week round-robin reached its halfway stage. The leading five teams are separated by five points, while a battle between four clubs is developing at the bottom of the table to avoid relegation to Senior 2 at the end of the season.

Last year’s beaten Senior 1 finalists Paremata-Plimmerton are out in front by three points (on 19) after registering their fourth win and beating joint second placed Tawa (16) 20-14.

Oriental- Rongotai (equal second on 16) defeated Northern United (9)18-12? and Petone (12) beat Poneke (9 19-5.

Promoted team HOBM and Wainuiomata were the two bonus point winners of the afternoon, HOBM (14) beating bottom placed Upper Hutt (5) 26-14 and Wainuiomata (15) accounting for MSP (8) 29-10.

The Senior 3 HD Morgan Memorial Cup was probably the closest set of matches of Saturday afternoon.

Midtable Poneke’s 18-0 win over? ninth placed Johnsonville was the widest margin of victory of the five matches; third placed Avalon’s and eighth placed Petone’s 15-15 draw was the closest result.

The Wests Roosters are still the leaders by a point despite suffering their first loss of the second round, missing out 13-15 to fourth placed Northern United.

Second placed OBU edged fifth placed Stokes Valley 10-0 and Seventh placed Wainuiomata defeated winless MSP16-5.

In John E Kelly Colts Division 1 matches, unbeaten Old Boys Green beat Wellington 23-12, HOBM Green beat Ories 39-21, Norths pipped Johnsonville 17-12 and Poneke emerged winners of another super tight match, 7-5 over Petone.

In three final round-robin Premier 1 First XV matches on Saturday, Wellington College were too strong for Rongotai College, winning 70-0, Naenae College beat Porirua College 19-5 and Scots College beat HIBS 31-8. The fourth match of the round, to determine the final standings for next week’s quarter-finals, sees St Pat’s Silverstream hosting St Pat’s Town this Wednesday in their annual mid-week Traditional.

To read full Jubilee Cup Round 5 match reports click here

To watch video highlights of MSP's 18-12 Jubilee Cup win over Wainuiomata click here

To watch a full video replay of OBU's 31-28 Jubilee Cup win over Tawa click here

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