Irresistible Norths Back In Business

Defending Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup champions Northern United laid to rest any thoughts of a softening of their Wellington club rugby supremacy with a decisive 63-12 round four Swindale Shield win over previously unbeaten Old Boys-University at Porirua Park.

On a glorious autumn day, Norths' crushing ten tries to two victory was the round's highlight, re-establishing their dominance and leaving Poneke the only unbeaten team so far with a four point lead on the points table to joint second placed OBU and Marist St. Pat's.

Poneke were also impressive in beating Avalon 42-0 at Fraser Park, their backs running in five of their seven tries, including a double for fullback Tevita Latu and a fifth try of the season for left wing Ambrose Plaister.

At the other end of the table Petone finally set their season in motion, beating Upper Hutt 49-7 at the Petone Recreation Ground and firmly consigning the men in maroon to the wooden spoon position. After three weeks of indifference Petone were finally able to break the shackles with the help of Tana Umaga who scored a try as a second half replacement.

Across the river at the Hutt Recreation Ground, Hutt Old Boys Marist had similar success, dispatching Oriental-Rongotai 41-3 on their Old Timer's Day, lock Jeremy Thrush scoring a brace of tries.

At William Jones Park, Tawa welcomed back the previously injured pair of utility backs Mai Lailo and openside Josh Abraham to defeat Wainuiomata 32-13, while Marist St. Pat's clawed to a 9-3 victory over Western Suburbs at Ian Galloway Park.

Norths stole the show in a high quality, entertaining Club Weekly feature match. Their clinical forward power and vintage execution of attacking broken field rugby paved the way for an emphatic win.

The Norths pack crashed, bashed and finally broke their OBU counterparts to set up an irresistible 15-minute, five-try burst of scoring early in the second half.

Boosted by starting Hurricanes Smylie and Ellison and Perenise on the bench, together with first five-eighth Rob Aloe playing his 100th premier game, they scored first when Ellison took a half gap and offloaded to centre Adam Beganovich to jolt himself over the chalk.

Organised and fluid on the counterattack, OBU hit back almost immediately, reeling off 50-metres of territory and first five-eighth Blair Stewart finding left wing Sheldon Goodin unmarked with a sideways cross field kick across the Norths posts.

A Peato Lafaele penalty followed for Norths, but their ominous momentum was then halted when prop John Fata was sinbinned for an illegal indiscretion in a ruck. OBU tried hard to capitalise in this period, but couldn't break through. The warning blow for them sounded on halftime when, back to their full complement, No. 8 Anthony Masina and fullback Lafaele combined shortside to put right wing Sinoti To'omaga over for a try.

The Norths machine came into its own early in the second half. In this period they pulled away from the 15-5 halftime score to lead 44-5 and it was game over with almost a quarter of the game remaining. Right wing Daley Harper set the spree in motion, intercepting a pass and skirting 60 metres to score. This was followed by four rampaging tries to openside Faifili Levave, halfback Chris Smylie, lock Chris Middleton and second five-eighth Tamati Ellison.

OBU recovered over the next period of play, pressing hard themselves and sending replacement midfielder Paula Kinikinilau through to score under the bar.

But this only proved to be the calm before the next storm of three more tries, to replacement left wing Francis Seumanutafa (2) and Hurricanes prop Anthony Perenise. Seumanutafa, formerly a Wellington Samoans lock, almost grabbed a hat trick up the left flank, but was denied by the corner flag.

Earlier, the signs of carnage were evident in a focused Norths outfit, smarting after back-to-back losses. Their tight-five grabbed an early scrummaging advantage and outstanding flankers Levave and the North City Nailer, Api Naikatini, tore into anything in green and white that moved.

Combining a little luck, a lot of skill and plenty of bravado, they simply overran the visitors. The win puts them back on track for more glory this year, while for OBU they now know exactly what's required of them to win the title later this year.