Unbeaten MSP Book Home Semi As Other Three Games Go To The Wire

Marist St. Pat's have qualified top for the Jubilee Cup Semi-finals with a round to spare with a clinical 69-15 demolition of wooden spoon-bound Wests Roosters at home at Evans Bay Park.

MSP won their sixth straight second round match and earned their first bonus point, minus recent forwards regulars Wellington lock Bernie Upton and new Manawatu signing and hooker Ged Robinson. Their semi-final visitors look likely to be either Petone, whom they play in the last round next week, or outsiders Tawa or Old Boys-University, after Hutt Old Boys Marist got up to beat Petone 21-15 and Tawa and OBU kept their Cup dreams alive in other?round six fixtures.

At Kilbirnie Park, Tawa prevailed over Poneke 19-17, while OBU scored four tries and grabbed three competition points in their lively 22-22 draw with Northern United at Nairnville Park and might still?sneak in to the top four if other results go their way.

Exciting MSP No.8, Alex Tulou helped kick-start an 11-try romp over the Roosters,?scoring the opening try and setting fullback Jackson Martin up for the second moments later. In all, Tulou, Martin and first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili each grabbed doubles as MSP led 33-10 at halftime and pulled further clear from there.

The other three games were much closer encounters, all going down to the wire, with all three results hanging in the balance up to the fulltime whistles.

Tawa clung to a 19-17 lead over Poneke throughout the latter stages, first five-eighth Gene Johnston's boot the difference in a close game. Johnston was successful with one extra conversion than Poneke fullback Tevita Latu after both sides scored three tries each, including a brace for Tawa flanker Tom Harding.

It was a thriller at the Petone Recreation Ground, HOBM pipping Petone with two late tries to substitutes, replacement wing Denis Unasa and replacement loosie Matt Time, both converted by first five-eighth Jon Bentley. Petone held a precarious 15-7 lead for much of the second half, but with the clock winding down the Eagles showed great composure to win late in the match.

It was no less exciting for both OBU and Norths fans as their teams battled to a draw, little separating the two teams after 80 minutes of end-to-end, action packed rugby. The 22-22 scoreline proved a fair reflection in pleasant surrounds at OBU's home away from home of Nairnville Park, transferred to protect a battered Basin Reserve surface.

Positive intent and the desire to keep the ball alive and the supercharged commitment of both sides highlighted a close contest, in which seven well-constructed tries were scored in heavy underfoot conditions.

OBU were able to hold off Norths in the forward exchanges and after early Norths pressure soon had them scrambling to defend behind their advantage line.

After conceding just a 12th minute Rob Aloe penalty they turned the heat on Norths over the next 25 minutes. In this time they scored three excellent tries, to lead 17-3 with halftime fast approaching.

Halfback Tomasi Palu and fullback Beau Brown were the key players in these tries, all scored in the same left hand corner. Palu put through two clever grubber kicks behind Norths' line that both resulted in tries, first left wing Sheldon Goodin following up to score just inside the deadball chalk and the second No. 8 David Taimoepeau chasing up and scrambling over the tryline. Brown created a try for first five-eighth David Palu, after a swift counterattack from halfway from a Norths clearing kick

Norths recovered to score an important try before halftime, veteran lock Tim Faleafaga crashing over from a drive to close the score to 17-8. Aloe's conversion also hit the uprights from a handy angle.

But Aloe was in on the action soon after halftime, darting through a hole to score from more sustained pressure, an unforced OBU dropped ball proving costly and at 17-15, Norths were closing fast.

In reply, OBU once more swung on to attack, and superbly drove over their hardworking blindside/No. 8 Maehe Austin for a try to recapture the lead. With their four try bonus point as well, they now just needed to hang on. But against Norths that's easier said than done, hard running second five-eighth Semesa Manulevu coming up with an accurate cross field kick to have the students scrambling inside their 22. The turnover came and after several phases Aloe crossed. This time he converted and it was all square with more than 15 minutes still remaining.

But from there, neither side could break the deadlock, despite some late long-range dropped goal and penalty attempts as well as desperate defence at each end of the field with a the southerly fast approaching.

Congratulations to the Avalon Women's team on their win over Northern United to take out the Victoria Tavern Trophy.? Norths weren't able to capitalise on their home advantage as Avalon deservedly?won the title?28-10.

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