Red Machine Rolls On In Jubilee Cup

2008 Swindale Shield champions Marist St. Pat's took a major step towards their 12th Jubilee Cup title in defeating Northern United 25-17 in their clash at Porirua Park in the fourth round on Saturday.

MSP's 14th consecutive win this season and their fourth straight?Jubilee Cup victory sees them maintain their two-point lead at the top of the points table, while Norths have now lost their last two games which have both been at home and slip from second to third.

In a tight game as expected, Norths outscored MSP three tries to one but they let themselves down through poor discipline and a lack of concentration, and were made to pay by the boot of first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili whose 17 points included four penalties and a dropped goal and won the match for MSP.

In bright sunshine, Norths made an electric start when fullback Buxton Popoalii flashed in for the opening try from a turnover 70 metres out, but three penalties and a dropped goal to Fili and a try under the bar to No. 8 Wim Baars gave MSP a decisive 19-10 advantage at halftime.

Livewire halfback Peter Sciascia added a dropped kick in the second half and then Fili slotted his fourth penalty on fulltime to deny Norths what could be crucial a bonus point in an increasingly cluttered points table.

In other round four games, Petone defeated Poneke 17-9 at the Petone Recreation Ground to move into second, while Oriental-Rongotai and defending champions Hutt Old Boys Marist both registered their first wins in style to also keep alive their playoff hopes. At the Basin Reserve, Ories were too good for OBU in winning 27-14, while HOBM overran Upper Hutt 43-16 at Maidstone Park.

Openside flanker Jason Risdon scored two of six tries and second five-eighth Mike Kingsbeer added five conversions and a penalty as HOBM pulled away in the second half after leading 15-3 at the break. Their first win in the Cup round and their first since their 25-13 victory over Ories in round eight of the Swindale Shield sees them climb to sixth on the ladder, just four points adrift of Poneke and Upper Hutt who share the fourth spot.

Ories fans still have a flicker of hope after defeating OBU by three tries to one, with lock Mark Reddish, halfback Peme Leiataua and right wing Paulo Aukuso all finding the chalk, and returning first five-eighth James Proctor landing 10 points including a dropped goal.

It couldn't have got any tighter between Petone and Poneke where two James Pointon penalties to the visitors was all that separated the two teams in the first half. The lead then changed hands three times in the after halftime, as Petone hit back through a runaway intercept try to first five-eighth Sam Rasch, followed by a penalty each to Poneke centre Tane Tu'ipulotu and Rasch and finally the match winning try to?No. 8 Shaun Mahoney.

Big second half defence by MSP prevented a late comeback by Norths at Porirua Park after Norths captain Anthony Perenise drove over for the only try of the second half to close the score from 22-10 to 22-17 with more than 10 minutes left on the clock.

A lone dropped goal by MSP halfback Sciascia had been the only scoring of the second half after Baars had scored an outstanding try late in the first half in support of second five-eighth Chris Slade who sliced through Norths' midfield off an attacking lineout.

Fili then potted his side's first dropped goal immediately before the break, capping off a whirlwind first half of end-to-end action as well as yellow cards handed to Norths hooker Henry Smith and MSP centre Brendan Watt in two sepreate incidents for killing the ball.

A third yellow card to Norths try scoring sensation Sinoti To'omaga on 60 minutes also cost Norths who were looking increasingly dangerous as the game opened up. But despite Perenise scoring with To'omaga in the bin, MSP held on with equally tenacious defence and it was they who were able to close the game out down the other end of the field.

Meanwhile in the Hardham Cup, Tawa increased their lead on the points table with a comfortable win over the Wests Roosters, Wainuiomata claimed an important win over Johnsonville, Avalon edged out a gallant Rimutaka and MSP B scored three tries from broken play to account for Norths B in the early game.

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