Petone on top of Jubilee Cup while late try for Poneke sinks HOBM

Petone have hit the lead in the Jubilee Cup after a 12-try rout over Tawa at the Village, while a late try to captain and No. 8 Misipalauni Moananu snatched a stunning victory for Poneke over Hutt Old Boys Marist in a heart stopper at the Hutt Recreation Ground in round four matches on Saturday.

At the Petone Recreation Ground, the home side sauntered to a comfortable 68-7 win over Tawa to leapfrog previous frontrunners Northern United and Oriental-Rongotai after Norths beat Ories 30-9 at Porirua Park but had to rely on the prolific boot of fullback James So'oialo? rather than scoring a basket of tries.

At the Eagles' Lair, Moananu scored off the back of a scrum in the 78^th minute and veteran first five-eighth Sam Rasch added the conversion to give Poneke a 31-29 victory over HOBM, keeping them firmly in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals while most likely shutting the 2007 champions out of semi-final contention.

With three regular season rounds remaining before the semi-finals, HOBM will now need to win at least two of their three remaining games and rely on other results, while stragglers Upper Hutt and Tawa might need to win all three, after Marist St. Pat's emerged as the day's other significant winner by toppling Upper Hutt 46-14 at Evans Bay Park.

MSP's convincing and timely bonus point win puts them right up there in semi-final contention, equal with Ories on 10 points and just four points adrift of Petone with 14 points at the top.

MSP, who beat Upper Hutt 41-0 at home just over a year ago to seal the 2008 Swindale Shield, pulled clear in the second half after leading 18-7 at halftime, with prop Sean Cockburn scoring just before the interval after both sides had scored one try apiece in the opening 35 minutes.

Flanker Dan Scanlon, outside back Mike Kingsbeer and centre JP Tocker all crossed for converted tries in the third quarter of play to secure the win for MSP who were coming off consecutive losses to Petone and Poneke.

Petone first five-eighth Hayden Cripps scored a hat trick of tries inside 25 minutes as Petone raced to 51-7 lead at halftime against Tawa and cantered home in the second 40 minutes for an emphatic win. Centre Greg Walker also scored a hat trick and second five-eighth Michael Lealava'a scored two tries as 11 of Petone's 12 tries were scored through the backs.

A long injury break early on, also resulting in a reshuffle at the back, and ill-discipline by Ories were factors in their loss to Norths at Porirua Park. The game was held up for over 10 minutes soon after the start as in-form Ories fullback Julian Tupai remained down injured on the field of play. Thankfully Tupai got to his feet with no serious injury sustained, but instead it was Norths who held their composure after the game re-started.

The scoring remained extremely tight, James Proctor for Ories and So'oialo for Norths trading penalties and Ories leading 9-6 at halftime. But Ories had played 10 minutes of the first half with just 14 men, outside back Johnny Sola spending time in the sin-bin.

So'oialo kicked penalties in the 45^th and 52^nd minutes to give his side a 12-9 lead, the second a boomer from his side of halfway with only a moderate wind to speak of behind him.

The game's flashpoint however came soon after - Ories centre Paula Aukuso red carded. A week is a long time in sport, as four-try scorer from last week Aukuso found out and he was given his marching orders by referee Noble-Campbell for a head high tackle on Norths second five-eighth Semesa Manulevu.

From there,? So'oialo kicked three more penalties and Norths scored two tries to complete their third consecutive victory.

At the end of the season HOBM could be left ruing this last ditch loss to Poneke more so than their previous defeats to Upper Hutt (11-14) and Petone (9-21), letting slip a big opportunity to join the leading bunch after scoring four excellent first half tries and leading 29-12 at halftime.

But missed chances to pull further ahead soon after the break cost them dearly at the end when a resurgent Poneke scored the match winner.??

With both sides racked by flu and below strength, Poneke's halftime chicken soup proved the best remedy, the red and blacks fighting back with two tries midway through the second spell to trail by 24-29. They then spent a frantic final 15 minutes of play hot on attack, their by now dominant forwards finally breaking through again at the end after a series of raids close to the line.

By halftime it had seemed that the home side had done enough to clinch five competition points following their fourth try which gave them big lead.

Hard running Centre Reuben Colquhoun was the star of the first half, scoring two tries and involved in another, but it was nippy halfback Sam Fowler who scored the first after just two minutes after he charged down a hurried Poneke clearing kick.

HOBM fullback James Kusel and Petone first five-eighth Sam Rasch then traded a flurry of penalties as Poneke went to a 9-8 lead inside the first 15 minutes. A chance for Poneke to score their first try then went begging, a? scything break up the centre of the field by Rasch and a resulting 5-metre scrum and series of drives undone by a knock-on close to the line.

Poneke's errors mounted, and their handling lapses quickly turned to defensive ones as HOBM sensationally sliced through for two converted tries in the 20^th and 25^th minutes. The first from a scrum and involving a great break up the touchline by right winger Brad Hines and well timed inside pass, and the second in broken play from a chip kick behind the advantage line and a committed chase to the loose ball.

Colquhoun then scored the fourth try on halftime on his own with a ghosting run up a big blindside from a midfield scrum and slipping the tackle of his marker and crossing untouched in the corner.

The Hutt side had their chances to extend their lead soon after the re-start, Kusel missing a penalty and the forwards missing two golden opportunities in opposite corners of play.

Instead, a breakout from their 22 and a Marika Kau counterattack up field led to a try to fullback Ben Huntley in the corner, and Huntley was in again three minutes later when he repeatedly? kicked through a loose ball at the back that had sat up cruelly for HOBM to collect. Rasch converted this second try and Poneke were now just five points behind.

Ascendancy now swung Poneke's way and it seemed that they must surely break through again, but tenacious Eagles defence held them out. Even a final flourish at the try line appeared to be thwarted, until skipper Moananu crashed over for the matchwinning try at the death.

Hardham Cup

Old Boys-University have appeared to have become the first team to qualify for the Hardham Cup semi-finals after their hard fought 16-9 win over Johnsonville On Saturday.

OBU's fourth consecutive win puts them on top of an increasingly desperate looking points table for those teams below them, three points clear of second placed Johnsonville who are still just one win away from earning promotion back to the Swindale Shield in 2010 at the likely expense of Avalon.

But Johnsonville were not without their chances to do so against OBU, turning down a succession of fourth quarter shots on goal and instead unsuccessfully trying to score a try when trailing 13-9, and then almost scoring on fulltime in the right hand corner that would have at least tied the game up at 16-16.

Instead it was OBU who held their composure over the final 15 minutes, breaking out from their own territory and then halfback Sam Hall kicking his third penalty to inch his side ahead 16-9.

From there the blue raiders pummeled away at OBU's line but were met by steadfast defence, before a cross field kick and a fumble at the back by OBU almost led to the dramatic grandstand finish. But the Johnsonville attacker couldn't control the ball in the corner and the last-ditch tie or win was not to be.

In other fourth round Hardham Cup games, both the Roosters and Wainuiomata earned important bonus point wins, Wests overcoming hapless Avalon 27-3 at Ian Galloway Park and Wainuiomata beating Poneke B 44-7 at home at William Jones Park.

The Roosters scored four tries and Wainuiomata six, as both sides scrambled to lift themselves clear of the relegation zone with three rounds remaining.

In another potentially crucial result, Marist St. Pat's B held Rimutaka to a 16-16 draw at Maoribank Park, the draw seeing MSP remain in the top four and in semi-final contention and Rimutaka now needing to win at least two of their remaining three games to make the semi-finals and to keep their 2010 Swindale Shield dream alive.

Other grades

The Petone Senior 1^st's continue to set the pace in that grade's Ed Chaney Cup, recording their fourth straight win of the second round by beating Norths 38-12. The win sees Petone remain as the only unbeaten side in the Ed Chaney Cup and with a three-point lead at the top of the table to Oriental-Rongotai who defeated Stokes Valley 23-16 in their battle between second and third. Elsewhere, HOBM earned a bonus point 42-8 victory over Tawa to see them move ahead of Stokes Valley into third.

Wainuiomata and Paremata-Plimmerton are the joint leaders of the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial Trophy after five rounds after previously leaders Wainuiomata battled to a 12-8 victory over Poneke and Pare-Plimm clinched a bonus point 30-7 win over the Wests Roosters. The Wellington Axemen continue their climb up the Senior 2 rankings, moving into third after beating Johnsonville 40-0, while Avalon upset OBU 17-15 to see the students slide from third to fifth on the table

First round winners Northern United have sauntered to the top of the Victoria Tavern Women's Premier grade with a bonus point 34-19 win over Eketahuna.

Norths are now five points clear at the top of the table to second placed Eketahuna and have earned themselves a home semi-final with one round to go. In other matches, Johnsonville traded places with Stokes from third to fourth by beating them 32-5, while Ories beat OBU 10-0 to officially shut OBU out of the playoffs with a week to spare. In one women's division 2 match played on Saturday, leaders Petone overcome Poneke 74-0.

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