Significant wins for Tawa and OBU as Wainui draw with Norths

Above: OBU first five-eighth Seminar Manu is caught in the tackle of Poneke's Ben Huntly with nowhere to go. Manu, however, had the last say, kicking the match winning penalty from the sideline to give his team a 22-20 win and most likely sending Poneke to the Hardham Cup for the second round.

Just when it seemed that the 2012 Swindale Shield couldn't get any tighter it just has. Some significant ?results in Saturday's ninth round set of matches have ensured that the all-important race for Jubilee Cup spots will go down to the wire over the final fortnight of the first round competition.

Losses for traditional leading contenders Petone and Poneke and a draw for last year's beaten Jubilee Cup finalists Northern United means it is conceivable that all three of these clubs could be playing in the Hardham Cup in three weeks from now.

In the most comprehensive result of the day, Tawa's 43-13 smashing of Petone at the Petone Recreation Ground not only propelled them from ninth to seventh on the standings but also knocked Petone back from sixth to ninth.

Old Boys University first five-eighth Seminar Manu kicked a sideline penalty in injury time at the Hawkins Basin Reserve to give his side a 22-20 win over Poneke, keeping the students in the hunt for the Jubilee Cup, whist almost certainly sending now 11^th placed Poneke to the Hardham Cup for the second half of the season.

Wainuiomata scored a death-knock converted try at Porirua Park to give them a dramatic 15-15 draw with Norths. This result sees Wainuiomata officially move up from third to fourth, and with a 10-point buffer to eighth placed Norths, officially through to the Jubilee Cup. Norths now need to win their last two matches to get through without relying on other results.

At the top of the table, it appears to be a two-horse race for the Swindale Shield title between leaders Hutt Old Boys Marist and Marist St. Pat's.

Hutt Old Boys Marist came from behind to beat Oriental-Rongotai 32-24 at the Hutt Recreation Ground to remain in front, retaining their two point lead at the head of the standings to Marist St. Pat's who battled to a 26-6 win over Upper Hutt.

In the round's other match, the Wests Roosters survived a scare from an improved Rimutaka, before pulling clear late to win 24-13 at the cage. The loss for Rimutaka keeps them anchored the bottom of the table, while Wests' supporters can still hold out feint hopes of their side making the Jubilee Cup for the first time in five seasons.

Giant killing Tawa took the match to Petone and ran away with the match in the second half to record a 30-point victory over the Villagers.

Tawa outscored Petone two converted tries to one in the first half to lead 14-7 at halftime, before putting the afterburners on in the second spell to run away with a six tries to one win.

Fullback Randall Bishop was the leading individual for Tawa, scoring two tries and kicking 13 points for a personal haul of 23. After a tight beginning, Bishop opened the scoring with a converted try off a Petone mistake in taking a high kick. Petone lock Murray Douglas, on debut for the club, scored for his side in reply off a break by former schoolboy star Andrew Quinlivan but there wasn't much more to cheer about for the Village supporters from then on as a spirited Tawa took charge and pulled clear.

With Norths attacking inside their 22, Wainuiomata won a turnover and first five-eighth John Monu combined with try scorer and replacement wing Jason Love to score an 80-metre match equalising try.

In a tight match, Norths thought they had the game won and the all-important four competition points in the bag when right wing Kose Tuimavave crossed early in the third quarter. Tuimavave's try gave Norths a 15-8 lead after Norths had taken the lead for the first time with a penalty early in the second half. Earlier, Wainuiomata lock James Saolele had scored from a lineout drive and Norths second five-eighth Perry Hayman had scored in reply. Norths also suffered some more key injuries, further hindering their campaign this season.

It was a cruel injury to a key player that also contributed ?greatly to Poneke's loss to Old Boys University at the Basin. Desperately needing some spark in their backline to add impetus to their attack, Poneke found one in Hurricane Charlie Ngatai who slotted in like a glove at second five-eighth.

Despite an energetic opening and immediate dominant scrum by OBU, it was Ngatai and openside flanker Galu Taufale who helped Poneke to an three tries to nil, 17-0 lead late in the first half with the wind at their backs. Taufale scored the game's opening try with Poneke's first raid into OBU territory, followed by Ngatai linking nicely with first five-eighth Chris Thomson for the second and then Ngatai himself scoring their third try.

OBU came back with a try to No. 8 Thomas Fleming and Thomson kicked a sideline penalty to put Poneke ahead 20-5 ahead late in the opening spell, before a key moment in the game right on halftime occured whilst Poneke were attacking OBU's line and searching for a fourth try. Ngatai made a play at the right hand corner but instead of scoring, he stayed down with a serious leg injury and had to be escorted from the field.

Now with the wind, OBU hit back after the interval with a converted try to replacement fullback Jesse Johnson off a break by centre Paula Kinikinilau. After a concerted period of Poneke attack through their forwards, Johnson and No. 8 Fleming combined in another piercing run to put OBU back on the front foot. They won a turnover through their strong scrum and replacement halfback Nick Kavanagh darted over to score a converted try to close the margin to 20-19.

With fulltime approaching, a desperate Poneke held on, before Kinikinilau very nearly put Johnson away for the match winning try but Johnson was called back for a forward pass. Now with time almost up, OBU attacked with vigour for the match winning score and were awarded a penalty near the touchline on the right hand side of the field. Manu? stepped up to the kicking tee and broke Poneke hearts by winning the game and claiming the Beet Algar Rosebowl interclub trophy for his side by sending the penalty through the poles.

Through the tunnel, MSP earned their 17^th consecutive victory over Upper Hutt in Premier rugby and retained the Billy Wallace Memorial Trophy in their first defence with a scrappy win over the visitors.

In a stop-start match that never attained any great heights as a spectacle, MSP first five-eighth Andrew Wells (four) and his opposite Jason Woodward traded penalties and MSP went to the break leading 12-3.

Woodward kicked his second penalty to close the score to 12-6, before MSP scored through replacement flanker Isaac O'Connor to put them in front 19-6. Second five-eighth Isaiah Petelo then scored an 80-metre intercept runaway try seal victory for MSP.

At the Hutt Recreation Ground, the HOBM Eagles soared to their eighth win in nine games and won the inaugural Bondy Memorial Cup match against Ories. But they had to do it tough, coming back from a 24-12 halftime deficit to register their 32-24 victory - scoring 20 unanswered points in the second half.

Earlier, Ories made the most of HOBM mistakes and sloppy play, scoring tries to centre Paulo Aukuso (2), flanker Ekuale Taua'a and strapping wing Afa Fa'atau, while HOBM could only muster four penalties to second five-eighth Brandyn Laursen in reply.

HOBM hit back from the get-go in the second half, scoring though a penalty and a converted try to close to 24-22 after 50 minutes. Play remained tight throughout the middle stages of the second half until Laursen kicked his sixth penalty to put the Eagles ahead for the first time at 25-22.? They then scored a late converted try to seal the win and their place at the top of the standings, while also denying Ories a second bonus point.

At Ian Galloway Park, Wests survived a second half scare from a hugely committed Rimutaka side before scoring a late converted try to No. 8 Sam Blair, his second of the match, to take the points.

Leading by just 17-13, Rimutaka had Wests scrambling to defend their line for a concerted period in the second half before Blair's late match winner. Centre Claude Collier had kicked his second penalty and then converted his own try to put Rimutaka close after the Roosters led 14-3 at the break on the back of tries to Blair and flanker Rolagi Lepupa.

Lower grades

The MSP second XV opened up a six-point lead at the top of the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield standings and officially qualified for the second round Hardham Cup with their 37-19 win over Avalon at home at Evans Bay Park.

In earning a bonus point win, MSP also likely knocked Avalon out of contention for playing in the Hardham Cup. Other results also going against them mean that Avalon are now seven points adrift of fourth place where they need to be to qualify -although the possible scenario of Norths', Poneke's and OBU's top teams all missing out on the Jubilee Cup could play into Avalon's hands over the next two weeks.

MSP effectively won their match by scoring back-to-back tries just before and just after halftime. Leading just 6-0 and under the pump on their own tryline, MSP scored a fortuitous 90-metre runaway try when a defensive MSP clearing kick from the base of a ruck failed to find touch but was regathered by their fullback who took off upfield and offloaded to their centre who scored at the other end to make it 13-0 at halftime.

A second try almost immediately after the oranges extended MSP's lead, before both teams scored soft tries within two minutes of each other. But by that stage, MSP's lead was sufficient for them to hold on over the remainder of the match.

MSP's nearest challenger to the Harper Lock Shield title is OBU who lost 28-30 to Poneke in their match at Nairnville Park.

Norths leapfrogged Wainuiomata into third place by beating them 31-15 at Porirua Park. The second consecutive loss for Wainuiomata throws them back in the field from third to fifth equal and put their Hardham Cup hopes in jeopardy.

Johnsonville continued their resurgence and moved into fourth with a 22-10 win over Paremata-Plimmerton at home at Helston Park on their Old Timers' Day.

HOBM kept themselves alive for the Hardham Cup with a 32-13 win over Ories at the Hutt recreation Ground, while Petone beat bottom placed Tawa 36-7 in the other match.

In the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup ninth round, leaders Wellington earned their ninth straight win with a 60-11 victory over Petone, also retaining the Air New Zealand Cup interclub trophy.

The win for Wellington puts them 10 points clear of third placed Poneke whom they have already beaten, meaning they have now officially qualified for one of the two places on offer for the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup in the second round.

Wellington can wrap up the first round Senior 2 title next week if they beat eighth placed MSP at home, who lost to second placed Upper Hutt 32-18 in their round nine match.

In the third close match between Poneke and OBU in the top three grades, Poneke won 28-27 to hold on to outright third ahead of Norths who edged Avalon 25-20.

In other Senior 2 round nine matches, HOBM edged out Ories 41-35 and Stokes Valley beat Wests 30-17.

In round two of the Victoria Tavern Premier Women's grade, all three matches were extremely tight.

Eketahuna pipped Ories 15-12, Norths edged out Wainuiomata 24-20 and OBU defeated Stokes Valley 20-17.

In first round Premier 1 college first XV results, St. Pat's Silverstream edged out Scots College 16-12, Rongotai beat Hutt International Boys' School 34-11 and St Bernard's defeated Aotea College 32-20.

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