Thrilling rugby opens second round of Wellington club rugby

Above: Soaring high in Hell. Action between Johnsonville and Avalon in the first round of the Hardham Cup at Helston Park. Johnsonville won 21-17.

The opening Saturday of second round Wellington club rugby today was defined by a series of thrillers around the region and across several grades.

In a series of tightly contested matches, there were several results that defied first round form and predictions and an equally number of near upsets. Wellington club rugby fans have got an exciting two months coming up to look forward to.

All four encounters in the marquee Jubilee Cup were close affairs with one draw and the other three right in the balance until deep into the second half.

First round Swindale Shield champions Tawa won by the widest margin, beating a gallant Wainuiomata 28-20 at home at Lyndhurst Park. Wainuiomata shadowed Tawa throughout,? and it took a late penalty to the home side to see off their challenge and also deny them a bonus point after Wainuiomata speedster Jason Love had scored his 11^th try of the season to close the game up.

Hutt Old Boys Marist were the only bonus point winners of the opening round of Jubilee Cup matches, running in six tries in beating Marist St Pat's 34-28 at the Hutt Recreation Ground. Hurricanes Wider Training Group member Ope Peleseuma scored a hat-trick for the Eagles as they pulled clear of MSP in the dying minutes. But there was nothing in it for most of the match, tit-for-tat scoring making it 17-17 at halftime and 29-25 to HOBM heading into the fourth quarter.

The two Jubilee Cup matches played in the eastern suburbs were epic encounters.

Poneke came back from a 0-17 deficit to draw 17-17 with Old Boys University at Kilbirnie Park. Old Boys University were fast out of the blocks, scoring two tries, to No. 8 Ian Kennedy and halfback Luke Campbell. But Poneke blindside flanker Presley Tufaga and first five-eighth Sosi Tuimavavae both scored just before halftime to close the gap up. Tuimavavae kicked a penalty early in the second half and it remained all square throughout a willing second half.

Oriental-Rongotai held off a rampaging Petone at the end to win 21-16 at the Polo Ground. Petone were all over Ories in the last quarter and when blindside flanker Josh Hrstich scored off a lineout drive with Ories a man down in the sin-bin with about 15 minutes to play it seemed they were going to overtake the home side. They very nearly did so at the end, throwing everything at Ories' line right up to the final whistle, but somehow the defence held.

Ultimately though, Petone were left lamenting gifting Ories two tries in the first 10 minutes that gave Ories a 15-3 lead early. Ories wing Afa Fa'atau scored directly from a botched kick-off receipt by Petone and three minutes later he intercepted a pass and set up a long-range try to first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili.

In the Hardham Cup, there were bonus point wins for Northern United, Upper Hutt and the Wellington Axemen and a hard earned victory for Johnsonville.

As expected, Northern United came away with maximum points against Old Boys University B. Norths beat the Billy Goats' second XV seven tries to three and 39-22 but it was not all plain sailing.

OBU scored two early tries and opened up a 10-5 lead, before Norths hit their straps and got themselves into the lead by the margin of a converted try by halftime. They pulled clear after the break, with Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara, playing at fullback, scoring two tries and wing Johnny Teleaga also scoring a brace.

Upper Hutt saw off a stiff challenge from the Wests Roosters at Ian Galloway Park before gaining a maximum point 29-25 win. Wests led 10-0 early but Upper Hutt came back to trail 17-18 at halftime.

Upper Hutt then won the game with a two-try burst early in the second spell that saw them take a 29-18 lead. The Roosters were never out of it and they scored a late try to close up the margin and take two bonus points from the close defeat. Two players scored braces in this contest: left wing Max Pearson for Upper Hutt and right wing Inoki Rasabele for Wests.

The Wellington Axemen pulled clear of 2013 Swindale Shield side Rimutaka to win 38-9 at Maoribank Park.

The Axemen led 13-3 at the end of a closely fought second half, ahead of first five-eighth Jamie Hargreaves kicking one of his three penalties to extend their advantage to 16-3.

They kicked clear in the final quarter to take a bonus point win. Wings Sani Taylor (three) and Harry Domett (one) scored four tries between them, while flanker Terry Soli scored a fifth. For Rimutaka, first five-eighth Ray MacDonald kicked three penalties.

Johnsonville beat Avalon 21-17 in the closest Hardham Cup match of the day, outscoring them three tries to two. This game was always tight, but Johnsonville had their noses in front throughout. Both sides scored a try each in the first half and Johnsonville led 8-7 at halftime. Johnsonville scored first after halftime and stayed in front to the end in what could be a crucial result for both sides in the coming weeks.

Four of the five matches in the first round of the Ed Chaney Cup Senior 1^st competition were close.

Tawa beat Wainuiomata 26-24, ?Poneke defeated Upper Hutt 27-22 and Paremata-Plimmerton edged neighbours Norths 22-15 in the three tightest matches of the round.

The other two matches saw wins to the two promoted teams from Senior 2 in the first round. First round Senior 2 winners HOBM maintained their winning ways with a 32-15 victory over the MSP second XV and first round Senior 2 runners-up Ories overcame Petone 29-20, who only just missed out on making the Hardham Cup.

In the HD Morgan Memorial Cup Senior 2 competition, Stokes Valley beat MSP 20-10 on their Old Timers' Day at Delaney Park.

OBU, Norths and the Wests Roosters were Senior 2 bonus point winners. OBU beat Poneke 52-14, Norths overcame Wainuiomata 29-5 and the Wests Roosters beat Petone 29-16.

In the other Senior 2 fixture, Avalon defeated Johnsonville 15-10.

The first round of the Premier Women's Victoria Tavern Trophy saw Northern United beat defending second round champions Wainuiomata 56-0, OBU topple MSP-Poneke 67-0 and Oriental Rongotai defeat Avalon 32-10.

First round U21 Division 1 champions Old Boys University Green got their second round John E Memorial Cup second round campaign off with a 43-7 win over Johnsonville. First round runners-up HOBM Green beat neighbours Petone Blue 51-22. In other matches, Poneke accounted for Ories 21-7 in their eastern suburbs clash and Norths beat Wellington 29-17.

In Division 2 Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup games there were wins for MSP, Upper Hutt, OBU Black, Petone and HOBM Red.

In three Premier 1 First XV clashes today, Wellington College warmed up for their big clash with St Pat's Silverstream this coming Wednesday with a 48-6 win over Porirua College, Scots College continued their ascent with a 50-20 win over Naenae College and St Pat's Town edged HIBS 21-19. Midweek, St Pat's Silverstream had beaten Rongotai College 50-0.

St Pat's Silverstream, Wellington College and Scots College are unbeaten after three rounds.

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To read full Round One Jubilee Cup reports click here

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