Ories Lift Hardham Cup with Ease

The 2005 Hardham Cup was won by Oriental-Rongotai on Sunday, rounding off a great second half of the season for the side. The team never really looked in doubt as they confidently sailed to a 38-16 win over Johnsonville at Westpac Stadium.

The game began quickly with Ories wasting no time, as fullback Justin Wilson ran in his first try in for the day illustrating that they had come to play. A penalty put Ories out to a comfortable eight point lead until top point?s scorer and stand out player Corey Burt slotted three consecutive penalties for Johnsonville, snatching the lead from the Ories side. This was the only time Johnsonville would see the lead for the remainder of the match as Ories gained two penalties and a try going into the break with a 19-9 lead.

The second half showed much of the same as Ories picked up the tempo and began to score more tries. Wilson ran in his second try shortly after half time extending the lead further. Another two tries by Palepoi Nonu and Paulo Aukuso put the score out of arms reach for Johnsonville. Johnsonville were down to 14 men due to a yellow card, which did not help the side as they tried to defend the three try attack from Ories. However Johnsonville did manage to get a consolation try late in the game ending the season on a good note.

Unforced errors crept into the Johnsonville team, which isolated their possession allowing Ories to apply such immense pressure. Tackling also proved to be a problem for both teams as the first line of defence was broken on numerous occasions, making it a great game to watch with some spectacular line breaks. Both forward packs played well, with the lineouts letting Johnsonville down to a certain extent, which also saw Ories steal a lot against the throw. Orie?s reputation of running the ball effectively was not altered in the final, as spectators watched the tenacious side gain countless yards with the ball in hand.

Ories now have won all three of their encounters with Johnsonville in 2005, stamping their dominance in typical fashion on Sunday. Despite the defeat Johnsonville have played extremely well during the Hardham Cup and being the only team to beat Hutt Old Boys Marist and denying them of a spot in the final. Second place is not a small feat when the side qualified fourth place the previous weekend. The game was a thrill to watch and Ories are well deserving of the Hardham Cup. They played a fantastic game and gave everything they could throw at their opponents.