Swindale Shield wide open after Upper Hutt topple Petone

The 2009 Swindale Shield took a dramatic twist on Saturday with previously unbeaten Petone stumbling to its first loss of the season against seventh placed Upper Hutt to throw the title race wide open with just three rounds to play.

Giant killers Upper Hutt defeated Petone 22-19 at the Petone Recreation Ground to end Petone's perfect start to the year and see them relinquish their previous four-point lead at the top of the table.

Petone are now joined at the top by Poneke who eased to a 66-5 four-try bonus point win over competition strugglers Avalon, while wins for Hutt Old Boys Marist over Oriental-Rongotai and Northern United over Old-Boys University have intensified the battle for this year's Swindale Shield, with just five points now separating the leading five teams and nine points from first to seventh.

In two other key results from the eighth round set of matches, HOBM toppled in-form Ories? 25-23 on their Old Timers' Day at the Hutt Recreation Ground to see Ories slip from second to fourth equal with the Eagles, both five points adrift of the lead, and Tawa and Wainuiomata fought out a 20-20 draw at William Jones Park to close up the battle for the top eight.

At Porirua Park, Norths sauntered past OBU 57-10 to move up one from fourth to third. Norths, who have been steady climbers up the log since dropping their first two games to Poneke and Petone, scored eight tries against the students and are now fast closing in on 400 points for the season.

At Ian Galloway Park, Marist St. Pat's accounted for the Wests Roosters 21-7 to lie sixth equal with Upper Hutt, scoring all their points with the strong wind at their backs in the first half and then keeping the Roosters at bay in the second spell.

Lock Daniel Ramsay (3 tries), winger Marika Kau (3) and No. 8 Misipalauni Moananu (2) were multiple try scorers in Poneke's 10-try win over Avalon.

Tawa outscored Wainuiomata three tries to two, but the boot of halfback Frae Wilson who kicked two of his side's three conversions and added two penalties gave Wainuiomata a draw and kept them in touch for the Jubilee Cup.

In this week's feature game HOBM came out on top in their clash against the in-form Ories, with strong first half defence and a last minute try to Wayne Aquila securing them a thrilling two-point win.

In a make or break encounter for both sides, HOBM worked hard on defence into the teeth of the strong wind in the first half to ensure Ories only had an 8-point lead at the break and ran in four tries in the second half including the match winner at the death to notch up their 25-23 victory.

Ories were handed the opportunity to open the scoring early when Eagles winger Tupeni Kamakorewa miss judged a chip kick and with a messy pass in goal. HOBM had no option but to touch down in-goal giving the visitors a 5-metre scrum. Continued pressure with HOBM having to defend from early on in the game ended with a penalty to James Proctor 5 minutes into the match to opening the scoring 3-0 to Ories.?

Five minutes later, HOBM came back with a try from a quick tap. The forward pack helped to put lock Sanele Sanele over the line, to get them on the scoreboard and take the lead 5-3.

HOBM survived another missed opportunity from Ories as the 3^rd placed side looked to continue their good form after last week's win against defending champions MSP when Proctor made a good break through HOBM's defence. But at the breakdown five metres from the try line, they threw it straight into the hands of the HOBM defenders.?

Ories finally managed to come out on top on the scoreboard in the first half with a try from Manu Leiataua 5 minutes before the break and a penalty from halfway to first five-eighth James Proctor for a 13-5 lead. Leiataua was rewarded for some hard work in the first half, touching down off the back of a driving forward scrum.?Proctor continued his good day with the boot converting the No. 8's try and adding the booming penalty at the end of the spell.

The start of the second half was a different story for HOBM. They put on the pressure by running in a try to Kamakorewa 11 seconds after the re-start. Ories knocked the ball on from the kick off, handing it straight to the winger to run the last 15 metres to score in corner. The conversion couldn't be added by replacement first five-eighth Jonathan Bentley as HOBM closed the gap to 13-10.?

?HOBM followed this up early in the second half to regain the lead. The HOBM five-eighths combined in a break up the centre in the Ories' half then after gaining the advantage from a head high tackle, handed it to All Blacks winger Hosea Gear, who ran around his counterparts on the left wing to score in the corner. Gear, playing for his club at centre, took HOBM to a 15-13 lead as the conversion was missed.?

?Ories hit back 5 minutes later with Leiataua in the action again making a 20 metre break up the centre, finding Proctor on his right to make the final dash to score under the posts. Converting his own try, Proctor ensured HOBM didn't have the lead for long as Ories took a 20-15 lead with 25 minutes to play.?

?The home side locked up the scores halfway through the second half 20-all. HOBM gained possession from an Ories knock on 10 metres from their own line. A strong HOBM scrum and a team effort along the backline cleared the way for fullback James Kusel to score down the left hand wing. Bentley missed the sideline conversion which would have given HOBM the outright lead.?

Fifteen minutes to play, Proctor again helped Ories to resume the lead with a penalty taking the score to 23-20. This lead was brief as HOBM's forward pack drove replacement prop Wayne Aquila over the line from their 5 metre lineout to reach the 25-23 final score line. Good defence from HOBM ensured that any attacking efforts Ories could muster at the end were all in their own half.

Meanwhile, it was business as usual for the Marist St. Pat's Senior Ones, who cruised to their eighth consecutive bonus point win in the Harper Lock Shield. MSP defeated Stokes Valley 38-7 to move to 40 points on the Senior One ladder, 11 points clear of second placed Poneke who ousted third placed Rimutaka 24-19 in their match.

Johnsonville's hard fought 16-8 win over Paremata-Plimmerton was enough to see the boys in blue move into the top four for the first time, two points ahead of fifth placed Petone who defeated bottom placed Upper Hutt 37-17.

Elsewhere, HOBM beat Ories 27-10 and OBU beat Norths 29-8.

It's tight at the top of the? Senior Two Harper Lock Shield competition with seven points separating the leading five sides. MSP head the table by two points after beating the Wests Roosters 43-8 for their seventh win of the year. Norths are second after defeating OBU 22-16 and HOBM are third after accounting for the Wellington Axemen 38-24.

In the Fleurs Trophy Women's Premier grade, Norths regained the lead off Johnsonville by beating Wainuiomata 52-0, while Ories enjoyed a 60-0 win over Poneke.