Jubilee Cup evenly poised after two weeks

Jubilee and Hardham Cups round two review: The 2009 Jubilee Cup stands evenly poised after two weeks after all four losing teams from the first round won all four round-robin games on Saturday to leave all eight teams with a win and a loss.

In a?turnaround in fortunes for all four of last week's defeated teams - joint Swindale Shield champions Northern United and Petone, Oriental-Rongotai and Hutt Old Boys Marist - all eight Jubilee Cup contenders are separated by just a bonus point after the first fortnight of play.??

In round two results, Petone beat Marist St. Pat's 13-9 at the Petone Recreation Ground, Northern United defeated Poneke 18-8 at Kilbirnie Park, Hutt Old Boys Marist ousted Tawa? 17-3 at the Hutt Recreation Ground and Oriental-Rongotai held off Upper Hutt's challenge 41-27 at the Polo Ground.

With a biting southerly and intermittent icy showers as the backdrop to all games, the rugby was tough and hard fought throughout, the outcomes of all four encounters hanging in the balance for long periods into the second half.

None more so than at Petone where the home side defended stoutly into the wind throughout most of the second half. Petone protected a 13-6 halftime lead in the face of enormous pressure and all MSP could add in the second half was a Fa'atonu Fili dropped goal.

Earlier both kickers, Dan Kirkpatrick for Petone and Fili for MSP, had exchanged penalties and dropped goals to have the scores locked up at 6-6, before Kirkpatrick combined with centre Lewis Marshall off an attacking scrum to send fullback Fraser Middleton in for a converted try?and the game's decisive score. The try was Middleton's?ninth of the season, while Fili became the second player behind Ories' James Proctor to reach 150 points in 2009.

It was a similar situation at Kilbirnie, where Norths took a 13-5 lead into halftime with the wind behind them on the back of a converted try and then held on resolutely against Poneke in the second half.

There were two tries in the first half, Poneke wing Marika Kau crossing first for this eighth try of the year, ahead of Norths centre Alipati Leiua scoring his 18^th try of the year to give his side the much needed edge at the break. There was no change to the scoreboard until well into the second spell when first Poneke first five-eighth Adrian Grey kicked a penalty to close the deficit to 13-8, but then Norths right wing Franics Seumanutafa scored the match winner with under 10 minutes to go.

HOBM established an 8-3 advantage over Tawa when ?right wing Brad Hines crossed the tryline with Tawa star player and centre David Smith cooling off in the sin-bin. Fullback James Kusel then added a further three penalties and the Eagles soared to an important win over last week's giant killers.

The brave few ringing the sideline at the Polo Ground for the Ories and Upper Hutt clash watched an action packed, high scoring contest in difficult conditions underpinned by a torrid forwards battle.

Ories' victory was only assured late in the game, after Ories had seemingly gained the edge midway through the second half when centre Paulo Aukuso sliced through for a converted try in front of the clubrooms and first five-eighth James Proctor quickly added a penalty for a 22-10 lead.

Aukuso's try and Proctor's boot gave Ories breathing space, extending a 12-10 halftime lead after Upper Hutt fullback Jason Woodwood had just missed two consecutive penalties that would have given his side the lead for the first time.

Ories had led 5-3 after 20 minutes, hooker Manu Leiataua scoring early from a well-worked lineout move with lock Dan Reddish and Woodwood replying with a penalty.

Ories missed out on another try, with Upper Hutt repelling a series of drives and Ories halfback Peme Leiataua bundled into touch in-goal going for another try in the same corner as his brother.

Peme Leiataua then set up his team's second try, popping a box kick over the top of a ruck for fullback Julian Tupai to run on to and score, making it 12-3 to the home side.

But Upper Hutt hit straight back with their first try, openside flanker Josh Blackwell charging down another Peme Leiataua kick inside Ories' 22 and centre Clayton Masina scoring a converted try near the posts.

Woodwood had a chance to put Upper Hutt ahead at halftime, but his penalty missed, all up Woodwood missing four from six penalty attempts. He was eventually on target again later in the second half as Upper Hutt closed the gap to 22-13, but Ories openside flanker Paul Halafihi collected a loose ball near Upper Hutt's line and scored an easy try under the posts. Proctor converted to make it 29-13.

Once more Upper Hutt hit right back with another seven pointer, captain and hooker Joe Ritchie barging over from a penalty and quick tap close to the chalk (29-20), and once again Ories pulled ahead, this time through Mark Reddish who crossed for the bonus point try (36-20).

The pattern continued, Upper Hutt scoring their third try to left wing Ofa Pongi, running clean through a gap and scoring untouched of a Luamanu quick tap off a free kick (36-27), followed by Ories No. 8 Oliver Fagililo finally putting the game beyond Upper Hutt's reach in the final minutes (41-27).

Hardham Cup

There was anguish for Poneke and delight for Johnsonville at Kilbirnie Park in their round two Hardham Cup encounter, where for the second week in a row the Poneke second fifteen lost in the dying moments by conceding a try at the death, going down 16-20.

In a mirror image of their previous week's Hardham Cup opener at the same park against Avalon, Poneke were unable to control possession from the last set play of the game and the visiting team pounced for the match winning try.

The Club Weekly was at the corner post as Johnsonville won a turnover at the base of a scrum 40 metres out from the line, set up a ruck and attacked up a 15-metre shortside through fullback Azim Beganovich who punched through?a hole and sent his right winger Nathan Collins away for a try to win the game.

The last-gasp win for Johnsonville propelled them to two wins from two in the Hardham Cup after they previously defeated the Wests Roosters 17-5 in the first round at home. For Johnsonville supporters it represents an outstanding start to the Premier 2 competition as they battle it out with the four Premier clubs plus Rimutaka for the four available spots for next year's Swindale Shield.

Johnsonville are joined at the top of the Hardham Cup table by Old Boys-University, who also made it two wins from two by beating Rimutaka 13-5 at Maoribank Park. OBU and Rimutaka both scored one try apiece, but it was the boot of the students' halfback Sam Hall that proved the difference, Hall adding a conversion and two penalties.

The Wests Roosters welcomed back Vodafone Wellington Lions openside flanker Scott Fuglistaller for the first time this year, who was a try scorer in their hugely important 20-13 three tries to one victory over Wainuiomata and Ian Galloway Park. For Wainuiomata, flying fullback Jason Love scored their only try and kicked?all their remaining points.?

At Fraser Park, left winger Ryan Setephano kicked three penalties to see his MSP B side knock over Swindale Shield team Avalon 9-8, Avalon halfback Cameron Cross scoring the game's only try, but MSP winning the battle between the uprights.

Meanwhile the winning try for Johnsonville at Kilbirnie Park came hot on the heels of two consecutive penalty misses by halfback Denis Sim, either of which would have won the game for Johnsonville at that juncture. Sim's first penalty was on target but didn't quite have the legs, hitting the bar and bouncing back inside the field of play, while his second from closer in was pulled to the left of the uprights - and Poneke remained 16-15 in front.

But Poneke couldn't dodge a third bullet at the finish and Johnsonville scored a decisive victory on fulltime. Poneke had defended doughtily throughout the second half, protecting a 16-5 halftime lead playing into the stiff southerly wind but were ultimately left to lament not taking their many first half chances.

The red and blacks enjoyed almost complete territorial and possession domination for almost the entire first half, but a combination of poor option taking and Johnsonville's determined defence only saw them with one try on the board after 30 minutes.

Right winger Jamie Ross crossed after 20 minutes for Poneke and also kicked the sideline conversion and two penalties for a 13-0 lead.

However Johnsonville made their first foray into Poneke's 22 count, setting up several phases up the middle of the field and then swinging left and putting left winger Ryan Selkirk away for a try in the corner to close the deficit to 13-5 after 35 minutes.

Ross kicked his third penalty for Poneke on the stroke of halftime to edge the home side ahead by a further three points.

Now with the wind at their backs in the second spell, it was Johnsonville's turn to place the heat on Poneke's line, Sim edging them closer with a penalty and then No. 8 Mykel Herwini surging through for a converted try to bring them to within one point. Collins then had the last say with his try on fulltime to hand Poneke their second consecutive heartbreaker.

Senior 1, Senior 2 and Women's Premier

Petone, Ories, HOBM and Stokes Valley are all unbeaten after the first two rounds of the Senior 1 second round Ed Chaney Cup.

The Petone Senior 1 side defied the conditions to defeat Tawa 64-7 in their match, while Ories beat Upper Hutt 39-10, HOBM held off recently promoted MSP 20-14 and Stokes Valley beat OBU 18-3.

Wainuiomata's bonus point 37-10 win over the Wests Roosters has seen their Senior 2 team go to the early lead at the top of the HD Morgan Memorial Trophy, ahead of Paremata-Plimmerton who also won their second successive game in beating Avalon 18-8.

In the Victoria Tavern Women's Premier Trophy, there were wins for Johnsonville over Ories 51-3, Eketahuna over Stokes Valley 10-0 and Norths over OBU 17-5, while Petone racked up 106 points in beating Wainuiomata? in the Women's Premier 2 division.