MSP and Norths to meet in Jubilee Cup final

Marist St. Pat's and Northern United will square off in next Sunday's Jubilee Cup final at Westpac Stadium in a repeat of last year after both winning their semi-finals away from home against Petone and Poneke respectively.

At the Petone Recreation Ground, MSP toppled their great rivals Petone 15-8, while Norths slayed top qualifiers Poneke 30-10 at Kilbirnie Park to set up a re-run of last year's final that was drawn and shared between the two clubs.

The Hardham Cup final curtain raiser will be between Old Boys-University, who saw off the spirited challenge of Johnsonville 18-13 at the Basin Reserve, and the Wests Roosters, who overcame Wainuiomata 25-19 in the other semi-final on their home patch at Ian Galloway Park.

Both MSP and Norths took their chances to win blockbuster semi-finals on the back of committed team play and greater accuracy and execution.

At Kilbirnie Park it was the steady boot of fullback James So'oialo and the brilliance of centre sensation Alaptai Leiua that took the game away from Poneke.

So'oilao kicked three vital penalties into the wind in the first half to give his side a 9-3 late in the first half, before Leiua broke the game open on halftime with the first of his two tries.

Leiua, released from the Vodafone Wellington Lions to play alongside former captain and prop Anthony Perenise, sliced through the midfield to score under the uprights from an attacking lineout and So'oialo added the extras to give Norths a 16-3 lead at the break.

Leiua then completed another outstanding team try after halftime and So'oialo converted to put Norths further ahead at 23-3, and with a 20-point deficit to come back from Poneke's final dreams were fading fast.

Leiua's second try was his 19^th of the 2009 Wellington club rugby season in 17 games, surely a one-season individual record?

Similarly, So'oialo's 15 playoff points against Poneke drew him level with Ories' James Proctor on 236 for the 2009 season, meaning So'oialo just needs one more kick in next week's final to top the points scoring table for the year. Of note, the leading points scorer last year was MSP's Fa'atonu Fili who also finished with 236 points.

There were flickers of hope when veteran winger Evan Belford crossed to close the gap to 23-10, but Norths lock Tim Faleafaga put the result beyond doubt and sent Norths to their fifth final in six years.

It was?a spirited?arm-wrestle at Petone where third placed qualifiers MSP hustled and bustled Petone out of the game to deservedly win the right to contest their third consecutive Jubilee Cup final.

MSP won the game with a big second half performance, playing with more?hunger and determination to shut Petone out of the game. Led up front?by hardworking No. 8 Alex Tulou and locks Nick Passi and Marcus Slade and Peter Sciasica and super-sub Fa'atonu Fili at halfback and?first five-eighth,?MSP out-passioned Petone over an intense final half hour of semi-final rugby.

It was a disappointing performance by Petone in front of a large and vocal crowd, who fielded a clutch of Premier centurions and plenty of experienced players in their lineup, but failed to spark.

Petone had looked like a team heading for the final when halfback Jared Kahu scored a sizzling try into the wind in the right hand corner early in the match.

The try, set up from a lineout penalty, saw livewire right wing Willie Moala burst into the fray, bounce off his defender and offload to lock Jonathan Cleland in support, who in turn found Kahu to score the try for a 5-3 lead.

Petone should have capitalised on this, Kahu, second five-eighth Michael Lealava'a, centre Greg Walker and fullback Fraser Middleton ?all creating chances with clean breaks close to rucks and in midfield. But they were unable to finish anything they started, passes regularly going to ground.

Instead MSP retook the lead in the 30^th minute, right wing Apoua Stewart beating his teammate and fullback Michael Kingsbeer to the ball over the tryline after a nicely weighted left foot grubber kick into the corner by first five-eighth Anthony Bradshaw. Centre Slade drilled the conversion straight down the middle for a 10-5 lead.

Petone suffered a loss late in the first half with experienced lock Cleland forced off through injury. They then suffered another blow when halfback Kahu, their best player of the first half, was sinbinned for a high tackle on his opposite Peter Sciascia only minutes into the second spell. ?With Kahu still stuck behind his pots MSP eventually ?scored their second and ultimately match winning try in this period.

The try saw them go ahead 15-5 and it came from a scrum win against the feed. No. 8 Tulou and blindside flanker Wim Baars both surged forward into the 22 and replacement first five-eighth ?Fili ripped a wide pass out to centre Chris Slade who in turn found flying left winger Brendan Watt for the try.

Petone's Lealava'a quickly replied with a penalty to close the gap to 15-8 but MSP closed the game out through their committed pack and the probing boots of Sciascia and Fili.

The defeat was tough for Petone, who for long periods of the 2009 season were the leading?team in the competition, sharing the Swindale Shield with Norths and only missing out on being top qualifier and Andy Leslie Trophy winner by losing to Norths in the final round of the regular season. The Jubilee Cup would have sat nicely in their trophy cabinet next year for the start of their 125^th anniversary celebrations.

Hardham Cup?

In the Hardham Cup, Old Boys-University subdued a gallant Johnsonville to register their eighth consecutive win of the second round and reach their first final since 2002.

Playing into the northerly wind, OBU scored first through fullback Matt Gordon for an 5-0 lead.

But Johnsonville remained in touch and OBU's lead remained just five points at halftime after both kickers and halfbacks, Sam Hall for OBU and Denis Sim for Johnsonville, exchanged penalties.

A run by OBU winger Hoata Kingi then set up a try for his wing partner Troy Bramley to extend the advantage to 13-3.

Johnsonville kept in touch through a second penalty to Sim and a try to openside flanker Louis Karl, but the students were able to stay on top through left winger Bramley who scored his second try and seventh of the Hardham Cup season.

At the cage, the Wests Roosters went 14-0 up with two converted tries in the first half to lock Nemani Waka off a lineout and to left wing Francisco off a long-range backline movement that was converted from the sideline by first five-eighth Scott Mudgway.

Wainuiomata second five-eighth Feterika Sage replied, but the Roosters scored their third try to No. 8 Ross Alosio to lead 19-5. Mudgway nudged over a dropped goal and a penalty to extend the advantage to 25-5 and from there it was just a matter of holding on into the wind.

Wainuiomata came back with tries to Sage (his second) and replacement halfback Corey Draper but ran out of time to make what would have been their fourth consecutive Hardham Cup final.

Lower Grades

There was more joy for the Petone club with the continued success of their Senior 1 side who swept to their seventh straight victory in the Ed Chaney Cup.

Petone's 55-19 win over mid-table Oriental-Rongotai puts them through to a home semi-final with two rounds to spare.

Petone have an 11-point lead at the top of the Senior 1 standings to Stokes Valley, who overcame Tawa 16-12. Tawa are now part of a group of five teams who are separated by five points and all chasing the semi-finals spots behind Petone and Stokes Valley.

The Wellington Axemen continue to lead the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial Cup, which resumed this week after round seven was previously deferred on account of wet weather and closed grounds.

New Zealand's oldest playing through rugby club Wellington edged out lowly Avalon 22-15 and hold a three-point at the top of the standings with two rounds to go.

Like the Senior 1 competition, the race for the semi-finals remains extremely tight, with five teams now separated by six points heading into the final fortnight of regular season play.

OBU were significant winners in this round, beating Wainuiomata 30-13 and moving ahead of them into second place behind Wellington. Wainuiomata are joined in equal third place by Poneke who accounted for winless Johnsonville 41-22

Meanwhile another winner was found in 2009 Wellington club rugby on Saturday, with Northern United White defeating Poneke 29-21 in the final of the U21 division 2 Vic Calcinai Memorial Trophy.