Hutt Old Boys Marist, Tawa out in front after explosive round

Above: Wainuiomata beat Petone 20-11 on their Old Timers' Day at William Jones Park. Both teams will have to fight hard over the second half of the Swindale Shield to finish inside the top eight and make the championship round.

Then there were two. Hutt Old Boys Marist and Tawa are the two teams yet to taste defeat after six rounds of Wellington’s Swindale Shield Premier club rugby competition.

Both teams earned narrow, albeit wildly contrasting, victories in today’s Anzac Day round to head the standings at the halfway point of the first round.

HOBM took home the Father Cleary Shield and also defended the Bill Brien Challenge Cup with a remarkable 54-49 victory over previously unbeaten Marist St Pat’s and Tawa defeated Johnsonville for the Carman Cup with a last-gasp penalty to win 18-15.

Elsewhere, Oriental-Rongotai and Wellington earned death-knock one-point victories in their matches, with Ories beating Poneke 28-27 with an injury time penalty and Wellington scoring a late converted try to sink Old Boys University 17-16.

Wainuiomata edged Petone 20-11 on their Old Timers’ Day, Northern United defeated Paremata-Plimmerton 55-7 and the Upper Hutt Rams pulled clear of Avalon 48-34.

At the Hutt Recreation Ground, MSP nearly pinched an improbable victory in a 15-try extravaganza. HOBM started strongly and scored the first two tries, including a disputed James?O'Reilly dive into the corner.?MSP responded with 26 unanswered points to power ahead 29-10.

HOBM fullback?Blake McGregor supported a Fereti Soloa break to collect a double, before the most crucial moment of the game. In an attempt to end the first-half an MSP player deliberately threw the ball into touch, five-metres out from his own line. From the penalty, HOBM elected to take a scrum and Joe Apikatoa scored to reduce the deficit to five, turning with a strong wind.

The Eagles generally used the breeze proficiently and soared ahead 54-37. With five minutes left though Marist rallied and scored two quick tries. MSP wing Julian Tupai then snatched a?Fa'atonu Fili?chip kick from a Hutt defender and burst towards the corner. He was thrown into touch as he lunged towards the try line.

At Helston Park, scores were locked up at 15-15 late in the match when Johnsonville first five-eighth Deina Morete had made a clean break and appeared to be heading away for the winning try. But he was called back for obstruction and instead Tawa fullback James So’oialo stepped up and kicked a sensational long-range penalty that dropped just over the uprights on fulltime for victory.

At Kilbirnie Park, Oriental-Rongotai broke Poneke’s hearts, with first five-eighth Trevor Marama kicking an extra time penalty to give them a 28-27 Jimmy Grbich Shield win.

Ories got themselves in the lead with the final play of the match, after Poneke first five-eighth Greg Mullany had kicked a penalty from in front to have his team ahead 27-25, after Ories had scored the only try of the second half. Both sides had preyed on the other’s mistakes and Poneke led 24-15 at halftime when flanker Joseph Scheres had scored in the 40th minute.

At Hataitai Park, AKA the Graveyard for visiting teams, drama unfolded at the end, with home side Wellington giving under-strength Old Boys University the Axe.

With many of their front line players missing to representative commitments, the OBU Goats had inched ahead to 16-10 in this Dean Gifford Memorial Cup match with a 55th minute penalty and then a try to openside flanker Liam Doherty.

But the Axemen went wide at the death and right wing Paddy Hughes crashed over to score in the tackle in the corner. Halfback Adam Deck stepped up and slotted the sideline conversion.

At William Jones Park, home side Wainuiomata defeated Petone 20-11 to claim the Darren Larsen Cup.

Wainuiomata led 9-3 on penalties at halftime and then edged ahead 15-6 through the boot of Tyler Tane who became the first player this season to reach 100 points. They then scored a key try to replacement wing Hokianga Mouranga to go further ahead. Petone fought to the end and came back with a try to long-serving hooker Eugene Smith but were unable to secure any points from this match.

At Maidstone Park, the Upper Hutt Rams got their campaign back on track and consigned Avalon to their sixth straight loss with a crowd-pleasing 48-34 win.

Wing Joyner Key bagged a hat-trick and fullback Jordan Simpson-Heftt scored a try and kicked 11 points, but later left the field injured.

Avalon scored the game’s first try, through first five-eighth Shannon Bradbrook, but Simpson-Hefft and midfielder Troy Mohr scored tries to pull them ahead 17-10. This was extended to 31-0 by halftime. Avalon closed the gap and later scored two quickfire tries to close the gap up further.

At Ngatitoa Domain, visitors Northern United streaked to a 55-7 win over Paremata-Plimmerton, after being ahead 21-0 at halftime. Norths opened the scoring with a 10th minute intercept try and reached their half century before Paremata-Plimmerton got on the board with their one and try to captain Tane McMillan-Parata. An extended report of this match is below

Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield

Tawa’s second XV is emulating its top side, to be unbeaten after six rounds. Top met bottom when Tawa beat winless Johnsonville 43-12.

Petone, Norths and Poneke are all chasing hard after securing their fifth wins today. Defending second round Senior 1 champions Petone defeated mid-table Wainuiomata 36-27, Norths beat Paremata-Plimmerton 41-20 and Poneke tacked into the wind in the second half to beat Ories 47-19.

The Wellington Axemen moved to outright fifth with a 32-28 win over the depleted Old Boys University, while Avalon beat the Upper Hutt Rams 27-24 and HOBM beat MSP 22-18 in two more close matches.

Paris Memorial Trophy U21s

Northern United Blue and the Upper Hutt Rams, featuring several of last year’s St Pat’s Silverstream First XV, both made it three from three today in the re-formatted 15-team Colts competition.

Norths blanked Paremata-Plimmerton 43-0 and the Rams beat the Avalon Wolfcubs 43-18.

Petone Blue beat Wainuiomata 36-5, Tawa beat Johnsonville 31-11 and Hutt Old Boys Marist Green overcame MSP 21-7.

In two matches on Kilbirnie Park, Poneke held on to beat Ories 23-15 and the Wellington Junior Axemen chopped through Old Boys University Black 31-18.

Old Boys University Green had the bye.

JC Bowl U85kg Restricted

The Tawa Titans ensured it was a memorable day for the club by defending the Centurions Cup against Wellington A, with a 14-6 win.

The OBU Bunnies beat the MSP Reds 28-20 and the Avalon Wolves beat the Upper Hutt Rams 27-13 in two other results to hand.

First XV

St Pat’s Town defeated Lindisfarne College 20-12 in Palmerston North.

Wellington College continued its poor start to 2015, losing to Hastings Boys’ High School 32-24 at Ian Galloway Park.?

Northern United 55 v Paremata-Plimmerton 7: ?Match Report

Northern United made no race of the Porirua City derby against neighbours Paremata-Plimmerton, rolling to a 55-7 win in their Swindale Shield encounter at Ngatitoa Domain. In doing so they reclaimed the Ivan Hargreaves Trophy, ill health prevented the man himself attending, though Mana MP Kris Faafoi was amongst those in attendance.

After an impeccably observed minute's silence for Anzac Day, the sides got down to a nervous, error ridden start. Pare-Plim suffered an early setback, with halfback Kaitiaki Toi sent to the bin by referee Daniel Mangin for an infringement under his own posts. Shortly after Norths broke through, with second-five Konelio Feaunati picking off an intercept, then minutes later finding a yawning gap in midfield to run his second. A simple 8-9-10 move from the scrum put Jackson Garden-Bachop into a similar hole and he too dotted down under the posts to make it 21-0 after 22 minutes. The hosts regrouped and put together good passages of play, but went unrewarded even with Norths reduced to 14 when lock Rolagi Lepupa was binned. That seemed to stunt Norths' momentum, and despite having use of the breeze there was no further scoring.

However, Norths bolted out of the gate in the second half. As the wind died away they ran the scoreline to 45-0, with four more tries to their account through wing Vonijasi Denicaucau, loosies Anthony Masina and Parekura Lalaga, and replacement Feki Silva. Pare-Plim eventually got on the board when Norths missed touch from a defensive penalty and some good play saw Tane McMillan-Parata barge his way over. Norths however would close proceedings with Denicaucau and Garden-Bachop getting their doubles.

Truth be told it was a poor defensive effort from Pare-Plim, who were busted by Norths both up the middle and out wide seemingly at will and fell off far too many first up tackles, and struggled to retain much ball to do anything with. Captain Tane McMillan-Parata again delivered a massive 80 minute effort, while openside Shane Hedges was one of the few others to emerge with any credit. Norths big units, locks Lepupa and Api Naikatini, and No8 Masina simply bludgeoned the defense, while five-eighths Garden-Bachop and Feaunati found space time and time again.

Norths won the other two matches between the clubs today, taking the Premier Reserve game 41-20 with both sides conceding penalty tries and Norths down to 12 men at one point, while the Colts ran out 43-0 victors.

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