MSP, Norths and Poneke unbeaten after two Jubilee Cup rounds

Decisive second round wins to Marist St. Pat's, Northern United and Poneke have seen these three sides remain as the only unbeaten teams in the Jubilee Cup.

The trio each scored important second round wins to make it two from two and create the early jump on the field that also includes three winless contenders in Old Boys-University, Oriental-Rongotai and Hutt Old Boys Marist, who now realistically find themselves in must win situations next weekend or their semi-final aspirations will quickly disappear.

In games played on Saturday, the leading trio each scored contrasting wins with Northern United comfortably accounting for Oriental-Rongotai 44-0 at the Polo Ground, Marist St. Pat's coming from behind to edge out first round winners Petone 20-15 and Jubilee Cup specialists Poneke pulling away from Hutt Old Boys Marist to prevail 33-12. In the round's other game, Upper Hutt enjoyed a convincing 36-12 win over OBU to please their supporters after a close loss to Petone last week.

The clash of the round at Evans Bay Park saw home team MSP use their get out of jail free card against Petone, MSP coming back from a 10-point deficit to scrape past the Villagers and register their 12th consecutive win of 2008.

It took back-to-back tries to No. 8 Alex Tulou and?first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili, to ease MSP into the lead late in the match after trailing 5-15 midway through the second half. Fili's try put them in front 17-15, and then a penalty to Brendan Watt clinched a hard fought victory.

Earlier, Petone held sway through tries to super quick right wing Fautua Otto and work horse No. 8 Shaun Mahoney and their fans were growing increasingly hopeful of toppling the in-form Swindale Shield champions. But MSP's pack grew in strength as the contest developed and pipped Petone at the end.

It was a similar story at the Hutt Recreation Ground, where Poneke broke free from a first half arm-wrestle to win well over HOBM. Scores were locked up at 5-5 at the 30-minute mark and then 12-10 to the HOBM at halftime, a conversion the difference between them. Poneke then?pulled?clear?after the turnaround, big striding winger Ambrose Plaister placing the ball down for his team's third try and setting them in motion for a five tries to two win.

Upper Hutt were emphatic five tries to two winners over OBU at home at Maidstone Park, their physical forward pack wrestling control over their visitors and speedy backs that included?Hurricanes halfback Alby Mathewson off the bench becoming increasingly dangerous.

A converted try to slick right winger Ofa Pongi and penalty to first five-eighth Ben Aoina gave Upper Hutt an early 10-0 lead before they broke open the game with two tries just before halftime including a second try to Pongi, to lead 22-0 at the break. OBU, fielding an inexperienced backline with three players listed on debut, then fell further behind in the second half and Upper Hutt sealed a first-up win in the Jubilee Cup round.

Not so much strolling to victory, but exploding to their second bonus point win of the second round were 2006 champions Norths who overran Ories in a quickfire burst of try scoring just before and just after halftime.

The Norths attacking machine turned a previous close game on its head with three lightning tries in almost as many minutes immediately before halftime and another just after the break, and that, as their supporters nodded to each other, was that.

In this period they advanced their lead from 5-0 to 27-0, had a bonus point try under the belts and had sent top scorer Sinoti To'omaga flying away for his hat trick and his 13th, 14th and 15th tries of the 2008 club rugby season in 13 games.

To'omaga, now sporting short hair, was at his slickest and dynamic best in racing away for his tries, but in all instances he was simply the benefactor of a sudden spate of poor Ories discipline and several moments of poor defensive lapses on behalf of the home team.

Indeed the blowout on the scoreboard was in no means a reflection of the competitiveness and spirit of Ories, particularly in the tight forward exchanges and more so in the second half. But Ories were lucky in the sense that Norths would have?cruised past their half century if first five-eighth Leon Ellison had managed to kick some conversions in the blustery conditions.

Super-utility player Francis Seumanutafa turned out in the blindside flanker position and also turned up everywhere on the field and joined To'omaga in scoring a hat trick of tries, with this dynamic duo joined by openside flanker Dean Brunsdon and right wing Daley Harper as standout Norths players.

Harper was particularly sharp, directly involved in two of the first three tries, scooping up a loose ball from a wild pass in midfield and breaking away to put To'omaga away for the first try and kicking ahead for centre Alapati Leiua to regather and score a runaway try - this try started from a turnover inside their 22 after Ories had been desperately unlucky not to score themselves.

Too their credit, Ories tightened up their defence and maintained their pressure in the close-quarter exchanges in the second half, keeping Norths with the strong wind in their favour scoreless for much of the second half. But three late tries sealed the win, the second to replacement centre Siaosi Anamani from an attacking scrum platform was a real gem.

Ories are a much more competitive side than this sizable loss suggests, and if they can quickly recapture their earlier season form and get their young first five-eighth maestro James Proctor back in the side and firing after a knee injury then they remain alive as a real dark horse.

Meanwhile Norths can only increase their danger factor, with first five-eighth Rob Aloe, fullback Buxton Leatulava, blindside Api Naikatini and No. 8 Anare Koliavu all due back in the starting line-up and - probably together - very soon. Leatulava was a late withdrawal for this match with a minor injury, allowing Aloe to make his return from injury off the bench and veteran fullback Peato Lafaele a start at the back.

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