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This week in club rugby history – 2-8 April

Swindale Shield | 03 April 2018 | Steven White

This week in club rugby history – 2-8 April

Buxton Popoalii scores a hat-trick for Nothern United United this week in 2010. PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Lintott Photography.

In association with Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond Street in Wellington, some highlights from this week in Wellington club rugby history are below.

2 April

1977: A noted first round result with MSP beating Wellington 28-10, six tries to two, at Athletic Park. Flanker Paul Quinn is the Player of the Day. Defending Jubilee Cup champions Petone pull clear to beat Naenae Old Boys 29-4.

1983: The Poneke FC’s 100th anniversary celebrations are marred slightly when their top team loses 7-9 to Wainuiomata in their Swindale Shield opener. Elsewhere, Western Suburbs, an off-season amalgamation of Athletic, Onslow and Karori, draw their first ever match 15-15 with Upper Hutt.

2004: It’s the Waldrom brothers’ show at Fraser Park in today’s season opener, Scott Waldrom crossing for four tries and brother Thomas one against Johnsonville. From the moment that Crusader Scott gallops from halfway to score three minutes into the match, Avalon are on-song. Long-serving lock Jason Goble and up and coming hooker Mahonri Schwalger also stand out in the 43-16 win

RLM

3 April

1982: Wellington upset defending champions MSP 12-6 in this season opener, fullback Evan Hopkin landing a whopper 60-metre penalty and three others to put the Axemen ahead 12-0 at halftime. They hold on in to the wind to set up a Swindale Shield-winning season.

2010: The new season starts with a bang, with last year’s Jubilee Cup finalists Northern United and Marist St’ Pat’s clashing first-up. Norths fullback Buxton Popoalii scores a hat-trick and wing James So’oialo scores 19 points as Norths win 54-26 and reverse the final result. Elsewhere, Poneke first five-eighth Sam Rasch kicks a death-knock penalty to give his side a 20-18 win over Ories and Petone and Old Boys University draw 20-20.

4 April

1981: Competition co-favourites MSP and Petone each score eight tries in their season openers, as MSP beats Upper Hutt 41-0 and Petone outshines Titahi Bay 51-12 with Mike Clamp scoring a hat-trick.

1998: Western Suburbs edge Tawa 19-15 in this second round match, withstanding a fierce late rally in windy conditions. These two teams are destined to meet in the Jubilee Cup final later in the season.

2009: In two significant results in second round matches today, Petone defeat Norths 30-25 at the Petone Rec to hand Norths its second straight loss of 2009, and Poneke beat defending co-champions Marist St. Pat’s 18-8 at Evans Bay Park to inflict the first defeat of MSP on their home patch for almost two years and also claim the inaugural Miller-Horan Trophy between these sides. Norths and Petone will go on to share this year’s Swindale Shield, while MSP will beat Norths in the Jubilee Cup final later in the year.

5 April

1986: Wing Wayne Gray scores a hat-trick and halfback Neil Sorenson kicks 20 points as MSP open the season with a 48-8 win over Paremata-Plimmerton. Rocked by an early Bernie Fraser try, Petone rebound to beat Hutt Valley Marist 22-4 in their match, while Western Suburbs step out for their first time in their new French Roosters’ playing kit and lose to Wellington 6-27.

6 April

1963: The first round of matches see the previous year’s joint champions Marist Brothers Old Boys and Onslow held to tight winning margins by two “bottom six” sides from 1962 - Wellington and Poneke. Marist beats Wellington 19-16 after trailing 6-11 at halftime and Onslow defeats Poneke 11-6 after being behind 0-6 at the break. This sets the tone for a tight season, in which Marist claims the Jubilee Cup outright on the last afternoon at Athletic Park.

7 April

2001: The cliché “game of two halves” is appropriate at the Polo Grounds today where home side Ories turn around a 7-22 deficit to beat Johnsonville 34-29 in a 9-try thriller. Johnsonville dominates the first half, but a different Ories side starts the second and lock Ma’afa Pale scores the winner in the 76th minute. Elsewhere, Petone pip Wests 30-29 and Upper Hutt edge Norths 23-20.

2007: Newly promoted Wainuiomata stun reigning champions Northern United 30-29 at William Jones Park. With All Black Piri Weepu playing a leading hand at first five-eighth, Wainuiomata leap to an early lead and hold on for the rest of the match.

8 April

2006: Hutt Old Boys Marist come back from a 12-point deficit to beat defending first round champions Upper Hutt 32-29, scoring the winning try in the dying moments. Centre Mike Pehi is the star for HOBM with four tries, while halfback Alby Mathewson scored a brace of tries for Upper Hutt. Elsewhere, defending Jubilee Cup champions Petone are boosted by All Blacks captain Tana Umaga in their 31-5 win over Old Boys University. HOBM go on to beat Petone 24-13 in next week’s McBain Shield clash.

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