Tawa and Avalon book home semi-finals

Hardham Cup round seven: It was hardly a day for champagne rugby, as Wainuiomata, Wests Roosters, Avalon and MSP B battled it out for the three remaining Hardham Cup semi-finals berths, with Tawa having already booked theirs. In bitter cold and under a slate grey sky, Wainui, Wests and Avalon each did enough to ensure that the semi-finals will be an all-A-team affair.

At William Jones Park in Wainuiomata, the Green and Blacks made sure they'll be back next week. With a try to Tau Mamea and penalties to Michael Lealava'a giving the home side an 11-6 lead over Wests Roosters at half-time, Wainui went into the second-half with the edge.?No. 8 Natano Tiatia?however, levelled the scores for the Roosters in the second forty, and but for a missed conversion attempt from the sideline by fullback Toby Robson, Wests would have stolen a win. 11-11 is how it finished, with Wests left to rue another draw.

At Hataitai Park, meanwhile, a resurgent Avalon edged out MSP B 17-10 in another closely fought contest. Leading 10-3 at the break through tries to winger Lemafa Tulauau and centre Finau Hopoi, the boys from the valley held in their nerve in an even second-half to run out the winners. Marist number 8 Tui Tuia breached the Avalon defence in the second forty, but a try to Avalon's Efaraimo sealed the win for his side.

In a match at Helston which proved to be each side's last, Johnsonville finished the year with a win, beating Norths B 22-12. Tries to Lio Palepua, Leigh Woodcock and Karl, along with seven points from Palepua's boot, proved enough for the two-time Harper Lock Shield champions to despatch their near neighbours. For Norths, James Kerse and Suasene scored tries, with Matt Nolan adding a conversion. The lead switched hands twice in the first half, but in the second, Johnsonville did most of the scoring.

Tawa completed a perfect round-robin at a bleak Maoribank Park, blitzing the Rimutaka Rams 56-7. Despite major difficulties at scrum-time, the visitors turned on plenty of sparkle in the backs to make it seven from seven in the Hardham Cup.

A bearded Gene Johnston, back at first-five-eighth after two weeks paternity leave, opened the scoring early with a penalty from in front, then added a try moments later after hacking a grassed ball into the light northerly and falling on it in goal. Tawa skipper Iona Fuatai crossed the line soon after, picking the ball up from the base of a back-pedalling Tawa scrum and bumping off some half-hearted tackling to score. With Johnston's conversion, it was 15-0 at more than a point a minute.

Tawa scored three times more before the break, through left-wing Jeff Makapelu, and centres Shaun Treeby and Makea Pokere. Johnston converted Makapelu's try from the touchline - one for son Giovanni, perhaps - but failed with two other attempts. The Rams, meanwhile, managed to convert their scrum dominance into points just before the break, with bustling number 8 Richard MacDonald picking up from the base and going over near the right-hand touch. The scrum came after several minutes in Tawa's 22, following a skilful 50 metre run, kick and chase by Rams lock Sean Burn. Former Maori All Black Ray MacDonald converted impressively from a tricky angle to see the two sides go into the break at 32-7.

Tawa turned around with the light northerly at their backs, and quickly extended their lead. Fuatai took the ball on his own twenty-two before making a jinking run. New French import Jean-Baptiste Aldridge ran off Fuatai's shoulder to create the link between his captain and outside backs. When centre Makea Pokere - nephew to 80s All Black Steven - took the ball on the ten-yard line in Rimutaka territory, there was only one possible outcome. Pokere's try was reward for a very classy young player. Further tries in the Rimutaka murk to substitute flanker Thomas George, Makapelu, and Aldridge, plus two conversions to Aldridge, saw the match close, and not before time, at 56-7. The smattering of fans at Maoribank wasted no time in seeking out the warmth of the clubrooms or their cars.

It was a match which lacked intensity, due perhaps to the fact that nothing was riding on it. Tawa's frequent tries punctuated patches of otherwise innocuous football. As the game drew to a close, Makapelu and Aldridge each took pleasure in throwing no-look passes which more often than not came off. Rimutaka, for their part, could have done with more passes going to hand. The hard work by their forwards, including two tighthead scrums, was often squandered by errors in the backs.

Tawa must now go into the semi-finals favourites to take out the competition. They will will host Wests Roosters at Lyndhurst next week, while Wainuimomata and Avalon play out a Hutt Valley derby at Fraser Park.

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