Watt and Ngatai star, while Norths and Wainui grab opening wins

Swindale Shield round three review: A sensational five tries to Marist St Pat's left wing Brendan Watt, four tries to Poneke centre Charlie Ngatai and opening wins of the 2009 season for Northern United and Wainuiomata were some of the numerous highlights of the third round of the Swindale Shield.

Vodafone Wellington Lions utility back Watt? scored five of this team's eight tries in a comfortable 55-3 win over Tawa at Evans Bay Park and Ngatai dotted down four times in Poneke's 76-0 rout of Old Boys-University across the road at Kilbirnie Park.

Northern United and Wainuiomata both kick-started their 2009 seasons with away wins over Oriental-Rongotai and Avalon. Norths inflicted a first defeat on Oriental-Rongotai in a tough 24-16 win at the Polo Ground and Wainuiomata beat strugglers Avalon 31-0 at Fraser Park.

In other third round matches, Petone and Hutt Old Boys Marist? earned hard fought victories over the Wests Roosters and Upper Hutt, ?HOBM defeating Upper Hutt 26-25 in a thriller at the Hutt Recreation Ground and Petone edging out the plucky Roosters 17-10 at Ian Galloway Park.

After three rounds, Poneke, Petone and Hutt Old Boys Marist all remain unbeaten, while at the other end of the points table the Wests Roosters, Old Boys-University and Avalon are yet to register wins.

Former midfielder Norm Broughton once scored four tries for MSP against Tawa, but Watt went one better in dotting down for the highest individual haul in Wellington Premier rugby for at least several seasons. He scored four tries in the first half as MSP lead 34-3 at halftime against Tawa and then another after the break as MSP celebrated prop Jamie Parkinson's 100^th Premier game for the club in style.

Over the road it was all one-way traffic for the in-form Poneke against OBU, New Zealand Secondary Schools WRFU signing Charlie Ngatai again impressing from centre with his four tries. In all Poneke scored 12 tries and scored 38 points in each half. Left wing Ambrose Plaister also crossed for a hat trick and openside flanker Mase Leuluniu grabed a brace, both continuing their great starts to the year.

In contrast, both Petone's and HOBM's wins were much closer. There was no Easter Uprising at the Cage for the Wests Roosters against Petone but there could have been if they had scored points as clinically as they are defending against them at the moment. Petone, who raced to a 10-0 lead early courtesy of a Cam Incledon try effectively spent the rest of game containing Wests who were left ruing two early missed penalty shots on goal and at least three tries that seemingly went begging. One of these tries was a dropped ball with the line open, while Petone's second try to retain the Gareth Head Memorial Trophy was scored from a breakout against the run of play after the Roosters had been hammering away at their line for long periods.

The lead changed several times at the Hutt Recreation Ground in a roller-coaster first half between the home side and Upper Hutt. HOBM winger Brad Hines and Upper Hutt centre Greg Tweddle each scored early as Upper Hutt led 8-7. New Zealand U20 flanker Matthew Luamanu then crossed for Upper Hutt and they led 13-7. But HOBM then came storming back to take a 19-13 lead at the interval with two tries of their own. The Eagles scored their bonus point try to centre Reuben Colquhoun to extend their advantage to 26-13 and they appeared to be soaring to victory. But two further Upper Hutt tries closed the deficit to within a point of winning, and like the Roosters were left lamenting another desperately close loss after going down by just two points to Ories in week two.

Wainuiomata came away with an efficient 31-0? win over Avalon at Fraser Park, pulling away from a 16-0 halftime advantage and scoring five tries in all, including two to lock Glen Angus.

Meanwhile, Norths' desperation and the return to top level rugby of Robert Fruen were features of Norths' hard fought victory over Oriental-Rongotai at the Polo Ground.

Norths outscored Oriental-Rongotai three tries to one and scored two crucial tries in the first half, to which Oriental-Rongotai could only answer with three penalties to first five-eighth James Proctor despite going close on several occasions.

The influence of Norths' key players in creating opportunities and pressuring Oriental-Rongotai into mistakes was also key in a fiercely contested game in which both sides gave away far too many penalties at the breakdown and made too many crucial errors to assert themselves on the other.

For Norths lock Chris Middleton and flanker Dean Brunsdon both had big games against their physical Oriental-Rongotai counterparts, both joined by the blockbusting No.8 Anare Koliavu making his first appearance for the Bulldogs in 2009. Out wide, wingers Francis Seumanutafa and veteran Peato Lafaele and young fullback James So'oialo all? ran strongly.

But perhaps the most significant individual for Norths was midfielder Fruen, making his long awaited return from major heart surgery last August that has kept him out of all rugby for over eighteen months. The 2007 IRB World U19 of the Year started the game on the substitutions bench but was quickly in action on the field as a replacement for second five-eighth Semesa Manulevu who sustained a leg injury only minutes after kick-off and soon limped to the sideline.

Fruen, who took Manulevu's place at second five alongside livewire centre Alapati Leuia, ?had a direct hand in North's second try before the break in feeding veteran winger Lafaele a try in the corner and then in their third after halftime with a chip and chase that led to Leiua scoring.

With Norths leading 16-9 and the game very much in the balance, Fruen chased up his chip kick behind Oriental-Rongotai's defensive line and hit the defender with a strong tackle form behind to jolt the ball free and allow Leiua to score in the corner. This now put Norths ahead 21-9 and fullback So'oialo soon extended this by three more with his third successful penalty of the match.

The home side were not without their chances in their attempts to mount a comeback but a lack of accuracy and continued turnovers in the face of Norths' continued swarming defence let them down. Ories saved their best rugby to the final ten minutes with centre Paulo Aukuso finally slicing through to score at the end after a long period of pressure but it was all too little too late.

Earlier, it was Ories who opened the scoring with a ?Proctor penalty after a promising movement was just snuffed out by Norths. But in the first of three successive mistakes from the kick-off, Oriental-Rongotai failed to secure their own ball back and Norths hooker Nathan Fotuali'i swivelled over in the tackle for their first try.

It was tit-for-tat over the next period with both kickers exchanging two more penalties apiece and Norths held a slender 11-9 lead after 25 minutes.

Norths gained the upper hand when Fruen put Lafaele away in the corner, following a Brunsdon breakout from a scrum from halfway into the 22 and another series of raids in front of the uprights.

Oriental-Rongotai then closed the first half hot on attack and were unlucky not to score in the corner which would have closed the scores right back up again, the end of the movement signaling the end of an eventful half.

In Senior One Harper Lock Shield action, Ories pipped Norths in the curtain raiser 24-20 to join four teams in a tie for second behind early leaders MSP, who secured their third consecutive bonus point win of the Harper Lock Shield by accounting for defending champions Johnsonville 29-5 at Evans Bay Park.

Elsewhere, Premier hopefuls Rimutaka beat Paramata-Plimmerton 28-13 at Maoribank Park and Stokes Valley triumphed over Petone at Delaney Park on their Old Timers' Day.

HOBM are the early frontrunners of the Senior Two National Mutual Cup after defeating Johnsonville 25-17 and earning their third straight bonus point win of the year. Poneke are also unbeaten after three rounds but have yet to score four or more tries in a match, holding off OBU 20-16 in their match on Saturday.

Norths and Johnsonville both mean business in the first round Fleurs Trophy Premier Women's grade, both on a maximum 15 points after three weeks. Norths crunched OBU 55-0 and Johnsonville were defaulted to by Waikanae in their third round matches.