Ories confirm title credentials with win over MSP

Swindale Shield round seven review: Oriental-Rongotai's re-emergence as a powerhouse of Wellington club rugby appears complete after their outstanding 30-24 victory over defending champions Marist St. Pat's consolidated their position near the top of the table with four rounds of the Swindale Shield remaining.

Ories beat MSP with a three-try burst just before and after halftime to inflict a second successive defeat and third of the season on MSP who won or drew 19 games in a row in 2008 to win the Swindale Shield and share the Jubilee Cup title with Norths.

The Miramar contenders are now safely in?third place?one point behind Poneke and fifve points adrift of unbeaten?Petone whom they play in round 11 in a possible title decider.

In other round seven results, Poneke beat Hutt Old Boys Marist?29-9 at Kilbirnie Park, Petone sailed past Old Boys-University 58-0 at the Petone Recreation Ground, Northern United overpowered Wainuiomata 52-10 at William Jones Park, Upper Hutt accounted for Avalon 43-12 at Fraser Park and Tawa swept aside the Wests Roosters 45-3 at Ian Galloway Park.

The win for Ories was their first over MSP in nine previous Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup games dating back to 2001 when they beat their Eastern Suburbs-based rivals twice in the same season (27-20 and 10-9). There was a 10-10 draw in 2003 between the sides in the first round of 2003, the last time Ories were near the top of the Premier table. But after five years in the wilderness, they are back and again a force to be reckoned with, as also evidenced by their second XV Senior One side who lost to runaway leaders MSP yesterday but are on track to make the Hardham Cup.

On a beautifully fine crisp afternoon across Wellington, in contrast to the dire forecast the Club Weekly read on Thursday, Ories' and MSP's respective first five-eighths and goal kickers James Proctor and Fa'atonu Fili traded early penalties and MSP led 9-6 after 30 minutes. With his first kick, Proctor became the first player to reach 100 points for the season.

MSP then went further ahead to 14-6 when left winger Brendan Watt broke through to score his 10^th try of the year, but Ories then surged ahead with two thrilling tries to second five eighth Paula Kinikinilau to lead 20-14 at halftime. It got better for Ories soon after the re-start when centre Paulo Aukuso crossed the tryline and Proctor converted to give them a decisive 27-14 lead.

Proctor kicked his third penalty to extend the lead the advantage to 30-14 , before MSP came back with a converted try to fullback Jackson Martin to close the gap to nine points. Fili slotted another penalty to bring his side to within a converted try of victory but the home side held on for a famous victory.

Just up the road, Poneke enjoyed a clinical five tries to two victory over Hutt Old Boys Marist for the Roy John Trophy after coming from behind at halftime to score four of their tries in the second 40 minutes.

Playing with the breeze in the first half, the Eagles grabbed a 9-5 halftime advantage through three penalties to fullback James Kusel versus a try to Poneke left wing James Pointon.

Poneke ?jumped to a match winning 24-9 lead after the first 15 minutes of the second half, with three quickfire tries to?Pointon (his second), fullback Ben Huntley and right wing Marika Kau. Huntley then scored his second and at 29-9 up the red and blacks had earned another bonus point win. HOBM scored two late tries to the Hines brothers, right wing Brad and No. 8 Garrett.

Leaders Petone had too much power in the forwards for the struggling Old Boys-University in their straightforward Old Timers' Day win at the Petone Recreation Ground.

They racked up nine unanswered tries for their seventh straight win, and with games against Upper Hutt, Tawa and Wainuiomata over the next three weeks ahead of their date with Ories in the last round, the Swindale Shield appears there's to lose

First five-eighth Dan Kirkpatrick kicked off proceedings with an early penalty, before No. 8 Shaun Mahoney scored their first and fourth tries before halftime as Petone led 27-0 at the turnaround.

From there, Petone sauntered away for their victory with five further tries, including two apiece to fullback Fraser Middleton and left wing Lewis Marshall and another to in-form hooker Eugene Smith.

Norths remain a threat in fourth place after dispatching Wainuiomata 52-10 and retaining the Alf Keating Memorial Trophy. Norths' victory was a team affair, with eight different players scoring each of their tries.

No. 8 Matt Luamanu scored two first half tries as Upper Hutt pulled away from a 24-0 halftime lead to beat Avalon seven tries to two and retain the Harper Vine Trophy and maintain their position well inside the top eight.

The Club Weekly was at Ian Galloway Park where Tawa were thoroughly deserving of their win over a woeful Wests Roosters to surge into the top eight and reverse a succession of four straight losses in the first round to the Roosters by seven points or fewer.

The blowout scoreline between these two teams that have now shadowed each other in both overall and head to head performances for several seasons, was an accurate reflection of Tawa's commitment and dominance in almost every department over the home side. Wests' Old Timers barely had anything to crow about all afternoon as their team produced a mistake-ridden and ill-disciplined performance to hand the winning of the game to an obliging Tawa by halftime.

From the start, Tawa were by far the more focused team and their impressive pack and barnstorming loose forwards took control. Blindside flanker Stephen Sasagi, openside Tivaini Fomai and evergreen No. 8 Iona Fuatai were outstanding for Tawa, winning the breakdown and consistently linking with their willing backline on attack.

Sasagi, who played some games on the wing in last year's Air New Zealand Cup for the Tasman Makos, and Fomai were particularly impressive in broken play, while the loose forward trio were well backed up by lock Pati Gaualofa and hooker Matt Treeby.

The signs of a poor showing from Wests were evident early when? the very first kick-off of the match went dead in-goal. Tawa went quickly on to attack, their support play and interchanging of passing between backs and forwards soon stretching Wests' defence around the fringes.

It was this concerted early pressure that led to the first try, Wests giving away a penalty near their goal line and Gaualofa scoring after an attacking lineout and series of drives close to the chalk.

Wests hit back with a penalty and their only points of the game to first five-eighth Scott Mudgway, before Tawa scored an excellent team try in the 20^th minute after a sweeping movement in open play. Gaualofa was again on hand with the final pass to right wing Ezra Fermanis who scorched over to score in the right hand corner. Halfback Filipo Palepua's conversion was unsuccessful but Tawa now led 12-3.

Another penalty conceded inside their 22 by Wests led to Tawa's third try off another lineout drive, this time Sasagi winning the set-piece and hooker Treeby peeling around to score another five-pointer.

A lineout steal and another free ranging attack placed Tawa back into the attacking zone before the break, the play just snuffed out but Wests centre Alema Pisa instead being sin binned. Centre Willie Lafaele duely added the penalty from in front of the sticks and Tawa turned with the breeze at their backs with a 20-3 lead.

It went from bad to worse for the Roosters after the break when prop Malaga Leota was sin binned for more cynical play at the ruck and they were reduced to 13 players for the best part of 10 minutes. Fijian blindside Nemani Waka then limped to the sideline injured and Wests were down to 12 defenders for a brief period as Lafaele lined up his second penalty in front of the uprights to make it 23-3.

Despite being two players down, Wests temporarily tidied up their defence and discipline, but not their ball control as Tawa second five-eighth Shaun Treeby ripped the ball from Wests prop Damien Winter and flew 40 metres to score his team's bonus point try after 55 minutes.

Halfback Palepua picked up a dropped ball by Wests inside their 22 and sauntered 10 metres to score their next try, while Sasagi and Fomai linked up for a terrific try only moments later. From his own side of halfway, Sasagi scooped another Wests spilled ball and broke through the traffic in midfield and found Fomai in support to score a runaway try.

Tawa were full of running to the end, winger Fermanis scoring his second try with the clock winding down.

The win for Tawa puts them in a strong position to make the top eight if they can go on and defeat Wainuiomata next week, while it's back to the drawing board for Wests who until this match had promised so much but failed to get the results on the board.

Meanwhile, the MSP second XV didn't have it all their way against their Ories counterparts, but still beat them 39-22 and posted their seventh consecutive bonus point win in the Senior One Harper Lock Shield grade. They now lead by 11 points and barring disaster over the final month of first round play they should go on to win the Harper Lock Shield.

The race to fill the final three spots for the Hardham Cup is still far from decided, with Premier hopefuls Rimutaka beating bottom placed Upper Hutt with a bonus point 29-8 to ?move from fourth to second on points differential.

Rimutaka join Poneke on 24 points, who defeated HOBM 15-14 In a thriller at Kilbirnie Park, while Ories complete the top four.

Johnsonville round out the top five after beating Stokes Valley 38-29, continuing their steady climb up the ladder after a sluggish start to their year.

MSP also lead the Senior Two National Mutual Cup competition by one point to second placed Northern United after edging out the Wellington Axemen 36-31 and Norths beat Wainuiomata 13-5 without securing a bonus point.

MSP and Norths have a five-point advantage to a group of three teams all on 23 points, two of whom lost their seventh round matches. Of these, Tawa went down 13-8 to Wests and Poneke shut out HOBM 27-26 in another close game at Kilbirnie Park.

Competition down the bottom of this grade remains tight, with previous tenth placed Johnsonville holding seventh placed Avalon to a 10-10 draw but both teams slipping down the ladder as a consequence.

The top of the first round Fleurs Trophy Premier women's grade remains unchanged, with leaders Johnsonville ousting Stokes Valley by 35-17, second placed Norths beating Poneke by default and third placed OBU enjoying a 17-10 win over MSP.

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