Norths and Poneke to meet in Jubilee Cup final as Avalon upset Wests at the Cage

Top qualifiers Poneke and first round Swindale Shield champions Northern United will meet at Westpac Stadium next Sunday afternoon to decide the 82^nd winner of the Jubilee Cup, after winning two contrasting home semi-finals.

At Porirua Park, Norths' flair and enterprise won the day over Hutt Old Boys Marist in a four tries to one 38-13 victory. Norths took the game to the Eagles and had a match-winning 18-0 lead before the visitors could respond, sealing their sixth final berth since 2004.

At a Kilbirnie Park quagmire, it was another typically determined Poneke performance that saw them pip Petone 13-6. There was drama at the end when Petone hammered away at their line desperate for a converted try that would have taken scores into extra time. After a series of scrums and penalties in front of the tryline, Petone eventually knocked on three minutes into injury time and referee Hamish Mexted blew fulltime to send Poneke into their first Jubilee Cup final since 2006.

In the Hardham Cup semi-finals, Avalon stunned top qualifiers the Wests Roosters on their home patch at Ian Galloway Park with a last-gasp 12-11 victory.

Replacement blindside flanker Jonathan Tupuse was the hero for Avalon, outsprinting the Rooster cover defence up the touchline from near halfway and running away to win the semi-final with the last play of the game.

Tupuse's match winner came after Wests had just driven Avalon back out of their own territory to have seemingly done enough to hold on to their 11-7 lead and secure their place in the semi-final.

Wests fullback Chris Brown had previously kicked the second of two second half penalties after Avalon had scored a try before the break to their fullback Thomas Kiwara after a kick and chase. First five-eighth Stephen Cross had nailed the conversion from wide out to put Avalon into the lead at halftime.

Avalon will meet Wainuiomata in the other Hardham Cup semi-final after Wainuiomata held on at home at William Jones Park to beat Tawa 35-29. Wainuiomata secured the win in the first half of a free-flowing game by scoring two early tries and racing to a 21-0 lead.

Halfback Frae Wilson capped a strong game by scoring and converting one of these early tries and kicking three penalties on his way to an eventual 20-point haul.

Tawa answered before halftime with a lone penalty, before coming back with four second half tries, to hooker Matt Treeby, lock Na Ioane, and loose forwards TJ Fermanis and Pati Gaualofa. But Wainuiomata also scored two more converted tries to take them into their fourth Premier 2 final in five years. ?

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Norths v Hutt Old Boys Marist

Northern United surged into a third consecutive Jubilee Cup final with a resounding victory over HOBM.

Norths made a typically brisk beginning when a David Palu chip that resulted in a break by Leon Ellison. The territorial advantage attained from Ellison's charge led Norths to a long passage inside the Eagles 22. That action finished with a small melee in front of the touch judge and Upper Hutt No. 8 Matt Time was sinbinned for 10 minutes - during which time 10 points were scored.

James So'oialo, returning from a knee injury, kicked a penalty, before Josh Hunt scored the opening try. Halfback Thomas Perenara brilliantly palmed a wayward pass into the arms of David Palu who flashed into space down the sideline before drawing the fullback and placing Josh Hunt underneath the posts. So'oialo's conversion meant he reached 260 points for the season, passing his record of 258 last year.

Despite being restored to a full complement of players at the 15-minute mark, the Eagles' lack of direction continued, partly due to regular pivot Dan Snee being absent because of injury and partly due to mistakes in the midfield.

Norths scored again from a flawless lineout, Dean Brudson ploughing through the Eagles' midfield defence and creating a try for occasional league player Nene Va'aleepu. An undisciplined period by both clubs followed as penalties were traded. So'oialo extended Norths led to 18-0 before reluctant goal kicker Michael Kingsbeer, who once trained with Ronan O'Gara, put the Eagles on the board.

So'oialo's third penalty restored the 18-point advantage at which point the Eagles were finally sparked into action. The period five minutes before halftime was the Eagles' best of the match. A succession of assertive forward charges ensued. Thomas Benson was held up over the line form a maul, before Matt Time was denied after a furious drive to the line. The Norths defence was watertight during the sustained pressure and effectively crushed the Eagles sprit.

James So'oialo kicked a penalty to open the second half, before Daley Harper's second try in as many matches settled the contest. In a classic Norths movement Dean Brunsdon wrenched the ball from the Eagles grasp, another Palu nudge at the Eagles' 10 metre line realised AJ Va'aleepu down the grandstand touch before his pass found Harper to score.

The last 20 minutes were forgettable as the Eagles forlornly pursed a comeback and the mistakes piled up. New Zealand Sevens representative Leka Tupuola did barge over with eight minutes to play after some flourish from reserve first five-eighth Glenn Waters, but an incident shortly before fulltime epitomised their day when another Palu grubber produced Norths fourth try to AJ Va'aleepu after an Eagles defender retrieved the ball and threw it backwards to nobody. Ki Anfue's conversion made the final score 38-13.

HOBM, after two competitive outings against Norths earlier in the year, would be terribly disappointed with their display. The loss of Snee seemed to cause a meltdown of structure. Had the Eagles brought a tight, controlled, aggressive forward game to Pouria Park they might have stood a chance. Norths, with their usual combination of flair, power and speed, march on.

Standout Players for Norths included No. 8 Dean Brundson, who was outstanding poaching plenty of ball in the tackle and ran strongly, first five-eighth David Palu, lock Eldon Pea and Nene Va'aleepu.

For HOBM flanker Thomas Benson toiled hard, lock Steven Bradshaw was a tower of strength in the lineout and winger Brad Hines and replacement first five Waters both looked likely.

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Poneke v Petone

There was drama at the end of the Poneke - Petone semi-final as Poneke held on by a thread to deny Petone the opportunity to take the game into extra time.?

In a desperate finish, the match ended with Petone camped on Poneke's line but unable to score the try they needed after a series of scrums and penalties blown awarded to them. In this play, Poneke lock Cam Garvie was sinbinned while a penalty try was the call from some Village supporters.

Too their credit, the red and black machine kept them out in a sea of mud and will head to next Sunday's final against Norths with up to six players available that weren't for this game due to Vodafone Wellington Lions duty (Dane Coles, Daniel Ramsay, Reg Goodes, Masefau Leluniu, Charlie Ngatai and Ruki Tipuna).

Poneke had laid down the challenge for Petone when they had scored a crucial try seven minutes into the second half, which former Petone man Sam Rasch had converted from the sideline for a 13-0 lead.

Down to 14 men after the sinbinning of fullback Willie Moala for killing the ball inside his 22 just before halftime, Petone had held off an injection of speed into the backline by Moala's opposite Ambrose Plaiser after a lovely attacking lineout move. Bursting on to the short side from a switch in play in the midfield, Plaister held onto the ball for a fraction too long and the movement was stopped in a puddle.

But, with fresh jerseys and urgency in their attack, the red and blacks kept play alive long enough for outstanding young lock Presley Tufaga to burst from a ruck up towards the goaline and Evan Belford was soon driven over in a sea of bodies in the right hand corner.

Rasch's successful conversion meant Petone now had to score two converted tries in about half an hour to win.

They very nearly grabbed the first from the ensuing re-start when they won the ball back and Samoan Sevens wing Fautua Otto tore up the left hand touch only to be shadowed into touch by Plaister.

Petone, who were the only side to beat Poneke in the round-robin when they prevailed 25-21 at home two months ago, kept up the pressure and first five-eighth Ben Aoina kicked a penalty in front to close the gap to 13-6.

Play ebbed and flowed for the next 10 minutes, before Petone were awarded another penalty and former Upper Hutt and Bucharest-based pivot Aoina slotted his second from 39 metres on an angle in the 65^th minute.

The remaining 15 minutes saw a desperate struggle but it seemed Poneke had done enough to hold off until the final few minutes when Petone almost took the contest into another 10 minutes of extra time.

The first half had been a tense battle with Rasch kicking penalties in the 28^th and 38^th minutes for the home side's 6-0 halftime lead after they had elected to play with a dying northerly and in steady drizzle, following heavy rain in the morning.

Rasch's second penalty followed Moala's sinbinning when Poneke were pressing inside the 22 and had Petone stretched after several phases, following a scrambled attempt at clearing the ball from their own line by Petone.

Petone next won a penalty and attacked the left hand corner from a lineout and forward drive, the movement snuffed out with a turnover and kick back up towards halfway.

In a forwards dominated slugfest, several players had big games. For Poneke lock Tufaga was big in the lineout and made several strong breaks, hooker Andrew Castle and lock Cam Garvie toiled hard and the Moananu brothers, No. 8 Misipalauni and prop Misiluni were massive influences on both attack and defence.

Poneke's hooker Michael Kainga and lock Brad Shields were both prominent; as was veteran tighthead prop Thomas Tupuivao and energiser openside flanker Mateaki Kafatolu.Their midfield pairing of Cam Incledon and Michael Lealava'a also played well in diabolical conditions for the backs.?

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