More Maidstone heartbreak for Upper Hutt as Wainuiomata also wins at the death

Spare a thought for the Upper Hutt faithful. Three times they’ve watched their Swindale Shield team at home at Maidstone Park in 2011 and three times they’ve watched their side lose on fulltime.

Against Ories in round three they conceded a late try and visiting first five-eighth Trevor Marama dramatically nailed the sideline conversion to seal a 25-27 loss and against MSP in round five, it was the turn of opposing replacement first five-eighth Fa’atonu Fili to step up and kick a penalty with the last act of the game to inflict a 15-16 defeat on them.

But surely not again? Unfortunately yes, and together with another equally dramatic round eight result at Ian Galloway Park, Upper Hutt’s third consecutive last-gasp loss at home has pushed them four points outside the top eight.

This time it was Poneke first five-eighth Jeremy Te Huia who called for the kicking tee and took the four competition points away from Upper Hutt, his fulltime penalty giving Poneke a dramatic 20-19 win.

It was a similar story at Ian Galloway, where home side the Wests Roosters thought they had done enough to beat Wainuiomata when lock Nemani Waka scored their only try late in the match to push the Roosters out to an 8-5 lead in a dogged contest. But visitors Wainuiomata hit back with a penalty to first five-eighth Earl Va’a to even the ledger up at 8-8 with fulltime bearing down. Wainuiomata then worked their way up field and halfback Frae Wilson slotted a dropped goal to snatch an 11-8 win for his side.?

The win for Wainuiomata puts them safely inside the top eight for now, along with Marist St. Pat’s and Old Boys-University who both rejoined the winner’s circle after suffering heavy defeats last week.

OBU overcame the challenge of bottom placed Avalon to win 18-10 at Fraser Park, while Marist St. Pat’s earned a hugely important 18-13 victory at home against Hutt Old Boys Marist on their 40^th anniversary weekend.

In another close tussle at the Polo Ground, Oriental-Rongotai overcame Petone 20-11 courtesy of two late tries that took the game away from the Villagers who led 8-3 early in the second half.

The run of play was also close for long periods in the round’s other match at Lyndhurst Park before Northern United eventually beat Tawa 36-8 and grabbed their eighth straight bonus point win.

Meanwhile, there were some close games in the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield and Senior 2 National Mutual Cup grades and much movement on both these points tables as the first round nears its conclusion.

In two tight contests in the Harper Lock Shield, leaders Hutt Old Boys Marist came back very late in the contest to beat Marist St. Pat’s 17-8 after trailing 8-7 for much of the second half, reduced to 14 men due to sinbinnings and unable to break out of their own half, and Rimutaka got up to knock Poneke out of second place 29-27 on their old Timers’ Day at Maoribank Park.

Elsewhere, Norths climbed from fourth to second after beating Tawa 35-8, Petone quelled the challenge of mid-table Ories 17-6 to remain in the top four and on track for a long awaited return to the Hardham Cup, Johnsonville remain steady in fifth with a 51-7 over Paramata-Plimmerton and OBU ended Stokes Valley’s day with the score at 67-15.

In the National Mutual Cup, Hutt Old Boys Marist made it two from three against MSP teams with a hard fought 21-17 win over them at Martin Luckie Park to keep their hat in the ring with three rounds to go, while Johnsonville pipped Northern United 19-17 an exciting match in the battle of the struggling outfits. Old Boys-University made no race of their top of their table clash with Avalon at Fraser Park, winning 37-17, and Wellington FC celebrated its Old Timers’ Day with a 51-15 victory over Petone to win the Air New Zealand Trophy.

There were other wins for Wainuiomata over Wests (39-7) and Upper Hutt over Poneke (40-18) as the Senior 2 grade remains on a knife-edge. There are now seven teams separated by nine competition points with three weeks to play.

It was a tough day at the office for all three of Hutt Old Boys Marist’s teams against MSP opposition, not least their Premiers who went down by five points in the main game at Evans Bay Park for the Father Cleary Shield. Many of their players would have woken up worse for wear around the shoulder area as a result of making a huge amount of tackles. Indeed, HOBM’s collective workrate on defence was impressive against a spirited and fired up MSP determined to win and win well on their birthday weekend.

MSP completely dominated both territory and possession throughout the majority of the match, yet HOBM led 13-0 at halftime and didn’t relinquish their lead until well into the second half.

In blustery, fine conditions, MSP’s forwards took the game to HOBM’s and their strong lineout and close quarter support play was a feature of their game. But they couldn’t capitalise. There were sizzling breaks by fullback Apoua Stewart and second five-eighth Joe Wright, playing in his 100^th game for the club, that both had HOBM stretched to breaking point. But a combination of poor handling and ill-discipline cost them on these occasions and others.

In contrast, HOBM made barely three raids into MSP’s 22 in the entire opening 40 minutes and Polonga Pedro sensationally scored the only two tries of the half and Kahu Tamatea kicked a penalty with the third.

Blindside flanker Pedro scored tries in the opposite corners of play, initially created from breaks up field by fullback Steve Honey and centre James Ross and finished off by clinical finishing near the line in the 10^th and 35^th minutes. First five-eighth Tamatea couldn’t convert either, although the second attempt hit the upright, and the Eagles found themselves 10-0 up.

Then right on halftime MSP prop Sean Cockburn was sinbinned for repeated team offending at the breakdowns and Tamatea obliged by kicking a penalty.

Up against it, MSP suddenly found the accuracy that had been missing and appeared to play with more patience and purpose. Aided by the wind and the ability to rake off field position up the southern touchline, MSP ruled the lineouts and found the accuracy that was missing early on and for much of the previous seven weeks as well.

With skipper and lock Nick Passi, industrious openside flanker Sio Tuia, hooker Liu Taituavae, New Zealand U20 players Solomon Sakalia and Jeff Allen all getting stuck in ?MSP finally turned pressure into points.

Halfback Anthony Bradshaw was the first to score, closing the gap to 13-7. More committed attack inside HOBM’s 22 presented first five-eighth Trent Vatselias with a penalty to close the margin to 13-10, before No. 8 Ben Nansett scored a hugely popular try in the right hand corner to put them ahead 15-13. Vatselias clinched the win with five minutes to go with his second penalty.

The curtain-raiser over the road also had drama. MSP seemed to be heading for victory, protecting an 8-7 lead with fulltime fast approaching. HOBM had led 7-3 at halftime and fair weather supporters expected them to pull clear with the strong wind at their backs in the second 40 minutes. But after scoring to take the lead, MSP hung in there and HOBM had two players sinbinned on separate occasions.

With time almost up, HOBM were awarded a penalty and they kicked it to take a 10-8 lead. They then swept back up field and scored on fulltime to seal their win.

Up the road, Ories also came back strongly in the second half, scoring three second half tries to overrun the Petone Villagers and get their season back in track.

Second placed Ories, who had lost their previous two matches to lowly Wests and Tawa, scored second half tries to second five-eighth Paula Kinikinilau, centre Afa Fa’atau and left wing Ambrose Curtis so also see them reclaim the Jim Brown Memorial Trophy.

In doing so Ories overcame an 8-3 deficit after Petone had scored their only try of the match in the first half to lock Chris Molenaar and halfback Sam Hall had added a penalty.

Kinikinilau’s try under the posts and first five-eighth Trevor Marama’s conversion put Ories ahead 10-8 soon after the interval, before Hall’s second penalty inched Petone back ahead 11-10.But from there the home side scored through Fa’atau and then sealed their win with Curtis’s try, off a break by the Rongotai Rocket Julian Savea.

The pattern was similar out at Maidstone Park, as Upper Hutt, with the aid of the strong wind, raced to a 16-0 lead against Poneke through a try to lock Ray Sio and the boot of first five-eighth Jason Woodward who reached 100 points for the season in this game.

Poneke hit back with a try to left wing Peter Shand under the posts, converted by Te Huia, to trail 16-7 at the turnaround. Woodward slotted his fourth penalty for Uper Hutt, lindside flanker Logan Betham added a second converted try and Te Huia added his second penalty for Poneke as Upper Hutt clung to a 19-17 lead.

But it was not to be for the burgundy contenders, Te Huia’s last-gasp penalty consigning them to another loss and the loss of the Alby Makeham Shield as well.

Up at Fraser Park, the students were not having it all their own way against Avalon, who also held a halftime lead before relinquishing it in the second half when OBU scored two quick tries.

Avalon answered an early OBU penalty with a try to right wing Fanali Sanele and they led 10-6 at the interval. But two quick tries after halftime to hooker Dylan Johnson and right wing Luke Fiso were enough to secure victory for OBU.

The Wests – Wainuiomata clash at the cage was one for the purists, with the Roosters only able to grab a sole penalty to fullback Declan McKeefry with the strong wind at their backs in the first half. Instead it was Wainuiomata who were the first to cross the tryline with tighthead prop Justin Va’a coming up with the five-pointer.

The run of play remained exceedingly tight after the break with Wainuiomata clinging to their 5-3 advantage for long periods, before Wests crossed for a try to take the lead late in the match. But the drama was just building, as Wainuiomata equalised with a penalty and then sensationally grabbed victory with a death-knock dropped goal. Their Jubilee Cup dream is now closer to reality.

Northern United’s Swindale Shield winning dream is also closer to reality following their latest victory over Tawa to retain the Sammy Saili Memorial Trophy.

Again, it was an even first 40 minutes, as Tawa took advantage of the wind to kick an early penalty and lead 3-0 while at the same time deny Norths one of their characteristic fast starts. However, Norths eventually replied with two tries and they took a 17-3 lead into the halftime interval. This became 24-3 with their third try, while fullback James So’oialo scored an intercept try to make sure of the in and collect their four-try bonus point. So’oialo also brought up 100 points for the season in this game.

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