Ories out in front after winning 10-try thriller

Updated Sunday: Oriental-Rongotai are out in front of the Jubilee Cup field after three rounds, holding on to beat Hutt Old Boys Marist in a 10-try thriller at a glorious Hutt Recreation Ground on Saturday.

Ories earned their third consecutive bonus point victory in their 36-31 win over Hutt Old Boys Marist, to sit a point ahead of the other unbeaten team Poneke with a month of regular season remaining in 2011.

Ories won the game with a decisive four-try, 26-point* burst just before and after halftime, reeling in a 7-19 deficit and then holding off the Eagles who came back at them and kept attacking right up to the final whistle.

Poneke won their third match on the trot and probably extinguished Petone's playoff hopes by beating the Villagers 30-24 at the Petone Recreation Ground.

Northern United re-entered familiar territory with a bonus point victory over Upper Hutt, although they were pushed hard by the home side at Maidstone Park before prevailing 29-16.

Marist St. Pat's continued their second round resurgence, beating Wainuiomata 39-7 at William Jones Park.

In the Hardham Cup, exams are over for Old Boys-University and they ran through Hutt Old Boys Marist 49-0 in the early game at the Hutt Rec, eventually romping away after leading 30-0 at halftime.

Tawa earned a much needed victory, beating Poneke B 24-7 and climbing off the bottom of the table.

The other two games were thrillers. Premier hopefuls Rimutaka came back very late to pip Norths B 18-16 at Maoribank Park, right wing Jason Douglas scoring two late tries to see them home.

At Fraser Park, the home team Avalon came back to draw 20-20 with the Wests Roosters, fullback Joyner Keys scoring at the end and first five-eighth Stephen Cross slotting the sideline conversion to even up the ledger.

In the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup. Petone grabbed their third consecutive bonus point win of the second round, accounting for Stokes Valley 40-19.

Johnsonville are the second unbeaten team in this grade, beating Avalon 58-0.

In the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial, Wellington showed neighbours Poneke the axe at Hataitai Park, chopping through them 41-19 to head the table after three weeks.

HOBM are also unbeaten, finishing ahead of Old Boys-University 26-19.

Jubilee Cup

On a lovely sunny afternoon for club rugby, the Hutt River was meandering along and the Petone foreshore was like glass. Unfortunately though, all four Hutt clubs that hosted Jubilee Cup matches were left picking up the pieces of third round defeats.

At Petone, the home side, who will contribute two of its players, Brad Shields and Michael Kainga, to the New Zealand U20 side to play England in the World Junior final on Monday morning, probably bowed out of semi-final contention with their 24-30 loss to Poneke.

It was close early and Petone led 10-6 at halftime following the only try of the first half to their centre Michael Lealava'a, before Poneke ran clear in the second half to scored four consecutive tries and 20 unanswered points.

Poneke hit the lead soon after halftime with a converted try to prop Reg Goodes. Halfback Ruki Tipuna darted through to score up the blindside to extend the lead to 18-10. Hooker Dane Coles added their third and fullback Ambrose Plaister the bonus point try.

Petone came back to score two converted tries, to right wing Belgium Tutagaloa - his eighth of the year - and to second five-eighth Nick Grigg. The bonus point for Petone could yet prove vital, but first they must turn to play Norths at Porirua Park in the fourth round.

Over the hill at Wainuiomata, MSP earned their second consecutive bonus point win against an error ridden Wainuiomata side that has now dropped its last two games.

MSP were in the ascendancy early against the green and blacks, flanker Ben Nansett and centre Paul Tuia scoring converted tries to put them ahead 14-0. Wainuiomata struck back with a converted try to centre Feterika Sage but that proved the one and only time they crossed MSP's line.

MSP scored their third try to openside flanker Sio Tuia and first five-eighth Trent Vatelias kicked a penalty to put them ahead 22-7 at the break.

The highlight of the second half was a hat trick to right wing Thomas Atiilaoa, whose triple strike took MSP out to the final score of 39-7. MSP now turn to host top dog Ories at Evans Bay Park, while Wainuiomata travel over the hill to play HOBM in round four.

At Maidstone Park, Norths resumed normal practice, beating home side Upper Hutt 29-16 and taking a bonus point victory.

Norths started proceedings with a long-range try to wing AJ Va'alepu and went further ahead when prop Steve Fa'atau found the whitewash. However Upper Hutt drew level with a converted try to second five-eighth Keelan Poi and then took a 13-10 with a penalty to Jason Woodward after about 30 minutes.

Norths scored their third try just before halftime and they took a 17-13 lead into the interval.

The run of play throughout the early stages of the second half remained close as Upper Hutt pushed the champions all the way. Norths finally scored their bonus point try, but Upper Hutt kept in touch with another penalty, with the score now 22-16. Norths pulled clear with their sixth try towards the end to grab a hard fought victory.

Ories' 36-31 win over HOBM at the Hutt Rec was also hard-earned, Ories launching into the ascendancy with four successive tries just before and halftime which won them the game.

Ories reeled in a 7-19 deficit to finish this decisive scoring spree ahead 33-19. HOBM came right back in the 60^th minute with a sweetly timed try in the corner to replacement fullback Steve Honey, converted from out wide by Kahu Tamatea and it was game on again.

A tense period of play followed before visiting left wing Ambrose Curtis stepped up to kick a 40 metre penalty from a scrum infringement to extend the lead to 36-26. But HOBM weren't done yet.

With five minutes still on the clock, lock Polonga Pedro sensationally plucked a kick and chase out of the air and scampered over to score again for the Eagles, closing the margin up to within a converted try.

HOBM's slick backs attacked right up to the end and the electric Honey, an early replacement for first five-eighth Glen Walters, very nearly set up a match equalising try with another breakout up field into the setting sun. The movement died, however, and referee Gordon Noble-Campbell blew fulltime on a whirlwind match.

The try scoring had started in just the third minute of play when powerful Ories second five-eighth Paula Kinikinilau busted through from close range to put his side ahead 7-0.

But the Eagles played the game at pace and put this early setback behind them with three excellent tries of their own, going ahead 19-7 after about half an hour.

Halfback Nick Risdon sparked them into life in this period. His quick tap penalty and some subsequent concerted phase play inside Ories' 22 led to the first of two tries to wing Leka Tupuola.

Ories almost hit back but industrious flanker Dan Reddish was held up over the line, before Risdon himself scored HOBM's second try, linking with No. 8 Deon Carney up the grandstand blindside. Risdon then threw the last pass to Tupuola to score in the other corner after another sweeping movement from another tap penalty. The Eagles were flying.

But Ories struck back against the run of play and it was that man Kinikinilau who set it up. From his own side of halfway, Kinikinilau burst into space in broken play and linked up with left wing Amrbose Curtis, whose searing pace did the rest.

HOBM veteran Pedro then handed Ories a second try in quick succession, throwing an intercept pass to Curtis who again sprinted 40 metres to score the try. Trevor Marama added the conversion in front of the sticks and scores were tied up at 19-19 at halftime.

Ories then scored again almost straightaway from the second half kick-of. No. 8 Iani Pahulu broke into space and forced a defensive HOBM lineout. Ories won the lineout and replacement hooker Motu Matu'u, in his first act in over two months after an injury layoff, strolled through to score.

The sun was getting lower in the sky so Ories' next move was pepper HOBM with high kicks. This tactic worked and HOBM were zenned, Ories won back possession and Kinikinilau combined with Reddish to extend the lead to 33-19.

HOBM almost hit back with what would have been the best constructed try of the match, wide running and accurate passing off the top of a lineout almost putting them in if not for a final forward pass.

No. 8 Carney was bundled into touch in the corner near the hotdog stand by desperate defence, ahead of the comeback try coming shortly after from a subsequent attacking scrum.

But the comeback wasn't quite enough, and Ories held on for their fourth consecutive bonus point victory. ?

Hardham Cup

Old Boys-University are sitting pretty for the Hardham Cup semi-finals, after defeating HOBM B in the curtain raiser at the Hutt Recreation Ground and skipping four points clear of second placed Norths B.

OBU, featuring Michael Hobbs at first five-eighth who played about 50 minutes and their favourite son Conrad Smith on the sideline watching on, wrapped up their bonus point win late in the first half when No. 8 Thomas Fleming dotted down.

This made it 30-0 to the students and reflected the run of play after they had completely dominated territory and possession and the penalty count. But, HOBM, missing several players that carried them to the first round Harper Lock Shield title, rallied and kept the students scoreless for the best part of half an hour into the second half.

It wasn't until the last several minutes of play that OBU resumed their scoring spree, adding three late tries to the four they had scored in the first half.

Earlier, OBU capitalised on a slew of early penalties and former Southland Stag and second five-eighth Seminar Manu kicked them into an early 6-0 lead.

Right wing Will Mowbray finished off a fluid period of attacking play and scored their first try. From the re-start that didn't go 10 metres, OBU charged back into HOBM's 22 and Hobbs was held up over the line. Left wing Luke Piso's piercing run straight through the middle did the trick though and his try made it 20-0.

This was followed by tries to outstanding lock Dan Mellon, the first of two tries for him, and Fleming as OBU cantered towards a big win.

HOBM finished the first half on OBU's goal line and looked like scoring again early in the second half, using their big inside backs and forwards to good effect. But OBU kept their line intact and eventually resumed their scoring spree.

Centre Luke Harvey created a try for himself, cleverly regaining his own chip kick and combining with replacement Mike Newell, Mellon scored his second try from a penalty and lineout drive into the corner and replacement Tim Mowbray scored a runaway try on fulltime.

In another game of key significance, Tawa kept alive their hopes for a semi-final spot with a battling 24-3 win over Poneke B at home at Lyndhurst Park.

Like Avalon last week, Tawa found it hard to shrug off the Poneke team, who once again defended well and competed strongly in the forwards. Consequently, Tawa were only able to score three tries and fell short of the bonus point win they would have been after.

Tawa scored two first half tries, to centre Jason Roache and right wing Maka Ioane, and led 17-3 at the break. But they couldn't kick on, just adding one more converted try later in the second half.

Tawa now turn to face Norths B, Rimutaka, HOBM B and the Wests Roosters in that order.

At Fraser Park, Avalon got up to draw with the Roosters, with fullback Joyner Keys scoring a try with the last act of the game to close the deficit to 18-20. Up stepped Stephen Cross and he converted from the sideline to continue the woe for Wests supporters.

Wests had earlier regained the lead with a converted try from the sideline after wing Simo Afamasaga had crossed for his second try. Halfback Sean Winters then added a penalty to his conversion and Wests led 20-13.

In a close match, the lead had changed several times and scores had been all tied up at 10-10 at halftime.

Rimutaka got up late to grab a much needed victory over Norths B, to keep both their semi-finals and promotion hopes alive.

Updated Monday: After trailing 8-16 well into the second half, Rimutaka prop Walter Treviranus scored from a lineout drive at the end that gave them the win. Right wing Jason Douglas scored the first that put them into the lead. Neither was converted, the first bringing to 13-16 behind and the second putting into the lead for the first time since earlier in the match when Treviranus also scored their first try.

Norths hit back with penalties to first five-eighth Perry Hayman and their only try of the match to second five-eighth Tim Seruwalu.

Rimutaka now turn to face plucky Poneke B at Kilbirnie Park, ahead of consecutive matches against Premier clubs Tawa and Avalon and then HOBM B in the last round.

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