It?s an eastern suburbs one-two for the Jubilee Cup semi-finals

Eastern suburbs neighbours Oriental Rongotai and Poneke will host both Jubilee Cup semi-finals in a fortnight's time after each won their round six matches with bonus points to qualify first and second respectively for the playoffs with a week to spare.

In another breathtaking round on a perfect day for rugby following the previous week's tempestuous conditions, Oriental Rongotai held on to beat Northern United 32-30 in a thrill-a-minute fixture at Porirua Park and Poneke were emphatic home 44-11 winners over close neighbours Marist St. Pat's at Kilbirnie Park.

At the top of the points table, all that's to be decided in the last round is the order of finishing and whether it will be Ories or Poneke that qualifies first and wins the Andy Leslie Trophy. Ories will take top spot if they beat Wainuiomata, while Poneke will clinch it if Ories lose and they defeat Norths at home.

Despite their loss to Ories, Norths picked up two bonus points and are assured of finishing either third or fourth, leaving just one Jubilee Cup semi-final spot still up for grabs in the last week and four teams still alive chasing it.

In the other round six games, both Petone and Wainuiomata kept themselves in the race, each winning with bonus points. At the Petone Recreation Ground, Petone held on to beat Hutt Old Boys Marist 31-25, while at William Jones Park, Wainuiomata beat the only team out of contention Upper Hutt 34-6.

Like their Northern United counterparts, Hutt Old Boys Marist fans will be thankful of a storming finish from their team and the late bonus point the Eagles gained for coming within seven points of Petone. The extra two bonus points lifted them two points clear into fourth place and they just need to beat strugglers Upper Hutt at Maidstone Park in the last round to seal the remaining semi-final spot.

However should HOBM lose to Upper Hutt, and Petone beat MSP in the last round, Petone will grab fourth place ahead of the Eagles.

Sixth placed MSP's slim chances rest on them beating Petone and HOBM losing to Upper Hutt and being shut out of competition points, while seventh placed Wainuiomata could yet grab a historic playoff berth but they would need to defeat frontrunners Ories at the Polo Ground, preferably with a bonus point, and rely on Upper Hutt beating HOBM as well as MSP beating or drawing with Petone.

The playoff permutations for the Hardham Cup are more complicated behind top qualifiers Old Boys-University who snatched their sixth straight win of the second round with their 23-20 victory over Northern United B.

The students, who played error strewn rugby and had Conrad Smith come off their substitutions bench for the last half hour, held firm to the end to beat a fired up Norths B side with everything to play for.

Despite failing to collect a bonus point, OBU have extended their lead at the top of the table to 12 points to their nearest challenger the Wests Roosters who came through the pack to sit second after pipping Poneke B 22-19 at Kilbirnie Park.

In other matches, Tawa have leapt to third after their most convincing performance of the season, a crushing 51-12 win over HOBM B, and Rimutaka overcame Avalon 18-13 at Fraser Park in a match that was switched fields from Fraser Park number 2 to Fraser 3 after a bad injury to Rimutaka flanker Aaron Kelly held up play.

These other Hardham Cup results mean that there are six teams still alive chasing three semi-final spots up for grabs in the last round, including the right to host the second home semi-final.

In the promotion-relegation battle, Rimutaka will qualify for next year's Swindale Shield if they beat HOBM B at home at Maoribank Park in the last round and Avalon lose to leaders OBU away at the Hawkins Basin Reserve. Rimutaka will still likely earn promotion if Avalon lose and they lose too and if they win and Avalon win too, as Wests and Tawa also meet in the last round.

The Hardham Cup is battle is so close, with shades of 2006, that the winner of the Tawa - Wests round seven match at Ian Galloway will likely earn the second home semi-final berth, but the loser could face relegation.

Meanwhile, the first Final of the 2011 was played at Masterton's Memorial Park on Saturday with the home side Eketahuna defeating the defending champion Northern United women's team 12-8 to take the Fleurs Trophy - Victoria Tavern Trophy double.

?

Jubilee Cup

Poneke convincingly won the battle of Kilbirnie Park and reversed their first round19-25 Horan-Millar Trophy loss to Marist St. Pat's. Poneke raced to a 12-3 lead early in the match with two quick tries to flanker Masefau Leuluniu and No. 8 Palauni Moananu.

The result was definitely heading in Poneke's favour when right wing Tupu Saena finished off an 80-metre try under the posts that was converted by Jeremy Te Huia to make it 19-3. It got worse for MSP supporters when hooker Andrew Castle scored Poneke's fourth try and Te Huia kicked a penalty to give Poneke a 24-6 halftime lead.

Centre Tolly Auva'a scored first after halftime, extending the lead to 32-6. MSP finally found the whitewash when flanker Sio Tuia crossed to close the margin to 32-11, but Poneke scored twice more; to Te Huia and replacement prop Daly Meiklejohn, to seal their win and earn themselves another fortnight playing at home at Kilbirnie Park.

With Poneke shutting out MSP, HOBM would have made the semi-finals with a week to spare if they had defeated Petone in the battle of the river at the Petone Recreation Ground.

Instead it was Petone who seized the initiative and raced to a match winning 19-3 lead on the stroke of halftime when they elected for a scrum from a penalty in front of the line and No. 8 Piers Gordon scored a resulting try. Flanker Peni Punitia and centre Cam Incledon had earlier scored the first two tries.

Petone then extended their lead to 26-6 early in the second half with their fourth and bonus point try to right wing Belgium Tutagaloa who busted through to score in broken play after reeling in a high kick.

With the clock ticking, HOBM finally got on the board with the first of their eventual four tries, the conversion closing the deficit to 26-13. But Petone pulled clear to take a 32-13 advantage when Tutagaloa crossed for his second try of the match and his 11^th of the season the game was safe.

The Eagles made a late flurry and scored late tries to lock Sam Faisandier, in-form No. 8 Deon Carney and left wing Leka Tupuloa - his 10^th try of the season.

Over the hill at William Jones Park, home side Wainuiomata made no race of it early against second round strugglers Upper Hutt, whose best player all year Jason Woodward was holed up at the Devon in New Plymouth preparing for his hat trick against Taranaki later that night.

Wainuiomata scored five first half tries and raced to a winning 29-6 at the interval. Openside flanker Greg Leolofi started the procession by crossing for a seven pointer off a tighthead scrum win.

Three of the next four tries were scored by the Mamea brothers - Genesis, Tau and Isaiah - and lock James Saolele the other. The second half was a much more even affair, the scoreboard operators remaining untroubled until late in the contest when veteran replacement loosie Sape Misa crossed for their sixth try.

Norths v Ories

A confident Ories were impressive to watch against Norths in their match of the round clash at a picture-perfect Porirua Park. With their big forwards firing across the park, the composed Trevor Marama calling the shots at first five-eighth, experienced midfielders in Johnny Sola system and two-try hero Paulo Aukuso and lightning wings Afa Fa'atau and Ambrose Curtis, Ories have the battle plan for their first title since World War Two.

In contrast, Norths are still struggling to recapture the form and continuity that saw them blast to the Swindale Shield title and they were often their own worst enemies in this match making several silly errors under pressure, at least two of which led directly to Ories tries.

If they meet again in the semi-final or the final, Ories will know all to well what they can do, as demonstrated by their last two tries at the end of the match. With the game seemingly lost and at 18-32 down Norths gave their many fans a hint of hope when right wing Daley Harper scuttled through to score in the corner and then, surging back on to attack, Harper put through a kick and left wing AJ Va'alepu raced through to collect and score.

But it was all too little too late for Norths, who were playing catch-up rugby throughout most of the match after Ories had rocked them to score the first two tries and take a 12-0 lead inside 15 minutes.

On fire from the opening whistle, Ories struck first in the 8^th minute when lock Dan Reddish took a quick tap penalty near the far touchline on halfway that was carried on by flanker Joe Maiava. From the next ruck, Marama punched hard into the 22 and offloaded to left wing Fa'atau who turned the ball back to fullback Andre Pakau for the first try.

The try was unconverted but the next one was, an 80-metre runaway intercept try to centre Aukuso that had Ories supporters in the stand in full voice.

Norths clawed their way into the contest and missed three consecutive opportunities to put points on the board before left wing AJ Va'alepu crossed for his first try after an attacking lineout to close the margin to 12-5. Previously, halfback Tomasi Palu, returning from the Tongan national team, pulled a penalty from virtually in front, flanker Mana Faraimo, returning from injury, was cut down in the corner by a try saving tackle by Ories fullback Pakau and then another penalty was squandered when it when it was tapped an knocked on.

Ories regrouped and another impressive, fluid period of attack almost resulted in a third try after separate runs by lock Henk du Toit and prop Donal McNamara. Instead they settled for a penalty and now led 15-5 with half an hour gone.

Norths burst forward and the outstanding Faraimo scored an uncoverted try to close the margin to 15-10 - before Ories pulled clear again with the try of the match to Aukoso.

From a scrum on halfway, second five-eighth Sola ran to the advantage line and handed ?a pass on to Aukuso who in a lovely run to the line brushed off his marker, skipped through the tackle of Harper and sprinted the rest of the way for their third try. First five-eighth Trevor Marama slotted the conversion and Ories led 22-10 at the break.

The visitors were hot on attack early in the second half and only desperate defence by Norths and two knock-ons in separate movements denied them another try that may have shut Norths out completely. Instead, they were awarded another penalty, Marama's left boot made it 25-10 and Norths needed to score three times in 30 minutes to win.

Hooker Aiden Cains, who had given away the previous penalty, jumped high and won the next re-start back for Norths. This led to a desperate, rampaging raid by Norths and that man Faraimo was on hand to burst through and score in the north western grandstand corner. The conversion was missed and Ories' lead was back to 10 points at 25-15.

Norths introduced their subs bench to the fray, including the return from injury of last year's title winning skipper Henry Smith at hooker, and continued their period of ascendancy. This time it was Ories who were asked to hold on grimly in front of their sticks, as Norths went desperately close to scoring again with that man Faraimo the next man on the chain as they knocked on to the right of the posts. Their endeavours didn't go unrewarded though, replacement first five-eighth David Palu, on the field since just before halftime and coming back from a knee operation, kicking a penalty to close the margin to 25-18.

Then Ories struck with the match winner. Their winning and bonus point try came from a breakout from a scrum and a run up the far touchline by wing Ambrose Curtis who put in a Ron Jarden centring kick. The Norths defence was at sixes and sevens in tidying this up, starting first five-eighth and now fullback Dudley Parsons making meal of it in broken play. Ories poured through, regained possession and hooker Eddie Leiataua came up with the try that pushed them ahead again to 32-18.

?

Hardham Cup

Old Boys-University struggled for continuity throughout against Norths B in their early match at the top field at Porirua Park.

There was an exciting finish as Norths came back to score a late try after a series of punches at the line from close range and second five-eighth Neihana Karepa slotted the conversion to get them to within two points with a couple of minutes still left on the shot clock.

Norths swung back on to attack from the kick-off, but OBU held on and took their sixth straight win of the second round.

OBU had previously flown to a 23-14 lead when first five-eighth Mike Newell ran from a scrum on his own side of halfway and found fullback Beau Brown in support. Brown split the last line of defence and handed a try to right wing Will Mowbray.

With both All Black Conrad Smith and former Ranfurly Shield winner Seminar Manu chomping at the bit on the reserves bench, the result was seemingly sewn up at that point.

But, on a diet of dropped balls and turnovers, Norths came back hard and should have scored much earlier than they did in the right hand corner, and were actually held up at one point.

OBU had led 16-14 at halftime, the difference being an early converted try to their starting centre Luke Harvey. Evergreen Norths first five-eighth Peato Lafaele and Newell traded blows off the kicking tee.

UPDATED TUESDAY:In the early game at Kilbirnie Park, the Wests Roosters came back to beat Poneke B with the winning try with two minutes remaining. Captain Galu Taufale scooped up a loose ball from a ruck on the Poneke 22 to run in the match-winning try beside the posts, converted by Jarrod Curtis to give his side a 22-19 win.?

Poneke were leading 19-15 at the time in a tense second half, following a 50-metre try to the red and blacks to put them back into the lead. Trailing 7-10 at halftime, Poneke had scored a converted try after the break to give them a 14-10 lead. Wests then scored a five-pointer to wing Isireli Baleitavuki to inch ahead 15-14 before the tight finish.?

The Roosters had earlier scored two unconverted tries and led 10-0 heading into Poneke came back to 10-7 at the break when lock Eamon Murphy scored.?

At Fraser Park, Rimutaka overcame a desperate Avalon and an injury to their blindside flanker Aaron Kelly that required an ambulance and a change in field, to score 18 unanswered points and pip the home side and move a step closer to creating history next year.

Rimutaka held the early ascendancy but could only manage a penalty and a converted try to left wing Liddy Ah Wong and they led 10-0 after about 25 minutes when the injury occurred and play was held up for several minutes and the game transferred.

Avalon first five-eighth Steven Cross then kicked a penalty to extend the lead to 13-0.

Rimutaka, stung into action, came back with two penalties to first five-eighth Te Ari Mahuri - and then scored a try to former Wellington age grade representative wing Ofa Pongi to close to 13-11.

It remained close, before Te Ari Mahuri scored and converted what was the winning try late in the second half.

At Lyndhurst Park in Tawa, the home side scored eight tries against HOBM B to find their form just when they most needed it. Tawa scored four tries in each half and had their bonus point just before halftime and they took a 27-5 lead into the turnaround.

Left wing Giovani Fesuiai scored two tries, while six other individuals crossed in the win. This included right wing George Tilsley who ran in his 10^th try of the season.

?