Wests upset Norths in round of close results

UPDATED SUNDAY: The Wests Roosters threw the 2012 Swindale Shield wide open on Saturday by upsetting defending first round champions Northern United 27-11 at Ian Galloway Park.

The Roosters stung Norths two tries to one in the Cage, scoring the only try of the first half to lead 11-6 at the break and then pulling away in the second half through penalties and a their second try.

The return of Hurricanes openside flanker Scott Fuglistaller from injury and the inclusion of fellow Hurricanes Wider Squad Member Blade Thompson at No.8 were significant boosts for the Roosters whose second win of the year was the upset of the season to date.

Playing with a moderate wind after halftime, Wests maintained the pressure, goal kicking prop Andrew Newson kicking further penalties to extend their lead to 17-6.

Norths hit back with an unconverted try to flanker Dean Brunsdon but Wests replied immediately when blindside Rolagi Lepupa crashed over. Newson converted and then kicked his fifth penalty to put the game out of reach of the Norths side, who had beaten Wests comfortably in each of their last nine clashes at Premier level.

This result, a much-needed first win of the season for Petone and a fifth straight win for Hutt Old Boys Marist, were some of the highlights of a tightly contested fifth round set of matches that saw four of the remaining five contests decided deep into the second halves.

At Kilbirnie Park, a Brad Shields led Petone held on to beat home side Poneke 21-13, establishing an 18-6 lead soon after the break and holding off a resurgent Poneke for the remaining 25 minutes. With lock Presley Tufaga in his blazer game and former Rooster and openside flanker Galu Taufale both to the fore, Poneke eventually did score the try they desperately needed. But the clock was against them and then they were left ruing conceding a penalty on fulltime that denied them a bonus point.

Tawa also conceded a late converted try to visitors Wainuiomata to come up empty handed in their 23-31 loss on their Old Timers' Day at Lyndhurst Park. Tawa came back in the second half to close to within a point after traiiling three tries to nil at halftime. Wainuiomata scored under the posts from an attacking scrum at the end to seal their fourth win in five games and climb to outright second on the points table, their highest position at Premier level to date. Wainuiomata also retained the Chris Stirling Cup.

Hutt Old Boys Marist came from behind to beat Marist St. Pat's 19-14 in their first home game at the Hutt Recreation Ground of 2012 to win back the Father Cleary Shield.

Frontrunners the Eagles were made to extremely work hard for their fifth consecutive win of the season after MSP second five-eighth Isaia Petelo had danced in to score the only try of the first half and first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili had extended their lead with his third penalty immediately after the interval. But HOBM staged a comeback and got to within one point when wing Tupeni Kamakorewa crossed for his eighth try of the season. Leading points scorer Glen Walters added two penalties and the Eagles held on to win.

Oriental-Rongotai held on at the end to beat Upper Hutt 22-17 on their Old Timers' Day at the Polo Ground and win back the Bob Lendrum Cup. Upper Hutt were pressing right up until fulltime and went desperately close in the corner but a relieved Ories won the day. Earlier, Ories had established a 15-3 lead when wing Afa Fa'atau flew in for one of his two tries, before Upper Hutt first five-eighth ran in to score and then convert a seven-pointer to put them back in the game. This result sees Ories and Upper Hutt locked in equal third on the points table, five points behind HOBM.

At Nairnville Park, Old Boys University kept Rimutaka firmly anchored to the foot of the table while also earning a valuable bonus point themselves, beating the Rams 37-0. Three individual try scorers scored two tries each for OBU, with wing Wendall Corcoran, centre Paula Kinikinilau and prop Jonathan Fuimoano each bagging braces. OBU did the damage early against Rimutaka who improved as the game wore on. OBU scored five tries and led 32-0 at halftime, only scoring again late in the match. The students' third win lifts them to sixth on the points table.

Some cracking results in the Harper Lock Shield has left the Senior 1 competition wide open after five rounds. Five teams are within as many points of each other, behind new outright leaders Wainuiomata.

In notable results in this grade, MSP beat HOBM 34-33, Johnsonville beat Norths 20-19 to win back the Barlow Trophy and Poneke and Petone drew 16-16. Poneke scored the match equalising try in the right hand corner with the last play of the game, but couldn't convert the conversion on fulltime.

Upper Hutt and the Wellington Axemen continued their winning ways in the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup, each taking their fifth consecutive wins. Upper Hutt beat Ories 30-13, their fifth straight bonus point victory, and Wellington edged Avalon 34-21.

Poneke maintained their guaranteed third place standing with a 38-11 win over winless Petone, while previously fourth placed OBU slipped down in being defeated by Stokes Valley 10-5, and HOBM made it two from three in games against MSP, winning 29-23.

In fourth round matches of the Premier Women's Fleurs Trophy, Norths earned their third straight bonus point win in beating Eketahuna 27-10, Stokes Valley beat Ories 30-5 and OBU edged out Wainuiomata 18-17.

Back in the Swindale Shield, it was a 55^th minute try to Petone left wing Nick Grigg that effectively sealed Petone's first win of the season against Poneke - who have now lost four consecutive matches themselves after beating Rimutaka first up.

Grigg ran on to a stab kick into the 22 by first five-eighth Jared Kahu and was tackled just short of the line. But he then made a great play in getting up and going again, crashing over to give the hungry Villagers a decisive 12-point lead.

Poneke rallied over the next 20 minutes, but in a match played between two equally desperate adversaries, Petone didn't let them in until the end when Tufaga scored what was their only try of the game. Tufaga's try was converted from in front and Petone's lead was now 18-13.

From the re-start, Poneke attempted to break out but only succeeded in conceding a penalty, which Kahu kicked to ensure the Fred Tilyard Shield that they were playing for would stay in Petone for at least another year.

Earlier, Petone flanker Josh Hrstich broke a 3-3 deadlock deep inside the frist half, crashing over from a lineout drive in the corner.

Petone were almost in again shortly after but left wing Grigg was cut down just short of the line after a sweeping backline movement from a lineout in halfway. However Poneke infringed and Kahu kicked a penalty to put the Villagers ahead 11-3.

Poneke regained possession from the next re-start and first five-eighth Chris Thomson returned the favour with his second penalty to make it 11-6 at halftime.