Ories finish on top as Wainuiomata clinch fourth semi-final spot

Above: Catch me if you can - Tawa halfback Steven So'oialo takes off up field against HOBM at the Hutt Rec. So'oialo only played half the match but had a big influence while he was on, coming within a whisker of scoring a 60-metre runaway try. Tawa trailed 8-12 at halftime, but the Eagles pulled clear late in the match for a bonus point win to put themselves into Jubilee Cup semi-final contention should Wainuiomata have lost to Norths.

Jubilee Cup Round 7 results (home team first):

Oriental-Rongotai 9 v Marist St Pat's 9; Wainuiomata 25 v Northern United 19; Hutt Old Boys Marist 31 v Tawa 13; Upper Hutt 47 v Petone 27

Jubilee Cup final points table:

Oriental Rongotai 27; Marist St Pat's 25; Northern United 23; Wainuiomata 19; Hutt Old Boys Marist 16; Tawa 11; Upper Hutt 8; Petone 3

Jubilee Cup semi-finals next week:

Oriental Rongotai v Wainuiomata at the Polo Ground and Marist St. Pat's v Northern United at Evans Bay Park

Hardham Cup Round 7 results (home team first):

Old Boys University 92 v Johnsonville 7; Wests Roosters 16 v Marist St Pat's B 16; Rimutaka 11 v Poneke 56; Wainuiomata B 12 v Northern United B 10

Hardham Cup final points table:

Poneke 33; Old Boys University 31; Wests Roosters 20; Marist St Pat's B 18; Rimutaka 15; Johnsonville 9; Wainuiomata B 9; Northern United B 2

Hardham Cup semi-finals next week:

Poneke v Marist St Pat's B at Kilbirnie Park and Old Boys University v Wests Roosters at Rugby League Park

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Visit Draws & Results across the top of this page for scorers and updated, final points tables.

Defending champions Oriental-Rongotai finished on top, while Wainuiomata finished fourth and earned an historic Jubilee Cup semi-finals place next week after an action packed final round that saw Ories draw 9-9 with Marist St. Pat's and Wainuiomata beat Northern United 25-19 to shut out Hutt Old Boys Marist who over ran Tawa 31-13.

In beating eastern suburbs rivals MSP at the Polo Ground in the last round, Ories also retained the Andy Leslie Trophy for topping the round-robin. They will host Wainuiomata there in one Jubilee Cup semi-final while MSP will entertain their great modern rivals Norths in the other at Evans Bay Park.

Swindale Shield champions Hutt Old Boys Marist were the unlucky team of the last round, their five-try, bonus point win over Tawa all in vain when news that Wainuiomata had held on to defeat Norths filtered over the Hutt hills.

With a dominant scrum, industrious loose forwards and a swift young backline, HOBM swooped on Tawa in the last 10 minutes of their match to put the game out of reach and more importantly secure their bonus point win that lifted them to 16 points and temporarily into fourth.

With the Wainuiomata - Norths fixture still going and still in high suspense mode following a Norths try under the posts the Eagles' supporters just had to ride out their team's fortunes over the final several minutes. But in the setting sun, Wainuiomata held on to reach their maiden Jubilee Cup playoffs place.

In the remaining Jubilee Cup clash that didn't have any bearing on the semi-finals possibilities, Upper Hutt finished their regular season in style by thumping Petone 47-27 at Maidstone Park.

The match that was stopped after about a minute and shifted across to the No.2 ground due to an injury to a Petone player was a benefit to Jason Woodward who scored two tries and 32 points.

In the Hardham Cup, already confirmed home semi-finalists Poneke and Old Boys University completed their seasons with comfortable wins.

Poneke beat Rimutaka 56-11 at Maoribank Park, with hooker Andrew Castle scoring a hat trick as part of their nine tries to one win.

OBU were far too strong for Johnsonville beating them 92-7. On their Old Timers' Day, OBU ran 16 tries with the sun on their backs at Rugby League Park. Luke Fiso, Ben Oakley, Te Wehi Wright and St Simonsen all scored two tries.

MSP B kicked a late penalty to draw 16-16 with the Wests Roosters in a close game at Ian Galloway Park. This didn't affect the finishing order as Wests held on for third and MSP B got fourth.

In the other Hardham Cup fixture at Mary Crowther Park, home side Wainuiomata B pipped Northern United B 12-10.

Round seven of nine of the Senior 1 Ed Chaney was characterised by tightly fought matches. OBU comfortably beat Ories 39-10 on the artificial surface at Te Whaea, but the other four matches were all close.

Leaders Wellington overcame a 0-9 deficit late in the first half to beat home side Petone 17-9 in their top of the table clash and take an eight-point lead to the rest of the field into the final two weeks of the Senior 1 round-robin.

In an often stop-start game, littered with turnovers by both sides, the Axemen scored in the corner right on halftime after a sustained build-up and series of drives by the forwards to go into the turnaround trailing 5-9.

About 15 minutes into the second half, Wellington No. 8 Vaea Fifita scored a stunning solo try off the back of a scrum in midfield near halfway. Fifita carried the ball off the back of the set-piece peeled blind and broke through Petone's line of defenders before sprinting all the way to score under the posts. The conversion put the Axemen in front 12-9 and with the breeze behind them they added one more try before the close.

Tawa's second side are in outright second place after pipping HOBM 19-15 in the curtain-raiser at the Hutt Rec, while Avalon denied Poneke any competition points in beating them 15-7 and Paremata-Plimmerton surged up into playoff contention with their 18-14 win over Upper Hutt.

Hutt Old Boys Marist continue to set a cracking pace in the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial competition, their 26-6 win over Paremata-Plimmerton on the early game on the clubrooms field at the Hutt Rec their seventh straight win.

There were also bonus point wins for the immediate chasing pack, putting HOBM, OBU, MSP and Petone out in front as the clear playoff contenders with two rounds to play.

OBU defeated Norths 35-21, MSP cleared out from Ories 44-24 and Petone defeated the Wests Roosters 33-16. In the other match, Poneke moved up to join Stokes Valley in fifth equal after beating Avalon 19-17.

In Premier Women's Victoria Tavern Trophy last round matches, Wainuiomata beat Norths 24-10, OBU edged Stokes Valley 21-19 and Eketahuna overcame Ories by scoring 36 points to an unrevealed amount.

Wainuiomata's win over Norths saw them qualify top for next week's semi-finals, and they will host Eketahuna in one playoff and Norths will host OBU in the other.

In Premier 1 First XV quarter final results on Saturday, St Pat's Silverstream (2^nd placed qualifier) beat HIBS (7) 39-3, Scots College (3) beat Rongotai College (6) 45-0 and St Pat's Town (4) down St Bernard's (5) 25-5.

Next week's semi-finals see top qualifier and unbeaten Wellington College host St Pat's Town and Silverstream host Scots College.

MORE TO COME...

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