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Upper Hutt win American Ambassador Sevens at home

Club Rugby | 23 September 2012 | Steven White

Upper Hutt savoured home ground advantage in the second leg of the American Ambassador Sevens series at Maidstone Park on Saturday, toppling a strong Marist St Pat’s side in the main Cup final.

The final went right down to the wire, Upper Hut’s Dylan Hemapo flying in to score the winning try with the last attacking raid of the afternoon to break a deadlock and give his side a 26-19 win.

Upper Hutt had got off to a flyer, scoring two tries and racing to a 12-0 lead. MSP, featuring several prominent Premier players including former international playmaker Fa’atonu Fili, responded with a try. But when MSP’s discipline let them down and when they were marched 10 metres for throwing the ball away Upper Hutt pounced with their third try and took a 19-5 lead into the turnaround.

In a tense second half, MSP scored consecutive tries under the posts and the match may have gone into extra time if not for Upper Hutt making one final breakout and scoring the winner.

Upper Hutt captain Nua Fono-Hunt was delighted with his side’s win afterwards and he praised his teammates for a consistent throughout the day.

Fono-Hunt, returning to his local club Upper Hutt after playing for Petone this year, said the team had trained hard for this and were especially? satisfied to win on home soil. “It was an awesome to win out here on Maidstone Park, our team gave it our all and we are pleased come to away with the win after a tough day of rugby,” he said.

As well as the victory in the final, Fono-Hunt nominated his team’s semi-final win over Wests as a key result.

Upper Hutt beat a strong Wests Roosters side in their semi-final 24-17. MSP beat Tawa 17-5 in the other.

In the Plate final, Avalon beat HOBM 17-12 in extra time after scores were locked up at 12-12 at the end of regulation time.

OBU won a similarly close Colts final, edging Hutt Old Boys Marist 31-26.

Upper Hutt voted their young forward Murphy Taramai as their Player of the Tournament. Taramai, who played blindside flanker for Upper Hutt’s Colts side in 2012, was playing in his first Sevens tournament.

A third and final leg of the American Ambassador’s Sevens series is in a fortnight at Porirua Park on Saturday 6 October.?

The two teams that met in the final were:

Upper Hutt: Nua Fono-Hunt (captain), George Faiinga, Dylan Hemapo, Jason Henry, Joyner Key, Phil Logan, Clayton Masina, Gavin Roil, Hayden Schrijvers, Jordan Simpson-Hefft, Bronson Orr, Max Pearson, Joel Stewart, Murphy Taramai, Richard Wasley

MSP: Ryan Setefano (captain), Andy Ellis, Fa’atonu Fili, ?Sam Gifford, Corey Lawrence, Isaiah Petelo, Isaac O’Conner, Matt Peni, Jack Taulapapa, Paul Tuia, Lucky Tuia, Julian Tupai