Semi-finals rugby: 10 of the best

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(Above): Hutt Old Boys Marist hammering away at Ories’ line towards the end of their tense 2011 Jubilee Cup semi-final. Ories held on to win 18-15 and went on to win the final the following week.

As part of the countdown to this weekend’s Jubilee and Hardham Cup semi-finals, here’s a look at 10 memorable semi-final matches over the past two decades. This list is by no means a definitive list, just a selection of some of the more thrilling post-season matches:

1993: Petone 21 - Harlequins 14

‘Harlequins denied by bad bounce’ said the Dominion’s headline, following Petone’s tense victory over Harlequins [now Old Boys University]. Petone had established a seven-point lead after first five-eighth Simon Mannix had kicked a penalty for his side’s last points of the game on the 65 minute mark. All that was left for Petone to do was hold on to the end.? Harlequins needed to score a converted try to force extra time - and they very nearly did. Replacement wing Alaska Taufa’s kick into the in-goal area sat up for flying centre Sale Sorovaki to race through to go for the try. However the ball was squeezed from his grasp by the cover defenders and Petone held on and won a cliffhanger.

Note: Alaska Taufa is not to be confused with the current Tongan International by the same name who has played 9 tests and appeared at the 2011 World Cup. Sale Sorovaki was capped 19 times by Fiji and played for Manawatu and Wellington. Simon Mannix won his only All Black cap a year later against France in 1994. Petone went onto win the Jubilee Cup in 1993, successfully defending their title won in 1992.

1995: Marist St Pat’s 19 - Avalon 17

Marist St Pat’s scored two tries in to the wind to narrowly defeat Avalon in a tense semi-final. MSP’s Sean Nelson and their Wellington Lions No. 8 Gordon Simpson scored back-to-back tries midway through the second half to give MSP victory. Simpson pounced on a loose ball and ran 40 metres for his try, which proved decisive. Avalon had a late chance to win, from an attacking scrum, just outside the 22, but instead of setting up a dropped goal for their dead-eye first five-eighth Craig Laursen, who had earlier landed a monster penalty, they run a shortside move and were bundled into touch near the corner by desperate MSP defence.

Note: Gordon Simpson played 15 tests for Scotland. Craig Laursen scored a record 69 tries for Horowhenua-Kapiti and is the father of current HOBM player Brandyn Laursen.

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1999: Marist St Pat’s 16 - Western Suburbs 15

In the last major semi-final played at Athletic Park, Wellington Lions and Hurricanes wing Lome Fa’atau pounced on a Western Suburbs handling error with about 15 minutes to play and sprinted 85 metres to score the winning try, against the defending champions. Fa’atau’s try was the difference, after MSP first five-eighth James McHardy and his Wests opposite, Scott Leighton, traded penalties. Going into the last quarter, Wests held a 12-6 lead on penalties before Fa’atau’s runaway try put MSP ahead, 13-12. Leighton retook the lead for Wests with his fifth kick at goal but McCardy replied to put MSP ahead for the last time late in the match.

Note: Lome Fa’atau played 35 tests and scored 14 tries for Samoa. He also played five tests for the Pacific Islands. He was a basketball star at St Pats Town, never making the First XV. Scott Leighton was captain of Poverty Bay last season and holds the union’s points scoring record, 791 points in 69 games at the time of writing.

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2000: Poneke 27 - Marist St Pat’s 26

David Holwell kicked five penalties and a conversion and set up the game-clinching try to knock defending champions MSP out of the Jubilee Cup, under lights at the new Westpac Stadium. Twenty minutes into the second half, Holwell caught MSP napping and took a quick tap penalty to set up a try for left wing IeuTuiavi’i, to put Poneke ahead, 21-12. Holwell kicked two penalties to extend this lead to 27-12. MSP weren’t done however - mounting a gallant comeback and scoring tries to wing Lome Fa’atau and replacement Eddie Gray. Fullback James Reilly converted Gray’s try to set up a classic finish, but Poneke clung on to fulltime.

Note: David Howell is seventh on the all-time list for highest points scorers in New Zealand First-class rugby. He scored 2201 points in 270 first-class games. Holwell recently returned from Northland to attend Poneke Old Timers’ Day and ended up playing much of the match for the Premiers, after a full game for the Senior 1 side!

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2001: Poneke 30 - Avalon 21

Top qualifiers Poneke lost 200-game veteran Richard Watt to injury less than a quarter of the way into this playoff, and found themselves up against it facing a fired-up Avalon side who had qualified fourth. However, Avalon would themselves lose a key player in the second half in pivot Mano Flutey. In Flutey’s absence, David Holwell banged over six penalties and a conversion to see Poneke home. Young Tongan flanker Nili Latu also stepped up having a strong game, up against Avalon No. 8 Thomas Waldrom. Latu showed a startling burst of speed to chase a kick and score a key try.

Note:Mano Flutey holds the record for most points in a season by an East Coast player, 145 in 2000. Thomas Waldrom, who has played five tests for England, was just a year out of school in this game. He played for the NZ Schools in 2000. Nili Latu played for Tonga in the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has played for the NEC Green Rockets in Japan since 2007.

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2003: MSP 27 - Avalon 17

MSP fought back from the brink in the final 10 minutes to take this one. Avalon had dominated the match throughout its middle stages and opened up a 17-11 lead midway through the second half. Desperate for a chance to defend their title, MSP soaked up oodles of pressure before coming back to win late in the match with tries to Wellington hooker Luke Mahoney and fullback Brendan Watt. Avalon were also left to rue missing at least two straightforward penalties, while MSP’s kickers, Sam Rasch and Fa’atonuFili, both had their radars on.

Note: Brendan Watt once played for China at the Wellington Sevens when they were short of players. Sam Rasch is now the assistant coach at Poneke and co-Wellington Sevens coach, and Fa’atonu Fili will be playing at first five-eighth this weekend for Ories.

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2005: Petone 19 - Poneke 17

Petone’s season was seemingly over with time almost up in this playoff against Poneke. But their hooker Eugene Smith had other ideas when he won a tighthead scrum win 40 metres out from Poneke’s line. Petone moved the ball to dangerous left wing Alex Telea who scorched down field and set up a try in the corner to centre Tumanu Martin. With scores now level, first five-eighth Earl Va’a slotted the sideline conversion. The drama wasn’t over yet, however, as Poneke launched one final frantic attack and won a penalty.? A deathly silence descended over the Petone Rec as Poneke fullback Brad Cooper lined up the shot to win the game for the red and blacks. But he pulled it across the front of the uprights and Petone celebrated.

Note: A week later Earl Va’a kicked a late penalty to give Petone a narrow win in the final against Northern United. Va’a, a former Samoan rugby league representative, played for Samoa at the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups and later helped guide Wainuiomata to Hardham Cup success and then into the Premier ranks in Wellington. He is currently the coach of the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team.

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2006: Poneke 15? - HOBM 13

Hugely determined defence and a second half into-the-wind revival helped Poneke to hold off HOBM in a gripping second half on a cold, foreboding Kilbirnie Park afternoon. Holding a slender 12-3 halftime lead, Poneke defended several epic waves of HOBM attack in a compelling 20-minute period after halftime. Both sides exchanged penalties, before HOBM first five-eighth Jonathon Bentley charged down a clearing kick and scored under the posts, bringing them to within two points and setting up an anxious finish. But Poneke dug deep and used all their experience to clinically close out the game inside HOBM territory.

Note: Jonathan Bentley won the Jubilee Cup with HOBM in 2007 and went on to to play rugby in Japan and England,and is currently with Gloucester.

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2007: MSP 24? -Petone 23

It was thrill-a-minute rugby at Evans Bay Park, where top qualifier MSP overcame Petone's challenge.? MSP left winger JopeNaubo was the hero for his side, scoring two tries including the match winner at the end to help defeat Petone in a seesawing semi-final played in steady rain. MSP held an 11-9 advantage at halftime after Naubo had beaten three defenders to score in the corner,with Petone first five-eighth Dan Kirkpatrick kicking three penalties in reply. The lead changed four times in the second half, with tries to Petonecentre Simeon James and MSP openside Victor Vito seeing MSP ahead 19-16, before Petone's left winger Greg Walker scored and Kirkpatrick converted to see the Villagers in front 23-19. But Naubo had the final say, scoring the winning try.

Note: Dan Kirkpatrick played three seasons for the Hurricanes and one for the Blues. He currently plays for Castres in France.

2011: Ories 18? -15? HOBM

Oriental Rongotai created history by making their first Jubilee Cup final and beating Hutt Old Boys Marist in a thriller. Playing in memory of Ories Life Member Don Bond, who passed away the week before, Ories won the game through two tries to first five-eighth Trevor Marama and gutsy defence at the end. HOBM attacked Ories with a steady wave of attack over almost the entire final 20 minutes but Ories withstood the pressure. Their passion and commitment held out a number of Eagles drives and assaults close to the line. Earlier, Ories had struck in the opening minutes with a lovely 80-metre breakout try, started by left wing Ambrose Curtis and finished off by Marama. A flurry of tries by both teams followed to set up the grandstand finish.

Note: AJ Vaalepu scored five tries in the other semi-final in 2011, for Norths against Poneke, a record number of tries in any playoff match n Wellington club rugby. Norths won 29-3. Ories went on to beat Norths in the final to win their first Jubilee Cup since they won back-to-back titles in 1943 and 1944 when they temporarily amalgamated with Poneke.

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Are there other semi-finals that should have or could have made this list? Others that spring to mind (including some Hardham Cup semi-final thrillers) include Tawa's 16-12 win over MSP in 1998, Western Suburbs' 19-17 win over Upper Hutt in 2000, Ories' 22-20 victory over Tawa in 1997, Norths' 26-21 win over Upper Hutt in 2005 and Avalon's 12-11 victory over Wests in 2010.