Northern United hold off Ories to win Women?s final

The victorious Northern United Women’s team after beating Oriental-Rongotai 18-5 and winning the Victoria Tavern Trophy at Porirua Park tonight.

Northern United are the 2013 Victoria Tavern Trophy Premier Women’s Wellington club rugby champions.

Norths withstood a committed and at times torrid challenge from Oriental-Rongotai to win tonight’s final 18-5 under lights at Porirua Park in clear, still conditions and in front of about 1,500 vocal supporters.

Norths outscored the Ories visitors three tries to one to finish their season unbeaten and achieve the first round Fleurs Trophy - second round Victoria Tavern Trophy double.

They scored two tries late in the first half to lead 13-0 at the turnaround and then scored their third and the game’s decisive try 15 minutes into the second spell when captain and prop Moana Aiatu made a break and openside flanker Sharna Burt scored near the far corner. The conversion was missed, but this made it 18-0 and they just needed to hang on for the remainder of the match to win.

Too their credit, the never-say-die Ories side came back hard at Norths and scored a deserved try in the 63rd minute to close the gap to within two converted tries. They kept attacking until the end but ran out of time.

Norths captain Aiatu was delighted with her team’s performance. “I’m really proud of the team and the way they stuck at their game right throughout the match,” she said. “Ories are a really strong side and we knew we had to fight hard for the full 80 minutes and we did that so it’s pleasing.

”Aiatu said that last year’s loss in the final to Wainuiomata was motivation during the game. “We really wanted this, after losing to Wainuiomata in last year’s final so we can go away now and celebrate all our hard work.”

She thanked the coaches and supporters. “Our coaches Aimee Sutorius and Matt Poutoa were both instrumental in this win for us, and I also thank our supporters who watched us play throughout the season and came out here tonight and watched us win this. This is also for them.”

Aiatu and the Norths coaches would have been relieved somewhat when they went into halftime holding a 13-0 lead, after scoring the second try of their two tries with the last play of the opening stanza.

The story of the first half was Norths completely dominating territory and possession but a combination of courageous, often brave, defence by Ories and some poor execution and ill-discipline by Norths meant they only led 8-0 after almost half an hour.

Left wing Donna Fermanis flew in to score with the last play of the first half.

This followed their first try in the 28th minute to hard running fullback Lekah Leti who cut back in field and beat two defenders to score to the right of the uprights after Norths went wide from an attacking lineout on the other side of the field. The conversion was missed from a handy angle by second five-eighth Aggie Faraimo, who had opened the scoring in the 11th minute after Norths had set up camp inside Ories’ 22 from the opening whistle.

From the re-start, Ories gained possession and very nearly went on to score from their only attacking raid of the first half. Halfback Timena Tuma’ai made a piercing break from a scrum which was cut down. Ories recycled and both props Raylene Lolo and Noeleen Nonu went close from separate pick and goes and off a subsequent 5-metre scrum. But Norths held on.

Ories also later missed an opportunity to hit back early in the second half, which could of changed the game. There at least two clear chances in the far corner, one after a clever grubber kick into the corner by No. 8 Miriam Ready forced a goal line lineout and another from a forwards drive. Centre Faaasua Makisi charged down a clearing kick that forced a 22 and the chance was lost.

Norths worked their way up field and openside flanker Burt scored the game’s clutch try soon after.

For Norths, Aitatu, hooker Patsy Schwalger, halfback Agnes Dean, centre Helen Collins and fullback Leti had good games, while for Ories, No. 8 Ready made a number of strong runs and their prop Lolo, locks Annie Mativa and Joanah Ngan-Woo were both prominent on defence, as was starting openside flanker Kirsty Stewart who threw herself at several Norths ball carriers before leaving the field late in the first half.

Scores:

Northern United 18 (Lekah Leti, Donna Fermanis, Sharna Burt tries; Aggie Faraimo penalty) beat Oriental-Rongotai 5 (Joanah Ngan-Woo try). Halftime 13-0.