Club and college finals wins today for MSP, Petone, Upper Hutt and Wellington College

?

Above: the victorious Petone Brotherhood team after winning the Senior 3 Johnsonville Centennium Cup, beating the Hutt Old Boys Marist Barbarians 16-5.

Updated: Finals wins for Marist St. Pat’s, Petone and Upper Hutt and Wellington College and some more hotly contested representative matches in and around Wellington a bit further afield in club, college and representative rugby today.

Wellington College defeated Napier Boys’ High School 22-15? in the final of the Hurricanes region First XV competition at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North. Wellington College led 8-7 at halftime after Napier BHS had rocked them by scoring an early length of the field try to centre Caleb Makene. Wellington College regrouped and got ahead 22-10 with about 10 minutes to play to seal the win.

For Wellington College, No. 8 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, hooker Leni Apisai and lock James Blackwell had big games, while for Napier openside flanker and captain Michael Buckley was prominent.

Wellington College now contest next week’s Top Four tournament in Rotorua, where they play the winner of the Chiefs region final that is being played tomorrow between Hamilton BHS and Tauranga Boys HS. If they were win that then the final would in Wellington in a fortnight.

There were three club finals today to bring the curtain down on the 2013 15-a-side season.

The? Marist St Pat’s Blues defeated the Tawa Titans 16-3 in the U85 kg Division 1 final at Lyndhurst Park.

MSP scored a runaway try at the end to second five-eighth Jared Hammington, converted by fullback Mark Houghton, to seal their fourth straight Paul Potiki Shield final win.

Hammington’s try was some relief for MSP and their vocal supporters, after enduring a tense period of play with Tawa hammering away at their line under their posts from a series of 5-metre scrums. Keeping it tight, Tawa searched for the seven-pointer that would have won them the game but inspirational defence kept them out.

In a game dominated by several big defensive plays, the boot had been on the other foot late in the first half with MSP up 6-3 and dominating both territory and possession and Tawa prop Geoff Brotherway cooling off in the sin-bin. MSP couldn’t break through and Houghton settled for his third penalty to give MSP a 9-3 lead at the break.

The run of play remained tense and willing throughout the second half, both sides again creating opportunities but unable to capitalise. Tawa went close to scoring in the clubrooms corner after an impressive lineout drive and then MSP missed a penalty that would have extended their lead. It came down to the final five minutes. Tawa were awarded a penalty and went for a lineout. Twice MSP held them off, including a would-be try scorer being held up over the line. It then came down to a scrum under their posts but again they kept them out.

Chancing their arm in the dying moments, MSP midfielder Hammington pounced on a dropped Tawa ball and sprinted 60 metres to score the winner.

The Petone Brotherhood overcame the Hutt Old Boys Marist Barbarians in a grueling forwards struggle by 16-5 at the Hutt Recreation Ground after leading 10-5 at halftime to win the Senior 3 Johnsonville Centennium Cup.

The Upper Hutt J8s defeated Paremata-Plimmerton 27-14 to claim the Reserve Grade Division 2 competition.

In representative rugby, the Wellington Pride grabbed their second straight pre-season win ahead of the start of next week’s Women’s NPC. They scored four unconverted tries to beat the Manawatu Cyclones 20-15 in Otaki, after scores had been locked at 5-5 at halftime.

The Pride start their Women’s NPC campaign next week in Dunedin against Otago.

Across in Masterton, the Wellington Maori Colts missed out 3-44 to the Wairarapa Bush Colts in their first round RDO Cup match.Closer to home, there were two representative matches played, at Helston Park and Porirua Park.

At Helston Park, the match between the Wellington Samoans and Wellington Maori teams was stopped for almost 45 minutes after Maori lock Jamie Norman took a head knock in a tackle and stayed down.

An ambulance was called and Norman was taken to hospital, where CT scans had him a stable condition as of late Saturday afternoon.

The injury occurred as the Wellington Samoans, with a moderate wind behind them, were looking at building their 11-0 lead at the time, just out from halftime.

Wing Site Timu had scored the game’s only try up to that point, chasing up a kick and scoring off a mistake at the back by Maori fullback Randall Bishop. First five-eighth Fa’atonu Fili had also kicked two penalties. The Samoans had broken the line several times, with Fili, halfback Simon Tevita and second five-eighth Isaiah Petelo all dangerous.

Following the long injury break, the Maori started the second spell strongly and scored to close the gap to 11-5. But the Samoans pulled clear over the final 25 minutes, with Petelo scoring two tries.

Up the motorway at Porirua Park, the Wellington Development XV were too strong for the Wellington U20s, winning 48-26.

The Development side scored eight tries, including a double to Petone midfielder Nick Grigg who had a strong game. The Wellington U20s scored two late tries to close the gap up.

There was also more rugby at Porirua Park, where the Wellington Samoa Secondary Schools MOTU tournament finals day was held and a combined Norths side took on Horowhenua Kapiti U18. Details to come.

Scoreboards

At Palmerston North: Hurricanes First XV final. Wellington College 22 (Wesley Goosen, Matthew Eathorne, Leni Apisai tries; Pakaitore Turia 2 con, 1 pen) beat Napier Boys’ High School: 15 (Caleb Makene, Jack Smith-Ballingall tries; Ethan Bradey 1 con, 1 pen). HT: 8-7

At Lyndhurst Park: Paul Potiki Shield U85 kg Division 1 club final. Marist St Pat’s Blues 16 (Jared Hammington try; Mark Houghton 3 pen; con) beat Tawa Titans 3 (Darcy Po penalty). HT: 9-3.

At the Hutt Rec: Johnsonville Centeniumm Cup Senior 3 club final. Petone Brotherhood 16 beat the Hutt Old Boys Marist Barbarians 16-5

At Maidstone Park: Reserve Grade Division 2 club final. Upper Hutt J8’s beat Paremata-Plimmerton 27-14

At Otaki (Women's NPC preseason): Wellington Pride 20 (Mary-Anne Collins, Katarina Simpkins, Aimee Sutorius, Jessika Akavi tries) beat Manawatu 15. HT: 5-5

At Porirua Park: Wellington Development 48 (Nick Grigg 2, Matt Mullany, Whetu Henry, Mateaki Kafatolu, Andrew McWhirter, Shahn Eru, Issac O’Connor tries; Brandyn Laursen 2 con; Hamish Buick 2 con) beat Wellington U20s 26. HT: 17-5

At Helston Park: Wellington Samoans 38 (Isaiah Petelo 2, Pago Haimi, Site Timu, Kalim Kelemete tries; Fa’atonu Fili 3 pen, 2 con) beat Wellington Maori 15 (Manasseh Winerra 2, TJ Fermanis tries). HT: 11-0.

?