Giant killers Johnsonville shock Ories to grab first win

Above: MSP's young and willing forward pack took control of their match against HOBM, MSP winning 28-25.

UPDATED: The Johnsonville Hawks swooped on the Ories Magpies at the Polo Ground today, kicking a late penalty to win the game 19-16 and grabbing their maiden Swindale Shield win of the season and first Premier rugby victory in eight years.?

Johnsonville broke a 16-16 deadlock to win the game with time almost up, winning the Ash Pointon Cup off Ories and breaking a 23-game losing streak dating back to their 20-17 win over Ories at the Polo Ground in April 2006.

Johnsonville led 8-3 at halftime, on the back of a try to bustling flanker Kane Le'aupepe and a penalty to Wellington Maori fullback Deina Morete. But Ories roared into life early in the second half, moving ahead 16-8. Johnsonville came back though, Morete kicking a second penalty and left wing Ash Vavili scoring a second try for them to level the scores up.

Hammering away to the end, the Hawks were then rewarded with their match winning penalty attempt and Morete stepped up to take the successful kick.

The win announces Johnsonville's arrival as them being a serious threat to some of the more fancied teams they play over the remaining six Saturdays of the Swindale Shield, after also taking home four consecutive bonus points for losses within seven points in earlier matches.

In other similar-styled, although less unexpected come-from-behind win, ‘away' side Northen United defeated Old Boys-University 29-28 at Porirua Park with the final play of the match through a penalty to right wing Perry Hayman.

Norths had stormed back into the match after scoring the game's opening try but then conceded a 20-point deficit as the Billy Goats raced to a 25-5 lead on the back of three consecutive tries, to left wing Te Wehi Wright, prop Finbar Kerr-Newell and centre James Waddell. ?OBU led 28-12 at halftime.

Playing into a stiff breeze in the second half, the students ran out of puff and Norths came back to trail 28-26 before Hayman stepped up in the 79th minute to score with the last play of the match.

At Kilbirnie Park, a tight and willing match that saw home side MSP leading 8-6 at halftime came alive in the second half with six of the game's seven tries scored after the break.

It was a case of young versus old in the inside backs, with MSP first five-eighth and playmaker Fa'atonu Fili - who had helped orchestrate the sole try of the first half - setting up at least two more tries and kicking vital goals from both sides of the park trumping tyro HOBM five-eighth Chase Tiatia, who pounced on two MSP errors and sprinted away to score two tries.

The second of these tries put HOBM right back in the match at 24-20 behind, but livewire MSP left wing Ryan Setefano galloped in for his fifth consecutive try of the season and fullback Andrew Wells scored their final try and MSP won the Father Cleary Shield 38-25.

In a lively, albeit often sloppy tussle in which both sides were guilty of far too many unforced errors to make it a vintage match of quality, several other head-to-head battles were great to watch in this match. Among them at halfback, where MSP halfback Peter Sciascia continues to be the most dangerous kicking and counter-attacking halfback in the competition and HOBM's Sheldon Rangihuna has speed and verve; at lock where Steven Bradshaw for HOBM spent all day fending off MSP pair Dan Turner and Nick Harrison; at tighthead prop where MSP's Frank Fa'atau and HOBM's Elijah Fonoti both made some damaging runs; at centre where HOBM's Taiso Silafai-Leaanaa met a high quality opposite in MSP's two-try scorer Cardiff Vaega.

At the Petone Recreation Ground, Wainuiomata fullback Tau Mamea scored a brace and three-try hero from Thursday night against MSP Shahn Eru scored a try as Wainuiomata waltzed to a 25-13 halftime lead over Petone.

Playing into the wind in the second half, Wainuiomata right wing Taylor Tane extended their lead to 31-13.Petone came back to close the deficit to 20-31, but Wainiomata pulled ahead again to lead 38-27 and then the fulltime score of 41-34. Tane scored 21 points.

In beating Petone and retaining the Darren Larsen Cup, Wainuiomata continued their seven- match winning streak over their rivals from the hill.

At Hataitai Park, the Wellington Axemen again proved to be extremely competitive,going down to the Upper Hutt Rams 38-19 but staging a second comeback that at one stage brought them close at 21-19 behind after quickfire tries to No. 8 Dean Brunsdon and outside back Jackson Smith.

The Rams pulled clear again with a runaway try from a dropped ball to wing Tupeni Kamakorewara and another flurry of scoring at the end that flattered the competitiveness of the contest.

The Rams had led just 9-5 at halftime, three Ben Aoina penalties playing a length of the field try on the stroke of halftime to Wellington's blindside flanker Vaea Fifita. They then extended this after the break before the Axemen's comeback threatened to take the game away from them.

At Lyndhurst Park, Tawa earned their fifth consecutive bonus point win and have probably earned enough competition points to be the first team to officially qualify for the second round Jubilee Cup.

Playing with the wind at Lyndhurst Park, Tawa leapt out to a 12-0 lead with two tries. This became 19-3 at halftime and then 26-3 soon after the break as they ran in their bonus point try. First five-eighth James So'oialo scored two tries and 16 points to lead the competition on 76 points.

In the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield, Avalon have shot out to a clear lead at the top of the table after wiping the floor with the Upper Hutt Rams in their top of the table clash at Fraser Park today. Avalon beat the Rams' second XV 50-0 and also retained the Harper Vine Trophy.

Paremata-Plimmerton have moved up into third spot behind Avalon and the Rams after a bonus point 40-21 win over Tawa in the early game at Lyndhurst Park.

OBU and Norths each earned three competition points in their thrilling 39-39 draw, while MSP defeated HOBM 30-23 with two late tries.

Trailing 18-23, MSP's dominant set-pieces had the final say, driving prop Iakopo Tana over from a lineout in the corner to make it 23-23. The conversion was good and MSP led 25-23. They made one final assault and Tana came up with a brace on fulltime to seal their third win.

Petone defeated Wainuiomata 34-7, while Ories retained the Keith Mettrick Trophy without a tackle being made when the Wests Roosters defaulted their match to them.

Norths and OBU also fought out a thrilling draw in their Senior 2 National Mutual Cup match. The final score saw the teams locked up at 24-24.

Across their three matches today, Norths beat OBU 92-91.

At the top of the Senior 2 table, the Wellington Axemen made it five wins from five after beating Petone 26-19 in their Easter Monday clash.

Poneke also made it five straight National Mutual Cup wins, overcoming the Wests Roosters 51-0 at home on Kilbirnie number 1.

Avalon are in third after defeating Johnsonville 26-15, HOBM fourth after beating MSP 27-11, while Stokes Valley defeated the Upper Hutt Rams and retained the Snow Buchanan Memorial Trophy.

Awesome April continues on Saturday with the sixth round set of Swindale Shield, Senior 1 and Senior 2 matches, as well as a full round of all other competitive grades.