Petone and Upper Hutt Rams come back from the dead to win in fifth round Jubilee Cup heart stopper

Upper Hutt Rams replacement loose forward Taniela Manu sets off to score one of two tries with a few minutes left that sunk Old Boys University 34-30 at the Basin Reserve

New Zealand's leading community sports competition just got a bit more exciting this afternoon.

Not one, but two remarkable come-from-behind wins in the Jubilee Cup has made the race to the 2014 playoffs one of the most exciting in years.

The two headline results today in the Jubilee Cup were Petone's 27-25 win over Wainuiomata and the Upper Hutt Rams' 34-30 victory over Old Boys University.

Both were achieved in the dying minutes of play when the outcomes appeared to be sewn up.

With barely two minutes on the clock, Wainuiomata, fielding a monstrous forward pack, appeared to be cruising to their eighth straight Premier rugby victory over home side Petone. Wainuiomata were ahead 25-13, before two tries in the blink of an eye, both coolly converted by stand-in first five-eighth Carne Green, gave the Villagers a shock win.

Replacement wing Keanu Moran scorched through to score the first try and then a poor kick-off by Wainuiomata allowed Petone to tear back on to attack again and this time it was veteran hooker Eugene Smith that came up with the equaliser. Green, normally a halfback, slotted the winning conversion taken from just to the left of the uprights.

Green had previously combined with his former Wellington College teammate and lock James Blackwell to score just after halftime, which closed the then deficit to 10-13.

In a match with no fewer than four sin-binnings, Wainuiomata had re-extended their lead to 18-10 with a try in the corner to left wing Jason Love and then to 25-13 with a try to fullback Tau Mamea. If they had scored again at that point they probably would've booked themselves a home semi-final with a fortnight to spare. Instead they've been pegged back into the pack.

The Old Boys University Goats appeared to have put paid to the Rams' gallant challenge at the Basin Reserve after second five-eighth Greg Mullany charged down and scored a converted try to put the Goats ahead 30-20. But the Rams stunned them with two converted tries to take the win 34-30 and take possession of the Bill Brien Challenge Shield.

At the same time at Lyndhurst Park, MSP halfback and captain Peter Sciascia darted through to score a converted try to see his side lose 20-19 to defending champions Tawa and earn what could be a crucial bonus point.

Meanwhile, back in town, at the Polo Ground, visiting HOBM fans were probably left wondering what all the fuss was about on the other end of their wirelesses as their team had a comparatively ?convincing 32-17 win over home side Oriental-Rongotai.

That win for the Eagles and loss for 2011 champions Ories means these two teams are top and bottom on the points table, with the Eagles out in front on their own and semi-final bound and probably also home semi-final bound.

But in between these sides, such is the logjam on the points table, remarkably, all eight sides are still in the hunt for Jubilee Cup playoff spots.

There are two Jubilee Cup regular season rounds to play, with all four games next weekend set to have a bearing on the overall competition and the fortunes of others.

The Jubilee Cup standings with two rounds to play is: HOBM 21, Wainuiomata 17, OBU, Tawa and the Upper Hutt Rams all on 11, MSP and Petone both on 10 and Ories on 7.

The situation in the Premer 2 Hardham Cup is more clear-cut following today's games, with the two B teams officially dropping out of the semi-final reckoning with losses.

Northern United have shot to the lead and have probably booked themselves a home semi-final with their 28-20 win over Poneke at home at Porirua Park. Norths welcomed back two of its IRB U20 players, Samoa's Aukuso Tuitama and New Zealand's Jackson Garden-Bachop. This pair scored 18 points between them, while Poneke's NZ U20 wing Sosi Tuiamavae scored 12 points. Norths shot to a 13-0 lead and maintained the ascendancy to fulltime.

Wellington and Avalon are in third equal, after Wellington inflicted a second successive defeat on Avalon, winning 32-23 at Hataitai Park.

Johnsonville are just a couple of points back in fifth after grabbing their third win, an emphatic 60-7 win over MSP B. It was a team effort by the Hawks with at least eight individuals scoring their 10 tries.

Paremata-Plimmerton travelled to the Basin Reserve and earned a hugely important bonus point win in beating OBU B 35-13 to be back in sixth but still in the hunt for the playoffs with two rounds to play. First five-eighth Blake Neve scored 20 points.

Their top team met its first defeat of the second round today, but Poneke's second XV marched on towards Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup glory by beating Norths 41-20, their fifth straight win in the nine-week round-robin in this grade.

HOBM are six points back in second after beating Ories 47-24, ahead of Petone who edged Wainuiomata in a tight battle 13-6 after scores had been locked up at 3-3 at halftime. Wainuiomata had taken a 6-3 lead early in the second half, but Petone scored the only try of the match and then closed it out with Wainuiomata finishing the contest with two men in the sin-bin.

Defending Senior 1 second round champions Tawa defeated the hapless Wests Roosters 60-19, while the Upper Hutt Rams were dealt a blow by losing 14-16 to the Wellington Axemen.

HOBM's third XV marched on towards the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial Cup semi-finals, winning their fifth straight second round match today. HOBM defeated Norths 50-0.

Mid-table Stokes Valley upset previously unbeaten Avalon 29-12 in a neighbourhood battle.

Petone have held third after having a bye today, ahead of fourth placed OBU who smoked the Upper Hutt Rams 95-0 in the battle of the third XVs.

In another mid-table Senior 2 match today, Johnsonville defeated MSP 39-15.

Northern United beat Ories 22-6 in the big match of the Victoria Tavern Trophy Women's competition.

On Friday night Avalon beat MSP-Poneke 56-15 and Wainuiomata defeated OBU 24-15. The fourth Women's match between Stokes Valley and Tawa has been postponed.

Full Women's round-up coming soon.

The OBU Green Colts side marches on, grabbing its 32^nd straight wing this weekend with Friday night's 49-10 win over Ories.

HOBM Green and Norths Blue have both won four from five matches, HOBM Green beating the Wellington AxeColts 35-12 and Norths accounting for MSP 56-19. Petone beat OBU Black 45-0 in the other contest on Saturday.

The Tawa Titans and Waikanae both won their third straight Paul Potiki Shield U85kg Division 1 matches this afternoon. Tawa held on to beat Eastbourne 27-22 and Waikanae overcame the Poneke Cavs 33-28 in another tight tussle.

The MSP Blues sat this weekend out with their bye.

The OBU Onslow Bunnies and OBU Onslow Spartans resumed their rivalry by drawing 14-14, while the Upper Hutt Rams beat Avalon 36-13. ?

In Premier 1 First XV last round regular season action this afternoon, Scots College have temporarily regained the lead at the top of the standings by slaying Hutt International Boys' School 106-10.

St Pat's Silverstream will have the chance to go to the top of the table on 23 July when they play St Pat's Town in their mid-week traditional after the upcoming school holidays.

The other games today saw Wellington College defeat Rongotai College 42-17 and St Bernard's edge Naenae College 14-10 in the battle of the Hutt Valley schools.

Highlights videos of the MSP - Tawa and Ories v HOBM Jubilee matches to come.

Extended Jubilee Cup match reports from matches to come online at the Dominion Post on Sunday.

Photo galleries from several of the weekend's matches to come.