Jubilee Cup teams confirmed on thrilling final first round afternoon
The seven teams that will contest the 2019 Jubilee Cup starting next week have been confirmed.
Petone, Wainuiomata, Tawa, Oriental-Rongotai and Poneke will join already confirmed qualifiers Hutt Old Boys Marist and Northern United in Wellington club rugby’s Championship round.
There were seven teams hoping to confirm five spots heading into this afternoon’s 10th and final round of the Swindale Shield that was played in fine, windy conditions.
The two teams to miss out on the ‘top 7’ of this group, Old Boys University and Marist St Pat’s, both achieved the bonus point wins that they required. But both ended on 31 points, one fewer than the cut-off mark.
Two-time defending Jubilee Cup champions Old Boys University had their four-try bonus point sewn up inside the first quarter against Paremata-Plimmerton, on their way to beating them 106-7 at Nairnville Park.
Regular club rugby Championship rugby contenders MSP scored three first half tries and added a fourth early in the second half in their 22-15 win over Oriental-Rongotai at the Polo Ground.
At the top of the table, the HOBM won the Swindale Shield last week, but completed an unbeaten first round campaign with their 40-7 win over Northern United.
The other four 10th round Swindale Shield results saw Petone beat Poneke 23-17 for the famous F.J Tilyard Shield – a match that featured returning All Blacks hooker Dane Coles playing the first half – Tawa beating the Upper Hutt Rams 38-14, Avalon beating Johnsonville 21-17 and Wainuiomata winning against Wellington 28-10.
In the Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield, Marist St Pat’s had also won the first round title with this week’s final round to spare, but they ensured an unbeaten first round with a 33-15 win over Ories. MSP surpassed 500 points for the year to date in the process.
Norths finished second in Premier Reserve with a 43-24 win over HOBM and Tawa third, with a 22-17 win over the Upper Hutt Rams.
Old Boys University Green won the first round Paris Memorial Trophy Colts Division 1 title at the conclusion of the first round this afternoon.
The OBU Green Colts team also had an unbeaten first round campaign. They won their seventh straight game today by beating Paremata-Plimmerton 31-10.
MSP Colts consolidated second with their 48-0 win over the Upper Hutt Rams who will be playing in Colts Division 2 for the second half of the Les Mills Colts season, replaced by Division 2 first round winners Ories who had their bye today.
The other two Division 1 Colts results today saw Tawa pipping Petone 29-28 and Norths beating HOBM Green 26-19.
In Women’s rugby, leader Oriental-Rongotai had the bye today and will just require a bonus point from their final round match in a fortnight to win the first round Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy.
Two big results and two rather closer ones formed the penultimate round. Last night Norths beat Wainuiomata 59-10 and today MSP eased past neighbours Poneke 115-0, with Jane Bryce and Paige Va’auli both scoring 5 tries. Paremata-Plimmerton got past HOBM 29-12,
OBU ensured that the battle for the remaining Division 1 places will go to the last week by beating Petone 29-20 at Te Whaea. OBU never trailed in the match, with Petone missing at least 7 first-choice players. Thamsyn Newton crossed twice for the Impalas, matched by the Ponies’ Davina Lasini, but the result was in doubt until Montana Heslop skipped through in the 78th minute.
In JC Bowl U85kg rugby, leaders Avalon maintained their unbeaten record after seven rounds with a 36-0 win over the OBU outfit. Wellington beat the Upper Hutt Rams 20-10 today to move to second equal with them on the standings behind the Wolves. The HOBM Howlers are fourth after getting past Eastbourne 20-18 in their clash.
In the Thompson Memorial First Grade competition, leaders Stokes Valley beat MSP by default, while second placed Avalon defeated the HOBM Barbarians 31-21 and Wainuiomata beat Norths 41-17.
In Reserve Grade, the Poneke Ruffnuts and the Upper Hutt Rams Pirates kept their unbeaten record going in the Division 1 Mike Copeland Trophy.
The Ruffnuts made it 5/5 with their 29-13 win over the Johnsonville Cripples, while the Pirates went 4/4 with their 45-26 win over Tawa.
The Paremata-Plimmerton Punters lead Division 2 Reserve Grade after a 54-20 win today over the MSP Internationals.
In some Swindale Shield action today, Petone and Poneke met in a high quality match to close their Swindale Shield campaigns – and fittingly both two clubs made the top 7.
Swindale Shield games round-up:
Petone scored the game’s first try through No. 8 Tupou Sopoaga, but Poneke had the services of All Blacks hooker Dane Coles for the first 40 minutes and he had a blinder around the field. A Coles break in general play led to them scoring their first try to fullback Michael Sage.
With the wind, Petone kicked two penalties to edge ahead 13-7, before Coles himself scored a standout try, followed by another to lock Cole Stewart. Petone’s right wing Willie Fine was yellow carded and it was all Petone could do to hang on a trail 13-17 at the interval.
The first 20 minutes was all Poneke, but some outstanding, resolute defence held them out. A highlight and probably the big play of the game was a try-saving tackle by centre Josh Onekawa on No. 8 Greg Foe holding him up over the line off the back of an attacking scrum.
Petone broke out and replacement wing Sam Blackburn scored in the grandstand corner to put the Villagers up 18-17. Poneke’s Galu Taufale was sin-binned and from the next lineout play, Petone’s Sopoaga scored his second try and the match-clincher. Petone won the F.J Tilyard Shield in this match too.
Up the road and over the bridge, the HOBM Eagles played with clinical aggression and control to score three first half tries and take a 19-0 lead into halftime against Northern United.
Norths enjoyed plenty of opportunities on attack but couldn’t pierce the Eagles’ defensive line. They started the match dominating scrums, but HOBM weathered this set-piece storm well. Their back three would prove effective with their finishing and speed. They went on to more than double their score and were good for their 40-7 win on their Old Timers’ Day.
At the top of the Hutt Valley, Tawa opened with a try under the posts, but the home side the Upper Hutt Rams hit back with a try to centre Todd Svenson. Both sides scored once more before halftime, with Rams lock Taine Tata going over and then Tawa hooker Sitiveni Paongo scoring on halftime.
Paongo scored again early in the second half to put Tawa ahead 19-14. The run of play remained tight until deep into the fourth quarter when Tawa pulled clear for a hard-fought win.
At Helston Park, Johnsonville went close in the Swindale Shield matchup against the Avalon Wolves. Playing with the wind in the first half, Johnsonville led 12-7 at halftime, courtesy of two tries to centre Tawera Rameka-Styles versus one to Avalon flanker Daniel Smith.
The Hawks continued to fight hard in the second half and went ahead 17-7 with a try to flanker Taewa Rima, only for Avalon to close to 17-14 and then score the winner a few minutes from fulltime to take the gloss of Johnsonville’s Old Timers’ Day.
It was a similar story at Hataitai Park, where visitors Wainuiomata beat Wellington 28-10 for the Bill Jones Cup but had to work hard for victory.
Wellington opened the scoring through lock James Poloniati, but Wainuiomata replied through wing Saita Tuaoi. A second try to the green and blacks through centre Michael Lealava’a and a penalty to the Axemen’s Henry Hocking made it 14-10 to the visitors at halftime.
Wainuomata were then able to double their tally in the second 40 minutes to take the win and take third equal on the final standings.
Over at the Polo Ground, visitors Marist St Pats scored three of the four tries they needed at the minimum to qualify for the Jubilee Cup for the 45th consecutive year in the first half.
Loosehead prop Tui Tuia scored first after a break by midfielder Isaiah Petelo, right wing Willie Schutz latched on to a grubber kick by flyhalf James Proctor and flanker James Tuia scored on halftime following an attacking scrum. Ories also scored two first half tries, to lock Tuakana Meterau and centre Malachai Unasa and MSP led 17-10 at the break.
Ten minutes into the second half, James Tuia scored his double to open up a 22-10 lead, before replacement wing Reuben Va’a finished the game’s scoring with a try in the 60th minute. In winning this one, MSP will go into the Hardham Cup as Bill Brien Challenge Cup holders.
Up at Nairnville Park, Old Boys University had their four-try bonus point against Paremata-Plimmerton inside 15 minutes. The Goats exploded into this match and went on to lead 71-0 at halftime – turning into the wind.
Paremata-Plimmerton were more competitive after the break, but couldn’t prevent OBU from raising the ton. For OBU, No. 8 Teariki Ben Nicholas scored four tries.