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Ponsonby defeat Otahuhu

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It wasn’t vintage rugby, but the Ponsonby Premiers did what they needed to take the maximum competition points from their match with Otahuhu on Saturday afternoon.  Played at Sturges Park under sunny skies, Ponsonby scored seven tries in the 42-3 victory, with Keenan Masina bagging a double.

With Ponsonby’s spot already guaranteed in the next round, the coaching team took the opportunity to rest several first choice players, which opened the door for a group of players from the Premier Reserve grade to display their skills.

Morrison Siliko, playing at first five eighth, was given an early opportunity to open the scoring with a penalty shot at goal from 20 metres out, and directly in front. The kick struck the upright and fortuitously bounced in off.

Much of the first 30 minutes in the match was error ridden, and many attacking attempts by Ponsonby were met by some resilient Otahuhu defence. But it was only a matter of time before the defensive line would break.

Ponsonby stole an Otahuhu lineout 30 metres out, Leo Ngahe then bursting away from broken play. With support from the outstanding Presley Tufuga, play went close to the Otahuhu line, and the final pass went to Pale Pasina, who crashed over out wide. The Siliko conversion was charged down, and Ponsonby had a lead of 8-0.

The next try came just two minutes later. The Ponsonby pack snared a turnover on the halfway mark, and a clever chip kick by Laki Tiatia fell neatly for the chasing Keenan Masina, who gathered and scored in the tackle of the Otahuhu midfielders. Siliko nailed the conversion, and the lead had extended to 15-0.

Just short of the halftime break, Masina crossed for his second of the match, the try being unconverted.

Ponsonby went to the break at 20-0 ahead, after enjoying the use of a brisk breeze in the first spell.

Early in the second spell the Otahuhu fullback Moe Iafeta goaled a penalty for his side.

Ponsonby struck back almost immediately, Joe Beckett unleashing his blistering pace down the right wing, dotting down in the corner.

In the 16th minute of the second spell, Otahuhu lost a man to the sin bin for an indiscretion at the breakdown. Ponsonby then sought to capitalise on their one man advantage.

 A penalty in Ponsonby’s favour was drilled to the corner. The forwards drove toward the line, and Marco Fepuleai burst through for the try. Once again the Siliko conversion was charged down, and Ponsonby now led by 30-3.

Into the final ten minutes of the match, and Ponsonby continued to look for try scoring opportunities.

Joe Beckett once again found space down the right wing, and eventually cut back infield. After drawing the last defenders, Beckett passed to the supporting Siliko who strolled in under the posts. Siliko converted his try from in front.

Right on fulltime, Ponsonby drilled another penalty to the corner. The lineout went in Ponsonby’s favour, and Willis Hopwood crossed for the final try.

Ponsonby completed the first round with six wins and a solitary loss. Of note is that of the 16 teams in the Auckland Premier competition, Ponsonby conceded the least number of points (100), and one third of those points (33) were conceded in one game, against Grammar-Tec.

Ponsonby now progress to the next round, which will see them play College Rifles, Pakuranga, Grammar-Tec, Waitemata, Marist, Suburbs and Papatoetoe, the draw to be finalised this week.  These eight sides will compete for the Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield, and at the end of seven rounds, the top four sides will then compete for the Gallaher Shield.

The Ponsonby Premier Reserves went through the first round of their competition undefeated, and in the curtainraiser at Sturges Park defeated Otahuhu by 53-0 on Saturday afternoon. The Ponsonby side crossed for nine tries, with right wing Dan Willemsen crossing twice.

PONSONBY 42

Tries: Keenan Masina 2, Pale Pasina, Joe Beckett, Marco Fepuleai, Willis Hopwood and Morrison Siliko

Conversions: Morrison Siliko 2

Penalty: Morrison Siliko

 

PONSONBY PREMIER RESERVES 53

Tries: Dan Willemsen 2, Herman Huch, Rob Sanele, Josh Hawkins, Doug Halley, Niall Cavanagh, Roger Tuamoheloa and Ian Leppard

Conversions: Willie Gibbons 4

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Ponsonby v Otahuhu 28 May 2016

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The final match of the first round of the Auckland club rugby competition sees the Ponsonby Premiers travel south to Sturges Park to face the bottom placed team in the group, Otahuhu.

Ponsonby start this match after a tight encounter with Manukau Rovers last Saturday, but emerged the victors by 21-20. Otahuhu on the other hand were soundly downed by Eden by 59-0 in the same round.

Otahuhu have had nothing short of a wretched start to the club year, scoring a total of 28 points and conceding 397 points from the six matches to date. Otahuhu has unfortunately been on the receiving end of some hidings, including 100 points by Pakuranga, 77 by College Rifles and 70 by Manukau Rovers. In those three matches alone, Otahuhu scored only 17 points.

Ponsonby last played Otahuhu on the 17th of May 2014 at Western Springs, brushing them aside by 55-7.

The last time that Ponsonby ventured to Sturges Park to do battle with Otahuhu was in the third round of the competition, on the 20th of April 2013, Ponsonby emerging the victors by 26-10.

Incredibly, only one member of the starting XV for Ponsonby that day in 2013 (Chanel Vito) features in the squad for Saturdays match. Vito was also handed the captaincy role for this Saturday’s fixture.  The 2016 Premier head coach, Peter Leuluso’o, also featured in the 2013 match with Otahuhu, wearing the number 12 jersey that day.

Despite the prospect of a soft field thanks to the wet, wintry weather conditions in the past week it is unlikely that Otahuhu will cause Ponsonby too much grief on Saturday. But the blue and blacks will be seeking a flawless performance as they approach the next competition, a round that possesses little opportunity for inaccuracy.

A number of changes were made to the XV that started the previous encounter, and opportunities were given to several of the wider squad members to join the match day 22.

The Premiers feature on the main ground at Sturges Park at 2.45pm, whilst the Premier Reserves who are unbeaten in the season to date play in the curtain-raiser, kicking off at 1.00pm.

 PONSONBY:

1.  Junior Halafuka; 2. Steven Savali; 3. Marco Fepu’leai; 4. Leo Ngahe; 5. Presley Tufuga;  6. Pale Pasina; 7. Willis Hopwood; 8. Chanel Vito; 9. Laki Tiatia; 10.Morrison Siliko; 11. Aleni Ropati;  12. Keenan Masina; 13. Patrick Tausie; 14.Joseph Beckett; 15. Charlie Hubert; 16. Herman Huch;       17. Willie Uili; 18. Ben Bacon; 19. Ji Young Lee; 20. Campbell Woodmass; 21. Robert Sanele;       22. Chico Huch            

 

 

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PREMIER RESERVES MAINTAIN UNBEATEN RUN

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The Ponsonby Premier Reserves continued their unbeaten run in 2016 with a solid 40-0 beating of Manukau Rovers at the Western Springs Stadium last Saturday afternoon. The win keeps them sitting in top spot on the Premier Reserves Auckland competition.  In the past six matches this team has scored a respectable average of 35 points per game, whilst conceding an average of 10.

The curtain-raiser for the main game between the Premier sides from the same clubs, Ponsonby were clinical in the way that they achieved the victory, conscious that they just had to play their natural game, and the win would come.

The achievements of this Premier side have been quite outstanding in recent seasons, with support from several experienced players and a passionate coaching and management team. This side plays a very entertaining brand of rugby, and there always appears to be tremendous enjoyment amongst the team in the way that they perform.

The opening try of Saturday's match came in just the fifth minute of play.

Ponsonby forced a turnover deep inside their own half, and the pacy left winger Douglas Halley displayed his skills on a lengthy dash down the sideline. The ball was spun wide, with forwards and backs combining with precision, and the try eventually came when fullback Joel Joshi-Smith crossed in the right hand corner.

Soon after, Ponsonby were in again.

Manukau Rovers were hot on attack, and with an overlap and the line 40 metres away they were confident. But the visitors were oblivious to the presence of the outstanding Ponsonby flanker Ji Young Lee. The vigilant flanker sensed an opportunity for an intercept, and grabbed it. He set sail into the enemy territory, and waited for his support. After several phases, Chico Huch looked for a way through, but was halted just short. The troops rallied behind Huch and pushed him over the line for the try. Willie Gibbons added the extra two points, and Ponsonby led by 12-0.

Ponsonby were unable to claim the restart cleanly, and Manukau Rovers capitalised. Seizing the loose ball, their forward pack combined in a move that took play to within five metres of the Ponsonby line.  The blue and black defence was solid, and the attempted assault was thwarted.

Just shy of the halftime break, Willie Gibbons scored Ponsonby’s third of the afternoon, finishing off an excellent move where the blue and black machine had applied a prolonged period of pressure. Gibbons converted his try, and Ponsonby went to the break ahead at 19-0.

The first 16 minutes of the second spell was plagued with squally showers, so Ponsonby tightened up their game, much to the frustration of the visitors.

A needless high tackle on Ponsonby replacement Cody O’Neil resulted in a Manukau Rovers player being despatched to the bin for ten minutes. Alas, Ponsonby were unable to break the visitor’s line during this period.

It wasn’t until after Manukau Rovers were back to their full complement that Ponsonby broke their defence. After a period of weather inflicted spilled passes and dropped ball, Robert Sanele was able to gain the ball from broken play, and then cantered 35 metres down the right hand touch for the try. The Gibbons conversion stretched the score to 26-0.

Ponsonby’s fifth try of the match came from a five metre scrum. What should have been a standard pushover scrum where the number eight would simply direct play to the line, pick up and score, but no-one told replace halfback Roger Tuamoheloa. The scrum wheeled to the line, and the veteran halfback seized his opportunity and grabbed the ball from the base of the scrum and scored, much to the amusement of his colleagues on the sideline. Gibbons again goaled and Ponsonby were now 33-0 ahead.

The final try of the match was a real gem. Ponsonby executed a classic forward drive that extended some 25 metres. The ball went wide through the backs, and with exactitude Aleni Ropati carved a brilliant line through the defence to score under the posts. Gibbons again converted, sealing the win at 40-0.

The Ponsonby forward pack worked hard for 80 minutes, outclassing their opposites, and then paved the way for the backs to score six excellent tries.

The Ponsonby Premier Reserves play the Otahuhu opposites as the curtain-raiser to the Premiers fixture at Sturges Park at 1.00pm next Saturday afternoon.

Ponsonby: 40

Tries: Joel Joshi-Smith, Chico Huch, Willie Gibbons, Robert Sane, Roger Tuamoheloa and Aleni Ropati

Conversions: Willie Gibbons 5

  

       

 

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PREMIERS SNEAK HOME AGAINST MANUKAU ROVERS

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The Ponsonby Premiers edged Manukau Rovers by 21-20 on Saturday afternoon in the penultimate match of the first round of the Auckland club rugby competition.

Played at Western Springs Stadium amongst pesky showers, both sides had issues contending with the slippery ball and underfoot conditions. These conditions played a contributing factor in the game, ensuring that this encounter was not a free flowing entertaining spectacle that it had the potential to be.

Manukau Rovers traditionally play a spirited brand of rugby, and in the past couple of seasons have known exactly how to rattle the Ponsonby Premiers. In the first passage of play, just seconds from the kick off, Ponsonby found themselves on the backfoot. After two aerial exchanges of possession, Junior Cagiaceva mishandled a pass, which Manukau Rovers gratefully accepted. Play went to their centre, Stacey Ili, who cleverly eluded several Ponsonby tacklers, and ducked and dived on a 40 metre weave to the tryline. Calvary Fonoti converted, and the visitors had a 7-0 lead in just the first minute of play.

William Talataina-Mu put Ponsonby on the scoreboard with a handy penalty goal in the 9th minute of the half.

In the 16th minute of play Ponsonby were gifted the opportunity to capitalise on a handling error by the visitors. Some 20 metres away from their line Manukau Rovers turned over possession,  and from the ensuing loosehead feed, Ponsonby went rightand fullback Charlie Hubert skipped away from the intending tacklers, and freed Danny Tusitala, who dotted down in the right hand corner. The Talataina-Mu conversion fell away, but Ponsonby now had the lead in the match by 8-7.

Despite missing the earlier conversion, Talataina-Mu did however succeed with a penalty goal soon after, which stretched the lead for the home side to 11-7.

What then followed was a classic piece of rugby. Ponsonby relished a sustained period on attack, and forced the visitors into some fundamental errors. In their haste, Manukau Rovers attempted a clearing kick from inside their 22 metre area. The kicker was tackled as he endeavoured to kick, and his misguided kick travelled only a few metres. On hand to gather the kick was Marco Fepuleai, who displayed some outstandingly quick reflexes, claiming the ball and charging to the line untouched. Talataina-Mu added the extra two points, and Ponsonby looked to be well in control at 18-7.

With what appeared to be a significant advantage, Ponsonby looked to increase their lead so became somewhat adventurous in their execution. The visitors were enjoying having Ponsonby kick away, what was valuable possession. In one such situation, the visitors exploited. Gathering a wayward kick, Manukau Rovers created a massive overlap, and Ponsonby were powerless to stop the openside flanker Sione To’a from racing to the corner to score. Calvary Fonoti, a 2015 Auckland ITM Cup representative, goaled the conversion from the sideline.

Ponsonby went to the break at 18-14 ahead.

The first 20 minutes of the second spell saw several changes in possession. Both sides would look good to score, but promising moves would fall down with dropped passes or possession would be needlessly kicked away.

At the third quarter mark in the match Fonoti added two penalty goals in quick succession, which saw the visitor’s take the lead in the match at 20-18.

But it was a penalty goal miss in the 66th minute which would prove costly for Manukau Rovers. Had Fonoti succeeded it would have made the potential comeback for Ponsonby much harder.

In the final ten minutes Ponsonby spent several minutes on attack, using the tried and true ‘pick and go’ method. And with eight minutes to play Manukau Rovers became frustrated with this practise, and conceded a kickable penalty. Talataina-Mu goaled the penalty, and Ponsonby held on to the slender 21-20 advantage for the remaining minutes.

Next Saturday Ponsonby will travel south to Sturges Park to take on Otahuhu who are the 8th, and bottom placed side in the competition, and are seeking their first win in 2016. Last Saturday Otahuhu did battle with the 7th placed side in the competition, Eden, losing by 59-0.  

PONSONBY:

Tries: Danny Tusitala and Marco Fepuleai

Conversion: William Talataina-Mu

Penalties: William Talataina-Mu 3

 

 

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Ponsonby v Manukau Rovers 21 May 2016

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With two matches remaining in the Alan McEvoy qualifying round robin section of the club competition, Ponsonby sit in second place on 19 points on the table, and this Saturday will tackle Manukau Rovers at Western Springs Stadium.

This Saturday’s match will mark Ponsonby’s first defence in the new tenure of the Sir Fred Allen Challenge Cup.  Ponsonby last held this Cup in 2010, and will be eager to hold on to it for an extended spell.

Of the five competition matches played to date, Ponsonby has recorded four wins and the solitary loss, that loss being in the opening round at the hands of College Rifles, who top the competition table with 22 points.

Ponsonby’s next opponent, Manukau Rovers, sits in fifth place on the table on 14 points, and the blue and blacks will be conscious that their pending visitors beat them on two occasions in the 2015 season. In the first match in April at Williams Park, Ponsonby went down by 18-16, then in June at Western Springs Ponsonby were edged by 35-32.

Ponsonby will be buoyed by their victories in their last two matches, at the expense of two of the heavy weights of the club competition – Grammar-Tec and Pakuranga. A win this Saturday over Manukau Rovers would all but assure them a place amongst the top four qualifiers who will go on to contest the Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield - the competition starting on the 4th of June.

Manukau Rovers on the other hand, has two wins from its five outings, and these have been over the lowly placed Te Papapa-Onehunga and Otahuhu. However their three losses (Grammar-Tec, College Rifles and Eden) have all been narrow defeats. The most recent loss (last weekend) was to Eden, played at Manukau Rovers’ South Auckland home, a result which was Eden’s first win of the season.  Manukau Rovers were in charge at 24-15 until well into the second spell, but let their guard down and were powerless to prevent Eden running in three converted tries.

The Premiers feature on the main ground at Western Springs Stadium at 2.45pm, whilst the Premier Reserves playing in the curtain-raiser, kicking off at 1.00pm.

 PONSONBY:

1.  Alex Matapo; 2. Willie Uili; 3. Marco Fepu’leai; 4. Leo Ngahe; 5. Jamie Lane; 6. Anthony Diack; 7. Waha Waitohi; 8. Presley Tufuga; 9. Campbell Woodmass; 10.William Talataina-Mu; 11. Freedom Vaha’akolo; 12. Keenan Masina; 13. Junior Caciaceva; 14. Danny Tusitala; 15. Charlie Hubert;

16. Steven Savalii; 17. Junior Halafuka; 18. Chanel Vito; 19. Willis Hopwood; 20. Morrison Siliko;    21. Patrick Tausie; 22. Joseph Beckett

 

 

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PONSONBY SECURE SOLID WIN OVER PAKURANGA

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Ponsonby successfully pipped Pakuranga on Saturday afternoon by 22-15 as the two quality sides battled it out over the 80 minutes. Not only did Ponsonby pick up four competition points, but they also won the Sir Fred Allen Challenge Cup, which Pakuranga had held since April 2015.

Both sides had to contend with a stiff breeze, which Pakuranga used effectively in the first spell, but in the second half Ponsonby were masterful with their use of it, pinning Pakuranga in their half for most of the 40.

Pakuranga had a chance to open the scoring early on when the blue and blacks were penalised for holding on to the ball.  Pakuranga 1st 5/8 Wiseguy Faiane attempted a shot at goal from 51 metres out, but the kick drifted wide.

Despite the brisk breeze, much of the first quarter in the match saw the possession shared. On several occasions Ponsonby broke out of their territory and looked exciting in their onslaught on the opposition half, but the promising moves would be thwarted by spilled passes, or the ball would be kicked away when retention may have been a better option.

Ponsonby were first on the scoreboard in the 21st minute when William Talataina-Mu goaled a handy penalty.

A few moments later, Keenan Masina broke out of the Ponsonby half on an outstanding run, but was unaware of the unmarked support outside him. Play went to ground, and the ball squirted out the back of the forming ruck. Before Campbell Woodmass could clear, his Pakuranga opposite nabbed the ball and passed  to the right winger, Harry Lyford, who scampered away some 50 metres for a try in the right hand corner. Faiane goaled from wide out, putting his side in front by 7-3.

From the kick off the Pakuranga forwards streamed back onto attack, play then went to Lino Tiatia on the left wing, who raced away to the score in the corner. The conversion from Faiane was pulled to the left of the posts, and Pakuranga were now ahead by 12-3.

A few moments on, and Ponsonby were given a chance to score points, courtesy of a penalty 30 metres away from the Pakuranga line. William Talataina-Mu drilled the ball toward the corner, but alas the kick was overcooked, and went dead in goal. Wiseguy Faiane then placed a drop out, the ball falling into Ponsonby territory. Play then went left to Freedom Vaka’akola, who showed his exciting skills and pace, eluding numerous would-be defenders, on an electrifying 55 metre run to the line. The conversion drifted away, and Ponsonby were a little closer on the scoreboard at 12-8.

Pakuranga were not done with scoring for the half and after claiming the restart, they set up camp in Ponsonby territory. Just short of the halftime whistle Faiane goaled a penalty to take the teams to the break with the home-side ahead by 15-8.

Ponsonby started the second spell strongly, and with the wind at their back, they looked to keep Pakuranga pinned deep in their territory.

Just one minute into the spell, Ponsonby were awarded a scrum 25 metres away from the Pakuranga line. The home-side expected the blue blacks to spin the ball to the open-side, but were surprised when play was directed to Freedom Vaha’akolo on the left wing. Vaha’akolo eluded a couple of tacklers, and then dotted down in the corner, scoring his second of the afternoon. The conversion fell away, and Ponsonby now trailed by 15-13.

Talataina-Mu continued to punish Pakuranga by driving them deep into their half with some clever kicks. Pakuranga struggled to get out of their half, through handling errors and misguided kicks, which gave Ponsonby great field position.

A Talataina-Mu penalty goal put his side in front in the 58th minute, and then another in the 62nd minute extended the lead to 19-15.

In the final quarter of the match Ponsonby went to the bench to add some needed impetus, and with ten minutes to run two of the replacements combined to seriously test the Pakuranga defence. Joseph Beckett displayed his blistering pace down the left wing, and with support from Pat Tausie play went close. But with the line open, the move fell down just short when the final pass was not taken cleanly.

In the 73rd minute Talataina-Mu added a fourth penalty, stretching the lead to 22-15.

Pakuranga were not out, and with time running out they looked to place some pressure on the blue and blacks. They could sense a chance for an unlikely draw and threw caution to the wind with a quick lineout then spinning it wide. The backs easily made it into the Ponsonby half, and then Pakuranga found themselves with a penalty. Kicking to touch and then winning the lineout, but Ponsonby were up to the defensive challenge.  With only seconds left on the clock Ponsonby skilfully won the turnover and thumped it into touch, putting the lid on a satisfying victory.

In Saturday’s curtainraiser at Bell Park, the Ponsonby Premier Reserves maintained their unbeaten season, defeating their opposites by 26-15. Playing into the wind in the first spell, they trailed by 12-6 at the break, with Robert Sanele goaling two penalties in the spell. The second half produced a try to Phil Viane, and then they hit the lead on the scoreboard in the 64th minute when Simon Gabion-Sheehan crashed over. A Willie Gibbons penalty goal allowed a bit of breathing space, and a late try to Mark Ama sealed the win.

With only two rounds to play, Ponsonby now head back home to host Manukau Rovers, who ended up being Ponsonby’s bogey team in 2015. The two sides met in round robin play that season, and Manukau Rovers took the points from both encounters. In the first match in April at Williams Park, Ponsonby went down by 18-16, then in June at Western Springs Ponsonby were edged by 35-32.

Last Saturday Manukau Rovers, in what was a tough encounter, were edged by Eden by 36-31, after the scores were locked at 10-all at the halftime break.

 

Ponsonby: 22

Tries: Freedom Vaha’akola 2

Penalties: William Talataina-Mu 4

Pakuranga: 15

Tries: Harry Lyford and Lino Tiatia

Conversion: Wiseguy Faaine

Penalty: Wiseguy Faiane

Ponsonby Premier Reserves: 26

Tries: Phil Viane, Simon Gabion-Sheehan and Mark Ama

Penalties: Robert Sanele 2, Willie Gibbons

Conversion: Willie Gibbons

Game fixtures - Saturday 14 May 2016

14:45      Premiers vs Pakuranga                                          Bell Park 1
13:00      Premier Reserves vs Pakurana                            Bell Park 1
13:00      Ponsonby U21 vs College Rifles                           College Rifles 2
13:00      Ponsonby Hustlers vs Eden Lizards                   Western Springs Stadium 1
14:45      Ponsonby Blue vs Suburbs                                    Cox's Bay Reserves 2
14:45      Ponsonby EP's vs College Rifle                            Shore Road 1
14:45      Ponsonby Legion vs Manukau Mudlarks         Williams Park 3
14:45      Ponsonby Puritans vs Eden Exclusive              Western Springs Outer 1
14:45      Ponsonby Falcons vs Pakuranga                        Cox's Bay Reserve 1
14:45      Ponsonby U20 vs Manukau                                  Western Springs Stadium 1
13:00      Ponsonby Fillies vs Ardmore Marist                  Bruce Pullman CM 7
13:00      Ponsonby Fillies Development vs Waiuku       Waiuku 3
 

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Ponsonby v Pakuranga 14 May 2016

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Ponsonby head into the 5th Round of the Premier competition facing Pakuranga at Bell Park on Saturday afternoon.

The blue and blacks will be brimming with confidence after their spectacular 40-33 win over Grammar-Tec last Saturday, a match in which they showcased some outstanding attacking qualities and some resilient defence.

Pakuranga on the other hand will be determined to show that their performance in previous match, against Eden, was nothing but a hiccup in their season. Pakuranga trailed Eden by 17-14 at halftime, and despite being outscored by five tries to four, they managed to salvage a 31-all draw.

Ponsonby played Pakuranga in the opening round of the Waka Nathan Challenge Cup back in March, Pakuranga being the victors by 37-17.

And in the round robin section of the 2016 season, Pakuranga have had a mixed start, with two wins, and a loss and a draw recorded against their name. In the opening round they beat Otahuhu by 100-7, then lost to College Rifles, then produced a variable 33-26 win over Te Papapa-Onehunga.

Ponsonby played Pakuranga once in 2015, in the opening round of the Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield competition on the 30th of May. Played at Western Springs, Ponsonby led the visitors by 17-15 at halftime, and then trailed by 25-22 going into the final quarter, but dug deep to produce a satisfying 44-25 victory. Ponsonby last played Pakuranga on their homeground in March 2014 in the Waka Nathan Challenge Cup, Ponsonby coming away with the bragging rights after a hard fought 32-23 win.

Ponsonby start this match with the same XV which performed with distinction against Grammar-Tec in the previous round.

The Premiers feature on the main ground at Bell Park at 2.45pm, whilst the Premier Reserves play in the curtain-raiser, kicking off at 1.00pm.

 PONSONBY:

1.  Alex Matapo; 2. Willie Uili; 3. Marco Fepu’leai; 4. Leo Ngahe; 5. Jamie Lane; 6. Anthony Diack; 7. Waha Waitohi; 8. Presley Tufuga; 9. Campbell Woodmass; 10.William Talataina-Mu; 11. Freedom Vaha’akolo; 12. Keenan Masina; 13. Pryor Collier; 14. Danny Tusitala; 15. Charlie Hubert; 

16. Romero Tagi; 17. Junior Halafuka; 18. Chanel Vito; 19. Willis Hopwood; 20. Laki Tiatia; 21. Patrick Tausie; 22. Joseph Beckett

 

 

Small Black Sessions for Jnr Coaches

ALL Junior coaches need to attend Small Blacks -  These courses are compulsory. Please attend one of the  following mop up sessions if you have not completed the course yet.

Coaches to bring along 2 forms of ID for Police Vetting purposes.

Note-FrontRowFactory will be covered in the U11-U13 SmallBlacks session NOT a standalone course as previously done

·         Friday 13th May - Papatoetoe Rugby Club
6pm  - Kolmar Centre Hunters Corner

·         Monday 16th May - Eden Park
6pm - Gate A Entry , course to be held in Hall of Legends

·         Wednesday 18th May - Eden Rugby Club
6pm - Gribblehurst Park, Sandringham Road

 

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PONSONBY TRIUMPHANT OVER OLD RIVALS

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The Ponsonby Premiers produced a mammoth effort on Saturday afternoon to overcome Grammar-Tec by 40-33. Played in superb overhead and underfoot conditions at Orakei Domain, the match was nothing short of an entertaining spectacle. Ponsonby outscored their hosts by six tries to three, with Pryor Collier recording a hat-trick.

Ponsonby handed Grammar-Tec their first loss since June 2015, and It was an extremely satisfying victory for Ponsonby and their supporters given that victory over Grammar had eluded them on several occasions since 2011.

Grammar-Tecwere fastest out of the blocks and their enterprising play was rewarded in the sixth minute when lock Setafano Funaki crashed over the line taking several Ponsonby defenders with him. Michigan Lam converted, and the home side had an early 7-0 lead.

The blue and blacks didn’t wait long to respond. The ensuing restart by William Talataina-Mu was not claimed by Grammar-Tec, and spying a golden opportunity to capitalise, Anthony Diack was on hand to gather the bouncing ball some 15 metres inside the opposition half, and with a gap opening like the Red Sea, Diack sprinted to the line untouched, much to the bemusement of some stunned defence. The successful conversion drew Ponsonby level at 7-7.

Grammar-Tec again snatched the lead on the scoreboard with a try eight minutes later, awarded to flanker Robert Harris, which Lam converted.

At the halfway point in the half, Ponsonby found themselves with a lineout five metres from the hosts goal-line. Jamie Lane went high, winning possession,  and the ball went to Talataina-Mu at first receiver, who sold a clever dummy, and then produced a deft pop pass to Pryor Collier, scoring the first of his three tries. The successful conversion again locked the scores.

Just shy of halftime the spectators were treated to some creative and sublime skills that would be the envy of many midfield backs. An attack by Ponsonby from inside their territory created a big overlap. The ball was fed to hooker Willie Uili, who found himself in space and with a lot of daylight ahead. Uili ran like an outside back unleashing some superb pace, then surveying his options as the defenders started to close in. Realising that his supporting players were now marked Uili placed an ingenious grubber kick ahead, and before the ball bounced over the dead ball line, it was nabbed by Collier, scoring his second try of the afternoon. The conversion drifted away, but Ponsonby had a handy 19-14 lead going to the halftime break.

Early in the second half Ponsonby were awarded a penalty, which was drilled to the corner by Talataina-Mu. Grammar-Tec stole the lineout, and after a period of aerial ping pong, Danny Tusitala initiated an attack on the opposition. Running wide across the field, Tusitala had good support from Talataina-Mu, then to Collier, and his blistering pace and silky skills were too much for the opposites as he raced 40 metres to the line. The successful conversion extended Ponsonby’s lead to 26-14.

Michigan Lam added a penalty goal, bringing his side back to 26-17 down.

Following the restart, Grammar-Tec then exploited the Ponsonby defence, which paid dividends. From deep inside their territory, the backs raced away, and a possible forward pass to the dangerous running Kitione Taimani, who split the Ponsonby defence apart, and then sped away to score beneath the posts. After the successful conversion, and Ponsonby’s healthy lead had been reduced to 26-24.

A penalty attempt at goal from Talataina-Mu would have given his side some breathing space, but the kick drifted away.

Lam, however, was having a successful afternoon with the boot, and in quick succession added a drop goal, then a penalty goal, giving his side a 30-26 advantage on the scoreboard.

The Ponsonby side kept their heads high, and continued to plug away at the opposition territory, thriving on small errors that were starting to creep into Grammar-Tec’s game. After a period of sustained pressure, Ponsonby scored their fifth try of the match, Danny Tusitala crossing in the corner. A magnificent sideline conversion from Talataina-Mu, put the lead back the way of Ponsonby.

Into the final ten minutes of the game, and Grammar-Tec goaled another penalty, again locking the scores, now at 33-33.

The Gallaher Shield champions were not about to surrender the game, and attempted several times to break the Ponsonby defence. Invariably they would let themselves down by turning over possession just metres away from the Ponsonby line.

With two minutes to run, it started to look like Grammar-Tec may steal the game, but Ponsonbywere not going to settle for a draw. Snatching the ball just metres out from their line, and what followed was a flowing 90 metre move – in which several players handled in the build-up – then by a 40 metre sprint to the line by replacement winger Joe Beckett. The conversion put the lid on a wonderful Ponsonby performance. The jubilation from the side and supporters alike was very evident after what was a definitive Ponsonby team performance.

Ponsonby now sit in third place on the competition table, and will now prepare for an encounter with the fourth placed side, Pakuranga, being played at Bell Park next Saturday afternoon. Pakuranga will be hurting after their 31-all draw with Eden in the previous round, so will be wanting to cement their place amongst the all-important top four qualifiers.

Meanwhile in the curtain raiser the Premier Reserves were ruthless in the 57-15 demolition of the Grammar-Tec opposites, having led by 19-5 at the break. Ponsonby scored nine tries, including one which featured a spectacular 25 metre run by prop  Phil Viane.

Ponsonby 40

Tries: Pryor Collier 3, Danny Tusitala, Anthony Diack and Joe Beckett

Conversions:  William Talataina-Mu 5 

Grammar TEC 33

Tries: Setafano Funaki, Kitione Taimani, Robert Harris

Conversions: Michigan Lam 3

Penalty:  Michigan Lam, Corey Niwa

Drop goal: Michigan La

 

Ponsonby Premier Reserves 57

Tries: Herman Huch, Ben Bacon, Aleni Ropati, Simon Gibion-Sheehan, Ji Yung-Lee, Jazz Samuela, Phil Viane, Willie Gibbons and Andy Varoy

Conversions: Robert Sanele 3, Willie Gibbons 3

 

Premiers prepared for match with Grammar-Tec

This Saturday afternoon Ponsonby will line-up against the current Gallaher Shield champions, Grammar-TEC, at Orakei Domain, committed to coming away with the competition points on offer.

Ponsonby will start the game having produced a scratchy 27-3 win over Eden in the previous round, whilst Grammar-TEC crushed Otahuhu by 52-3, although by their own admission, they lacked their usual accuracy and cohesion in the first half.

Ponsonby played Grammar-TEC in a pre-season ‘warm-up’ match at Orakei Domain a few weeks back and lost by 27-17.

Ponsonby and Grammar-TEC met twice in 2015, in May, and then again in July that year. Grammar-TEC were the victors on both occasions, winning the first encounter by 34-20, then the second by 67-12.

It has been five years since the Ponsonby Premiers savoured a victory over Grammar in the Alan McEvoy competition. It was on the 28th of May 2011 that Ponsonby hosted the Grammar-Carlton side, winning by 30-21 that afternoon. Ponsonby then went on to beat Grammar-Carlton in the Gallaher Shield final by 20-18, this being the last time that Ponsonby won the coveted trophy.

To date in the Alan McEvoy Championship in 2016, Grammar-TEC side has recorded three wins from three outings, having secured maximum competition points. These wins have been achieved at the expense of Manukau, Eden and Otahuhu, the latter two sides residing at the bottom of the competition table. Grammar-TEC have identified the match against Ponsonby as their first true test in the season to date.

For this match head-coach Peter Leuluso’o made a few changes to the side that had started against Eden. Marco Fepu’leai, Alex Matapo, Leo Ngahe and Waha Waitohi return to the pack, and in the backs Pryor Collier resumes in the midfield after an injury enforced spell.

The Premiers kick off at Orakei Domain at 2.45pm, and the Premier Reserves play the curtain-raiser against their Grammar-TEC opposites, kicking off at 1.00pm.

PONSONBY:

1.  Alex Matapo; 2. Willie Uili; 3. Marco Fepu’leai; 4. Leo Ngahe; 5. Jamie Lane; 6. Anthony Diack; 7. Waha Waitohi; 8. Presley Tufuga; 9. Campbell Woodmass; 10.William Talataina-Mu; 11. Freedom Vaha’akolo; 12. Keenan Masina; 13. Pryor Collier; 14. Danny Tusitala; 15. Charlie Hubert; 16. Junior Halafuka; 17. Steven Savali; 18. Chanel Vito; 19. Willis Hopwood; 20. Laki Tiatia; 21. Patrick Tausie; 22. Joseph Beckett