Auckland Rugby 2019
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Match report from the Ponsonby Rugby Club website re: winning the Waka Nathan cup final against College Rifles:-
The Ponsonby Premiers kicked off their season in a positive fashion locking away their piece of silverware – the Waka Nathan Challenge Cup.
In the pre-season tournament, the Premiers defeated College Rifles last Saturday afternoon by 36-26 in the final of the competition, outscoring their opponents by six tries to four. The three round tournament commenced seven days earlier, Ponsonby progressing to the final with a 52-15 drubbing of Grammar-Tec, followed by a midweek 26-21 victory over Eden.
Ponsonby’s captain, Aleks Dabek is becoming quite adept at holding Trophies aloft, and acknowledged in his acceptance speech on Saturday that winning the Waka Nathan Challenge Cup was the team’s first goal in what is sure to be a demanding season.
Played in summer conditions on the artificial turf at Haast St, Saturdays match was a high octane, fast paced and often physical encounter, a final befitting two quality sides.
College Rifles opened the scoring with a superb try in just the second minute of play, a move that had initiated from the Ponsonby kick off, resulting in an 80 metre sweeping move by the home side.
Ponsonby responded five minutes later when their rolling maul was halted just short of the goal line, and halfback Rilloy Suesue dived over the barrage of players to score. John Cooper added the addition two points, levelling the scores at 7-7.
Freedom Vaha’akolo has proved that he is a marvellous performer, regardless where in the backline he plays. In this match he started at centre three-quarter, and was a demon on attack and ruthless on defence. He scored Ponsonby’s second try, finishing with a scything run in field from wide out to score beneath the posts.
Vaha’akolo was a key component in Ponsonby’s next try, when he created a superb gap for Morrison Siliko to sneak through and score.
The hosts were reduced to 14 men in the last quarter of the first spell when one of theirs was shown a yellow card. Ponsonby immediately looked to capitalise on this one man advantage, but the College Rifles defence remained resolute for nine of those minutes. One of the new breed for 2019, Caspar Harvey, displayed his immense pace when he streaked down the right wing past several would-be tacklers to score.
Another of the new additions for the 2019 season is Paul Roache who looked extremely proficient in the midfield. Roache showed that he possesses some tremendous pace after he latched onto a stray College Rifles pass, and scampered 50 metres to the tryline.
Approaching the three quarter mark in the match, Ponsonby had advanced to a commanding 31-7 lead, and accordingly several players were introduced from the bench.
College Rifles were able to snare two quick converted tries, taking them to within ten points of Ponsonby.
In the final ten minutes replacement prop Robert Cobb showed that he can match it with the speedsters when he broke away from a maul on a gallop toward the goal line. Cobb had support from Vaha’akolo, who went close to scoring. In a comedy of errors, a Rifles player stole the ball, only to drop in in the in-goal area. On hand was Ponsonby’s replacement halfback Pele Cowley who dotted down.
College Rifles added a late try, but the outcome of the match was a foregone conclusion.
Ponsonby will now look to next week when the season proper starts, and first up they journey to Bell Park to tackle Pakuranga, and their ardent supporters. Ponsonby will be buoyed by their solid looking squad, with a genuine mix of experience and raw talent. Up front the blue and blacks will prosper with the return of hooker Joe Royal, and number eight Presley Tufuga. In addition, with proven players such as Jamie Lane, Waimana Reidlinger-Kapa, Aleks Dabek, Herman Huch, Sam Ulufonua and Moteiva Ngauamo, and with John Cooper, Freedom Vaha’akolo, William Talataina-Mu in the backs, coupled with the newcomers, Ponsonby are sure to play some entertaining rugby in 2019.
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@Tim any time Ponsonby loses is a good result.
I just can't get my head around Eden being in a position to beat Marist. Does not compute ...
And (I think I have asked before) is Waitakere the old Bay Lynn?
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And one other question ... is that all th e clubs in Auckland nowadays?
There were 21 in my day.
Three seem to squeezed into the one now with Grammar Teachers-Eastern and Carlton. When you consider two of those were amalgamations as well (TE obvious, Carlton formed from Grafton and Cornwall, well before my time though ).
Off the top of my head looking at the list where is:
- Roskill
- Tamaki
- Te Atatu
- Bay Lynn
??
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@booboo can remember Mt Roskill who became Roskill Districts and Hillsborough ...I wonder if these clubs are still up and running..? With maybe Juniors
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@Steven-Harris said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
@booboo can remember Mt Roskill who became Roskill Districts and Hillsborough ...I wonder if these clubs are still up and running..? With maybe Juniors
Yeah. My first year of Senior rugby Roskill used all the money from the Hillsborough touch comps to buy half the Counties team.
Money ran out ...
They still existed but were weakened. Be a shame if they have disappeared.
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Premier Results - Round 1 - Saturday 30 March 2019
The opening weekend of Premier Rugby in Auckland offered up several mouth-watering clashes on paper, and also, a number ...
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@booboo Bay Lynn is now Suburbs.
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@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
@booboo Bay Lynn is now Suburbs.
Do you mean they combined with Suburbs?
Suburbs were quite established and around in my day ... had players like McDowell and Dowd (in the same front row that once that damaged me physically and psychologically) while Bay-Lynn were of a level with the mighty Eden.
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Former Kelston Boys, NZ U20's, Canterbury and Waikato centre Nathaniel Apa is back in Auckland playing for Ponsonby. Now 23 years old, I wonder where he has been since playing for Waikato in 2016, injured maybe?
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@Tim was at the Papatoetoe v Waitemata game,Waitemata just got bullied by Papatoetoes forwards..some big boppas in their pack,not tall,but all built like a block of apartments ..D’Angelo Leilua at first five was very tidy behind a dominant pack..and Adrian Choat playing in the 7 jersey was outstanding for the home team..
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
Former Kelston Boys, NZ U20's, Canterbury and Waikato centre Nathaniel Apa is back in Auckland playing for Ponsonby. Now 23 years old, I wonder where he has been since playing for Waikato in 2016, injured maybe?
Anyone know how this guy has been going in club rugby?
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