Auckland club rugby: University give Manukau Rovers little to celebrate on jubilee weekend

Cameron Church has been impressive for University this season. Photo / Photosport

Despite University setting about dismantling Manukau Rovers on the occasion of the latter's 125th year jubilee weekend, a moment of near perfection in the first half which will hopefully ease some of the pain for the Rovers players.

It happened when the score was 45-0 and after University's openside flanker Cameron Church had scored his third of four tries for the day - the first three of which came in the opening quarter of the match.

Rovers had an attacking scrum on the right. On this occasion, the set piece held no guarantee for a successful foray by itself because University's defensive line speed was devastating throughout this match as they snuffed out most threats before they sparked into anything significant.

It was thus up to Manukau to create something a little special, and they did so with the best backline move of the match. It was a thing of beauty; a double cut between No10 Lofia Finefeuiaki and No13 Mordecai Pulu leaving the ball hanging tantalisingly for blindside wing John Palesasa to catch and, having safely gathered it, the No11 dived under the posts.

The move even gained the appreciation of University's reserves watching on the sideline in front of the Rovers' clubrooms which were decorated with red, black and white balloons in the club's colours.

The precious seven-pointer was something tangible for Manukau to take from a match they were behind in almost from the kick-off.

It was a rare offensive opportunity for Manukau; their previous best chance had been when Pulu picked up a loose ball from 30m out, went close to the University try-line and flicked an audacious offload to second-five Samuela Ofanoa, after which the move died. They had virtually zero such chances after the break.

They had the misfortune to be playing a University team under pressure to score as many points as they could in order to maintain their push for a playoff spot. As it happened, despite the scoreline and the fact that University lost only three matches all season, the students just failed in their quest.

They deserved to be in the mix because they played this season with skill and ambition, helped by a mobile forward pack - Church was a standout, but nearly as impressive were locks Jonathan Neary and Richmond Patea Seve, fellow loosies Nathan Harris and Uini Fetalaiga - and a backline containing the speed of Maile Koloto, Nick Lake and Sage Shaw-Tait.

Ponsonby were the top finishers after putting Ōtāhuhu to the sword at Sturges Park by the same scoreline – 99-7 – and will play their semifinal against Eden.

College Rifles will host Grammar Tec in the other and this will perhaps be the most anticipated match of next weekend due to the manner of Grammar Tec's victory over the Rifles at Ōrākei Domain on Saturday.

In a result few would have seen coming, Grammar Tec beat Rifles 42-10, a comprehensive defeat for a high-flying team who previously had lost only one match all season (28-20 to fellow front-runners Ponsonby). The halftime score was 24-3.

Grammar Tec's victory was built on an excellent start and a forward dominance which continued deep into the match. It also sets up a mouth-watering sudden-death rematch at College Rifles.

"We were 21 points up after 18 minutes," Grammar Tec coach Nooroa Tokahere said. "We had to come out firing and get the forwards into the game. We played Papataoetoe last week and they nearly got us. We knew we had to get jerseys 1 to 8 involved early.

"Young Jock McKenzie and Thomas Strachan were very good directing the team and our No6 Nela Matakaiongo, who was on a blazer game, and No8 Zacharius Patai were outstanding with ball in hand.

"The challenge is how do we back it up," Tokahere added. "We knew we were in the semifinal after our fourth try and knew we had to make some statements in the back end of the match. It was a big one for us."

University 99 (Cameron Church 4, Maile Koloto 2, Isileli Aholelei 2, Sage Shaw-Tait 2, Nick Lake, Uini Fetalaiga, Richmond Patea Seve, Jonathan Neary, Junior Passi tries; Brenton Helleur 10, Henry Saker 2 cons)

Manukau Rovers 7 (John Pelesasa try; Mordecai Pulu con)

HT: 52-7

Auckland men's premier semifinals:

Ponsonby (1) v Eden (4)

College Rifles (2) v Grammar Tec (3)

The final will be held at Eden Park on Saturday, July 17