National club rugby results: July 8

Pakuranga Liam Morris in action during a match against Ponsonby. Photo / Photosport

National club rugby results: July 8

Northland
(Premier)
Waipu 25 Kamo 13
Hikurangi 25 Otamatea 22
Hora Hora 27 Mid Northern 20
Old Boys-Marist 39 Western Sharks 31
Wellsford 42 Mid-Western 28
(Bay of Islands)
Kerikeri 90 Otiria 0
Kaikohe 17 Moerewa/United Kawakawa 12
Ohaeawai 36 Kaeo 14
(Mangonui)
Awanui 26 Eastern 21
Kaitaia 63 Panguru 5
Kaihu 28 Whangaruru 17

North Harbour
East Coast Bays 36 Silverdale 24
Takapuna 29 North Shore 19
Marist 74 Glenfield 24
Kumeu beat Mahurangi by default

Takapuna and East Coast Bays, two of the historically strong clubs of the North Harbour union, have won through to this weekend's semifinals after victories in Saturday's playoffs.

Takapuna defeated old rivals North Shore 29-19 to cap veteran Jon Elrick's 200th premier club game in style, though the man himself tweaked a hamstring so will be in real doubt for Saturday's clash with Massey. Bryn Gatland, a handy replacement from the tee, kicked nine points and scored a try just hours before the biggest test of his father's coaching career. Wing Nathan Cargo scored a double for Takapuna, who will now travel to west Auckland as slight underdogs for a replay of the 2016 final.

East Coast Bays toppled Silverdale 36-24 away from home in a creditable display. Led by halfback Matt Cochrane, who was in fine touch, and fullback Marty Swart, who scored two tries to cap an outstanding effort, not to mention lock Ross McKean's work in the tight, Bays ran in six tries to three to book a date with top qualifiers Northcote in Saturday's other semifinal. No 8 Dylan Lam, who crossed for six tries last weekend against Glenfield, dotted down just once this time, as did North Harbour/Poverty Bay prop Jody Allen.

In the lower-placed playoffs, Kumeu won their game against Mahurangi by default, while Marist turned on the afterburners to cast aside Glenfield 74-24 and show they will be a force to be reckoned with in 2018. Adam Allison, Hauwai McGahan and Amhiel Botes scored doubles, while Rob McIntosh racked up 24 points, including a try. Player of the day was teenaged tighthead prop Leon Bongare, while loosies McGahan and Harbour rep Glenn Preston were dominant.

Glenfield started and finished well, but need more from the middle stages.

Auckland
(Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield)
Eden 43 Grammar TEC 12
University 23 College Rifles 22
Ponsonby 37 Pakuranga 19
Suburbs 28 Manukau 12
(Portola Trophy)
Waitemata 71 Mt Wellington 12
Otahuhu 28 Waitakere City 10
Papatoetoe 26 East Tamaki 22

Five does not go into four.

That is the equation facing five premier clubs as they contemplate next weekend's final round of the Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield.

Suburbs, who defeated Manukau Rovers 28-12, will be top qualifiers and have usurped the shield from College Rifles, the 2016 holders. Suburbs will thus host a Gallaher Shield semifinal on July 22. After that, nothing is set in stone.

University lie second, doing it tough to beat College Rifles 23-22 after losing two men to the sinbin. Rifles outscored the students three tries to two and have slipped, but should still be good enough to make the semifinals.

Ponsonby are fifth, but seem to have a new lease of life in the last two weeks, defeating Pakuranga 37-19, with Will Talataina-Mu moving to the top of the scoring table. His 22 points advance him to 125 for the season.

The most significant result came at Orakei Domain, where Eden punished the home side 43-12, six tries to two, in a compelling display founded on a hard-nosed, accurate forward shift allied with potent finishing by wing Brody Lam, who ran in three tries, and the heady play of the Costa brothers, Nicolas at halfback and Ignacio at first five.

It was Eden's first premier victory over a Grammar side since 1974, and has them firmly in semifinals calculations. They will achieve another first in making the top four if they defeat Suburbs at Shadbolt Park with a bonus point.

While Grammar TEC's teenaged skipper Harry Plummer skipped away for the opening try off a turnover, there was precious little else for the home side to enthuse over in a naïve, shoddy performance, in which their passing and accuracy were very loose. They also lost flanker Sitiveni Ramatalei to what looked to be a bad neck injury, which led to a 45-minute stoppage, but he did walk unaided to the ambulance. Eden led 19-5 when the injury occurred, but continued on their merry way. The Rutherford brothers, Cameron and James, rolled up their sleeves, while lock Jorge Asi and prop Franck Friconnet were good contributors. Captain and hooker Blake Hill showed his range of skills with a cutout pass for Ignacio Costa's try. The Eden forwards gave short, effective passes, working the blind or taking the direct route. Grammar TEC even had to use centre Cardiff Vaega on the side of scrums for a time.

In the Portola Trophy, Waitemata smashed Mt Wellington 71-12, Otahuhu beat Waitakere City 28-10 to put a dampener on celebrations for halfback Toma Unoi's 100th premier game for the club, and Papatoetoe won their local derby, 26-22 over East Tamaki. - Campbell Burnes

Counties Manukau
(McNamara Cup)
Bombay 75 Te Kauwhata 0
Pukekohe 36 Onewhero 33
Karaka 65 Papakura 14
Ardmore-Marist 18 Patumahoe 13
Manurewa 24 Waiuku 20

Ardmore-Marist have held off the fast-finishing Pukekohe to confirm their semifinals qualification with an 18-13 victory over Patumahoe.

Second spell tries to Whaiora Rangiwai and Luteru Laulala helped Ardmore-Marist win their first game in several weeks, thus squeezing Pukekohe out of the semifinals.
Patumahoe slip to third and will have to travel to Karaka, who leapfrogged them after dispatching Papakura 65-14. Two early tries to Papakura's Faalae Peni rocked Karaka, but they clicked into gear to run in 10 tries, including two braces to Sunia Vosikata and Ralulu Bavou.

Bombay smashed Te Kauwhata 75-0 in the mud to qualify top with an impressive 15-3 record. There were multiple tryscorers in Joshua Stol (3), Patrick Masoe (2) and Jordan Goldsmith (2). So Bombay will host Ardmore-Marist in the second semifinal on Saturday.
Pukekohe finished the season as the Counties Power Cup holders but they would possibly rather swap the silverware for another win during the season, which would have pushed them into the McNamara Cup semifinals. As it was, they beat Onewhero 36-33 to finish fifth, lock Cameron Skelton among the tryscorers and Joe Reynolds contributing 16 points.

Manurewa finished with a 24-20 flourish over Waiuku to seal seventh spot, one better than their opponents. Viliami Taulani and Penitoa Finau both scored braces for the victors.

Thames Valley
(Tom Jordan Cup)
Mercury Bay 30 Cobras 14
Waihi Athletic 23 Hauraki North 22
(Tom Perry Cup)
Paeroa West 42 Coromandel 29
Thames 17 Waihou 15

Bay of Plenty
(Baywide premier)
Tauranga Sports 24 Greerton Marist 22
Rangataua 62 Whakarewarewa 17
Rotoiti 29 Te Puna 20
(Jordan Cup)
Te Puke Sports 20 Mt Maunganui Sports 12

Waikato
Hamilton Marist 21 Hautapu 13
Melville 27 Fraser Tech 23
Otorohanga 55 United Matamata Sports 24
Hamilton Old Boys 36 University 0

King Country
Piopio 15 Taumarunui Eels 13
Waitete 16 Waitomo 5
Taupo Sports 47 Taupo United 22

East Coast
Hicks Bay 18 Uawa 14
Hikurangi 113 Tawhiti 5
Ruatoria City 29 Waiapu 21

Poverty Bay
Waikohu 59 OBM 17
Ngatapa 22 Pirates 10
YMP 19 Athletic 0

Hawke's Bay
(Tui Maddison Trophy)
Napier Old Boys-Marist 40 Hastings Rugby and Sports 10
Clive 22 Havelock North 15
Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 32 Tamatea 12
Napier Tech 26 MAC 23
Taradale 31 Central 26

Taranaki
(Semifinals)
Coastal 25 Southern 8
Tukapa 16 Spotswood United 15

Wanganui
Marist 48 Taihape 22 (Challenge Shield)
Pirates 125 Ratana 0
Ruapehu 17 Kaierau 15
Border 29 Ngamatapouri 15

Manawatu
Old Boys-Marist 47 Freyberg 9
Feilding Old Boys-Oroua 36 Kia Toa 25
Linton Army 34 Feilding 20
Varsity 45 Te Kawau 24

Horowhenua Kapiti
Paraparaumu 53 Athletic 0
Shannon 75 Wanderers 3
Waikanae 30 Foxton 22
College Old Boys 56 Rahui 18

Wairarapa-Bush
(Tui Cup)
Pioneer 29 Eketahuna 12
Gladstone 56 Marist 7
Martinborough 72 East Coast 5
Greytown 23 Carterton 18

Wellington
(Jubilee Cup)
Northern United 48 Hutt Old Boys-Marist 29
Wainuiomata 24 Marist St Pat's 24
Old Boys-University 39 Oriental Rongotai 24
Tawa 30 Petone 20
(Hardham Cup)
Poneke 53 Avalon Wolves 31
Johnsonville 28 Upper Hutt Rams 26
Wellington 36 Paremata-Plimmerton 17

Tasman
(Marlborough)
Waitohi 44 Moutere 33
Central 63 East Coast 10
Renwick 43 Harlequins 12
(Nelson Bays)
Nelson 36 Wanderers 33
Waimea Old Boys 40 Stoke 38
Kahurangi 27 Marist 22

Buller
Westport 24 White Star 16

West Coast
(Muir Trophy)
Kiwi 36 South Westland 17
Blaketown 26 Marist 16

Canterbury
(Metro)
Sydenham 31 University 29 (DCL Shield)
Christchurch 33 New Brighton 11
Lincoln University 33 Burnside 14
Sumner 24 Belfast 5
HSOB 47 Linwood 27
Shirley 11 Marist Albion 5
(Ellesmere)
Southbridge 21 Darfield 10
Waihora 18 Lincoln 16
Burnham/Dunsandel/Irwell 43 Rolleston 24
West Melton 29 Hornby 5

South Canterbury
(Hamersley Cup)
Celtic 29 Waimate24
Harlequin 22 MacKenzie 17
Pleasant Point 71 Old Boys 0
Temuka 20 Geraldine 10

North Otago
Old Boys 33 Kurow 22
Athletic Marist 33 Excelsior 31
Maheno 23 Valley 20

Otago
(Dunedin Metro)
Dunedin 33 University 22
Southern 31 Kaikorai 7
Zingari-Richmond 30 Green Island 28
Taieri 29 Alhambra-Union 22
(Central Otago)
Cromwell 20 Upper Clutha 15
Alexandra 13 Clyde-Earnscleugh 12
Maniototo 40 Matakanui Combined 7
Arrowtown 25 Wakatipu 18

Southland
(Galbraith Shield semifinal)
Star 33 Eastern-Northern Barbarians 19