It took a long time for the tries to come for the visitors at the Petone Recreation Ground, Saturday July 16th, but the last one, by Deon Carney, took the Eagles within seven points of the Villagers, and that was a most important score. So in the end, the much sought after season double over Petone didn't eventuate, but that bonus point helps Hutt Old Boys Marist remain fourth in the Jubilee Cup standings, with an away game against Upper Hutt on the 23rd.

Our Premier Two side went down to Tawa at Lyndhurst Park, by 51 to 12. Your webmaster went along to see the Senior Seconds in a merry romp against Norths, 55-nil, one wondered why the Norths boys didn't at least have a reasonable degree of fitness. But there were some very well taken tries by Peter Time's troops, on a sticky track. Well done.

Our Premier match review this week comes from John Persicoe.

If the Premier team win next weeks game against Upper Hutt it will secure a place in the semi-final of the Jubilee Cup. If the team could get their A game together it would be a serious contender. Unfortunately their game against Petone was not a game where their A game was present. In the end it was lucky to gain a bonus point in the last minute of the game.

Petone scored a well deserved win by making the least number of mistakes which allowed them to dominate the game until the last ten minutes. The highlight of the game was a brilliant individual try by Petone's right winger Belgium Tuatagaloa who caught a Hutt Old Boys Marist up and under on his own twenty-two and then put up one of his own which he caught on halfway and ran to score under the posts.

HOBM were not helped by two dubious referee decisions which went against them. The first right on half-time when a lolly scramble on the goal line resulted in a try to Petone being awarded by a line umpire thirty metres away, and a decision at a critical period in the second half when Polonga Pedro was wrongly pulled back when in the clear. Be that as it may Petone deserved its win.

Petone were ahead 19-3 at half time after they scored two tries from five metre lineouts to Pene Punitia and Cam Incledon, and the lolly scramble try on half time. The Eagles played very poorly enabling Petone to grab a handsome first half lead which was always going to be difficult to overtake. There seemed to be lack of commitment.

Petone scored two more tries in the second half both to Belgium Tuatagaloa which helped them to leads of 26-6 and 31-13 a various stages of the half. Taleta Tupuola scored a good try after twenty-five minutes for HOBM but the team never looked like winning. Desperation in the last five minutes resulted in two tries, to Sam Faisandier and Deon Carney, which narrowly achieved a much needed fortuitous bonus point.

It was difficult to single out any HOBM players as having good games although Deon Carney and Sam Faisandier had their usual honest games with both scoring tries. The forwards had the better of the srums but their lineout work was messy.The backs were largely innocuous, seemingly operating without much direction and commitment.

A good win against Upper Hutt next week is needed to provide the necessary impetus going into the semi-finals, which will be away to either Ories or Poneke.

John Persicoe.

Thanks John, some images of our three tries may be seen in the photo albums section, here:

http://hobm.co.nz/photo-gallery/album-76/72/