The Premiers achieved back to back Gallaher Shield victories last Saturday afternoon with a thrilling 27-24 victory over Marist.

The match also marked the 40th and Blazer games of Tilitili Puloka and Herman Huch, two consistent performers in the past couple of seasons

Marist had the luxury of fielding their three Super Rugby players – Hoskins Sotutu, Salesi Rayasi and Taniela Telea, and these three men all made their presence felt in the match.

Played at Eden Park, the good sized crowd were treated to an entertaining display of rugby which was ultimately a ‘game of two halves.’

Marist made the perfect start by pressing the Ponsonby territory, which resulted in the blue and blacks feeding a lineout five metres from their own line. The Ponsonby throw was not ideal, finding the Marist hooker, Mike Lea, at the tail of the lineout. Lea gladly accepted the throw and charged to the line, scoring the opening try with just four minutes on the clock. First five eighth Ollie Polson converted from wide out, giving Marist the early lead.

Marist continued to take their opportunities in the opening period, preventing Ponsonby from playing their ideal game.

Polson failed with a long-range penalty attempt in the 13th minute, but succeeded with one a little closer to the posts in the 17th minute, stretching Marists lead to 10-0.

Ponsonby were gifted a golden opportunity to turn the tide in the match when at the 30th minute Marist lost prop Taniela Koroi to the sinbin for a careless tackle.

Without one of their key men in the front row Ponsonby seized an opportunity to pressure a Marist defensive scrum, and won a penalty for their efforts. John Cooper goaled from a handy position.

Just short of the halftime break Ponsonby found themselves unable to control a scrum a few metres from their own line, conceding possession to Marist. The ball went wide to their backline and Blues squad member Taniela Tela’a skipped through several tackles and scored next to the posts. Polson obliged with the extra two points. 

Marist resumed with the full on field complement, and buoyant that they only conceded three points and scored seven whilst they were a man down.

Marist led by 17-3 at the interval, and their supporters in the crowd had not seen Ponsonby fire a solitary shot in the first half. They started to realise that an upset was on the cards and that the game was theirs for the taking.

Ponsonby turned at the break and immediately looked like the champion side that they are.

An outstanding burst by flanker Jonah Mau’u initiated a move that drove towards the Marist line. Aleks Dabek was unstoppable as he charged over. Cooper added the additional two points.

The blue and blacks injected replacement halfback Rilloy Suesue from the bench in the opening minutes immediately adding some extra impetus.

Ponsonby then went into attack mode, forcing Marist back toward their posts. The blue and blacks adopted a series of several pick and go moves which took them closer and closer to the Marist line. Marist were unable to prevent powerhouse prop Robert Cobb from charging over next to the posts. The Cooper conversion drew the scores level at 17-all with 53 minutes of the match gone.

At the midway stage in the half Ponsonby kicked deep into Marist territory, the ball dribbling out 20 metres away from their line. In a case of de ja vu Marist threw long, and waiting at the tail of the lineout was Joe Royal who charged to the line carrying several defenders with him. Cooper again converted, giving the 24-17 lead in Ponsonby’s favour with 19 minutes remaining in the match.

Cooper added an extra penalty goal soon after, extending Ponsonby’s lead to 27-17. In the process he recorded his 169th point of the season, the top points scorer in the competition.

 Marist’s lock Peter-Chanel Tagaloa scored in the 74th minute, the try being converted by Polson, and Marist had clawed back some of the deficit.

 For the remaining five minutes Marist battled away valiantly, and Ponsonby defended with determination.

When the final whistle sounded Ponsonby erupted into scenes of jubilation and euphoria.