Rams rock Petone with big home win

A rollicking win over Petone has set the Upper Hutt Rams’ Swindale Shield campaign on fire.

A sweeping last play try to Joyner Key sealed the 40-18 win on their home Maidstone Park and delivered a vital bonus point as the competition’s top teams look to sort themselves out early.

Frustrated by a slow start in their opener the week before, Upper Hutt began with a purpose and accuracy which was to be maintained for the full 80 minutes.

Nua Fono-Hunt at first-five was an important ‘‘new’’ face. Home after several seasons overseas, he brought experience, options and a loud vocal presence to the side’s mix of cohesive and creative play.

Well earned tries to Hayden Schjivers and Sam Wasley resulted from possession and pressure in the Petone 22 and with the goal-kicking embellishment of Jordan Simpson-Hefft, the side surged to a 20-3 lead.

Petone scored off a lineout near half-time and were at their best after the break but Upper Hutt’s defence was grid-like and forced errors.

An all-in brawl had three players sin-binned with Key and a late arriving Jamie Norman the Rams’ culprits in questionable play which left their side a player down.

The two Joshes – Blackwell and Hunt – were stand-outs in the loose. Working from the platform of a dominant front five their ball winning value fed Upper Hutt’s attacking plays and when Fono-Hunt glided over for the side’s third the game was in the bag, a second Petone try notwithstanding.

A tackle and turn over from the substitute flanker Mitchell Markov in the last minutes was master class stuff and with Mur-

phy Taramai expected next week the loose forward cupboard looks well stocked.

The same for the backs where the Fono-Hunt, Key and Clayton Masina combination was a game contributing revamp from the opener with Sio Luamanu, Troy Mohr and Mitch Browne injured or unavailable.

Behind it all Simpson-Hefft had a towering game laced with good decision making, big defence and a 20-point haul.

Upper Hutt’s five points lifts them to fourth on the Swindale table. The side this week meet struggling newcomers Paremata-Plimmerton (Ngatitoa Domain, Saturday, 2.30pm).