30 May Match Report

North Shore 25 Glenfield 10
Takapuna 34 Northcote 17
Western Pioneers 33 East Coast Bays 14
Massey 29 Silverdale 25

Willie Walker marked his 100th premier game in style for the white and greens, as his North Shore club inflicted a 25-10 defeat on Glenfield and, in doing so, reclaimed the Les Pearce Memorial Shield.

The evergreen Walker, who debuted as far back as 1998 for Shore, is still one of the best No 10s running around in North Harbour club rugby, and kicked two penalties and two conversions as Shore stormed back to clinch the contest after conceding a 10-5 halftime deficit to Glenfield. Shea Turner scored Glenfield's only try. Three second half tries to Kauri Mackie, Rex Pollock and Sam Barton saw Shore home and gained a measure of revenge after they had ceded the silverware to Glenfield in the first round.

North Shore move ahead of Glenfield into third position, as the second round kicked off, all points carried into the top eight, and with bonus points now reinstated.

Elsewhere, Takapuna kept the pressure on East Coast Bays with a bonus point, 34-17 win over neighbours Northcote, tries going to Hugh Christy, Junior Tofa-Va'a, George Tuinukuafe and Phil Tuigamala.

Massey had to work much harder than expected to quell, 29-25, the challenge of eighth-placed Silverdale. The westerners went to the break at 15-3 and ultimately secured the bonus point, but Silverdale stormed home and picked up a well deserved bonus point.The Western Pioneers powered to a 33-14 win over East Coast Bays, Dylan Marsters crossing for a brace and Ritchie Ah Chong back on the try sheet. Matt McGahan scored a try and kicked four conversions. For Bays, Slade McFarland added to his long tryscoring tally over the years.

ECB Luncheon