Rugby: Decisive victory over Manurewa rivals another step forward for Tauranga Boys College

TOTAL FOCUS: Tauranga Boys and Manurewa forwards line up for a lineout in Saturday's Chiefs Cup clash. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Tauranga Boys College First XV put the disappointment of last week's defeat to Hamilton Boys behind them with a 48-5 win over Manurewa High School on Saturday.

Conditions were tough for the Chiefs Cup match with a bitterly cold wind sweeping across Nicholson Field for the duration.

Early attempts to play attacking schoolboy rugby proved futile in the conditions with numerous knock-ons and spilled ball in contact preventing any flow to the game.

But once Tauranga Boys changed tactics to a more direct, route-one approach, and the inside back pairing of halfback Leroy Carter and Taine Craig-Ranga used their clever kicking game, the points began to flow.

Carter scored the opening try with a trademark snipe around a ruck after good work by the forwards with Craig-Ranga converting to begin a remarkable sequence of eight successful shots at goal from eight attempts.

It was some display of accurate goalkicking in the terrible conditions with two of the conversions soaring over from either sideline.

Manurewa had one opportunity in the first half on attack in the Tauranga Boys' 22, and they took full toll with their big pack rolling over the line.

Craig-Ranga kicked a penalty to give the home team a 10-5 lead at the break with the elements behind them in the second half.

He repeated the dose in the opening minutes of the second spell before Tauranga Boys won the game in a golden 15-minute period.

Fullback Cole Forbes, who had a fine game impressing with his handling in the conditions, crossed in the corner at the end of an excellent team try, then open side flanker and captain Flynn Kelly showed his eye for the try line by scoring twice in four minutes to end the game as a contest.

Manurewa, to their credit, kept battling away into the wind and rain but kept turning the ball over and had no answer to the more mobile Tauranga pack.

Carter scored his second after an impressive 15m rolling maul before the final try was finished off by winger Matt Severs in the left-hand corner. Craig-Ranga's dramatic conversion from touch gave the severely chilled spectators something to cheer at the end.

Combative halfback Carter, in his second year in the Tauranga Boys First XV, says it was a real test for the boys coming after what he called "a bit of a hiding" in last weekend's 42-5 loss at Hamilton Boys.

"I was stoked with the boys getting the W. The key was carrying hard, communication all-around the field and just field position. After that performance it will get the confidence up heading into the Super 8," he said.

Tauranga Boys playoff for third and fourth in the Chiefs Cup this Saturday before the traditional fixture away to Westlake Boys on Wednesday, May 31.

Super 8 begins with Rotorua Boys away on June 10 followed by New Plymouth Boys away (June 17), Napier Boys at home (June 24), Palmerston North Boys at home (July 8), Hastings Boys away (July 29) and Gisborne Boys at home (August 5).