Rugby: Pride on the line in secondary schools final

Rotorua Boys' High School and Tauranga Boys' College will do battle this weekend. Pictured, with ball, is Boys' High first XV player Ngarohi McGarvey-Black playing earlier this season. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua Boys' High School coach Bruce Buckton believes past results will count for little when his side does battle with Tauranga Boys' College for the Bay of Plenty secondary schools title tomorrow.

The two proud rugby schools will meet at Tauranga Boys' College at noon, with the winner to progress to play Wesley College on August 23.

Beating Wesley would mean a match-up against reigning national champions Hamilton Boys' High School, with the winner of that match to advance to the National Top 4 competition.

Buckton said his side would not go into tomorrow's match over-confident despite having had the better of Tauranga this year.

The sides have met twice this season with a win to Rotorua in the Chiefs Cup final, 43-21, followed by a 20-all draw the following week in round one of the Super 8.

"We are not over-confident, especially against Tauranga Boys'. This game will be won on pride and passion," Buckton said.

"We are trying to instill that in the boys, that you can not rely on past results at this level.

"That is one of those mental attitudes that kids have got to get right, and not rest on their laurels."

He conceded his side had taken their Western Bay rivals too easily following their Chiefs Cup triumph and paid the price with an unsatisfactory draw.

Buckton said they would be better prepared for the challenge tomorrow and were expecting a tough match. Winning the fixture had been one of their main goals set at the start of the year.

Rotorua Boys' will start as favourites after finishing fourth in the Super 8 competition - three places above Tauranga Boys'.

In other parts of Tauranga, Aquinas College host Trident High School and Bethlehem College host Whakatane High School in the Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools Division One semi-finals. A chance to contest the final at Rotorua International Stadium on August 23 and progress to the National Co-educational Competition awaits these teams.

Aquinas College remains the only unbeaten team this season and have locked the Te Kani shield safely away in the cupboard for the summer. They will rely on industrial work from their big forward pack to get them going forward.

Bethlehem College have made the Division One semi-finals for the first time and look to be the in-form team. They were unlucky to miss out on the Te Kani shield three weeks ago, falling to Aquinas due to a late penalty. Since then they have had convincing wins over Western Heights (32-8) and Otumoetai (44-13), and last week they had a tight win over Whakatane 15-10. Whakatane will be looking to spoil the party in front of what is likely to be a big home crowd.

In the Division Two semi-finals, Te Wharekura O Mauao are hot favourites to beat John Paul College, while Katikati College are looking to beat Rotorua Boys 3rd XV for the second week in a row.

BOP secondary school draw, August 16

All matches kick-off at noon, home teams listed first.

Top four play-off: Tauranga Boys' College v Rotorua Boys' High School.
Division One: Aquinas College v Trident High School; Bethlehem College v Whakatane High School.
Division Two: Te Wharekura O Mauao v John Paul College; Katikati College v Rotorua Boys 3rd XV.
Division Three: Tauhara College v Edgecumbe College; Reporoa College v Western Heights High School 2nd XV.