Big wins for HSOB, Horouta

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Pleasing — that’s what Saturday morning’s clash with the OBM under 13 weight-restricted rugby grade team was from the point of view of High School Old Boys’ coach Gus Heuser.

“Our forwards never stopped working — that extra training last week with a HSOB legend like Richard Brown certainly made a difference.”

HSOB halfback Jonah Whitley opened the scoring in the fourth minute of play for 5-0 and his captain, first-five Jayden De Thier, grabbed the blue and white hoops’ second try at the seven minute-mark for 10-0. OBM scored their first try of the day courtesy of No.8 Felix Sparks, 12 minutes into the game. Sparks had come off the back of a ruck on the HSOB goal-line; his try, like those of Whitley and De Thier, was not converted.

HSOB led 10-5 until the 25th minute, when powerful blindside flanker Mackenzie Wilkie scored off a tap-and-go play: his try, converted by fullback Maxwell Kennedy, gave HSOB a 17-5 lead going into the break.

HSOB again began well in the second half, De Thier scoring from the restart for 22-5 but OBM, under captain first-five Phoenix Pardoe-Crosby, were unbowed: the skipper himself beat three would-be tacklers in the 35th minute of play for OBM 10, HSOB 22.

In the 40th minute, De Thier crossed for his hat-trick try — converted by Kennedy — and five mintes later Whitley scored to claim a double, at 34-10.

HSOB centre Quinn Lockwood, who had played a solid all-round game, grabbed a good try in the 54th minute — and Whitley’s hat-trick try in the 60th minute gave his team a 44-10 win.

HSOB tighthead prop Brandon Rance was excellent value with his work in the tight exchanges, set-piece plus ruck and maul. Rance was HSOB’s Most Valuable Player of the forwards, De Thier was the HSOB backs’ MVP.

Felix Sparks was named his team’s MVP in yet another willing effort by OBM.

The under 13 weight-restricted grade itself is producing good rugby experiences for lighter boys. Trevor Crosby, OBM’s technical adviser and Poverty Bay centurion, said: “Our boys are a happy team — they know what they have to work on and they’re improving all the time.”

Horouta were once again superb on Saturday morning, with a 12 tries-to-two win against Pirates.

Blindside flanker Makaia Allen, openside flanker Elijah Kaui and second-five Torrence Kennedy all scored two tries each for Horouta, with a try apiece to loosehead prop Namu Karini, Horouta captain hooker Rylin Rasmussen (also MVP), No.8 Maia Campbell, centre Sonny Taiakena, right wing Isaiah Reiri and reserve lock-cum-hooker Whaiururangi Maxwell; first-five Khadyn Kora kicked one conversion.

Horouta led 40-0 at halftime.

Horouta coach Rob Kora was a happy man.

“I’m very proud of the boys: their defence was good and they played to the game-plan,” he said.

“Pirates started slowly but showed us what they could do with the ball in hand in the second half.”

Pirates’ MVP was their hooker Jayden Knowles, who showed great toughness and skill against strong opposition — with his captain No.8 David Gray and halfback Messiah Tiopira as the Buccaneers’ try-scorers.

“Horouta were very well-drilled and they put us under pressure at the breakdown,” Pirates coach Philburgh Viljoen said.

“In the last 15 minutes of the game, we started to retain possession and play to our game-plan — we picked ourselves up and got some go-forward.”