BREAKING FREE: Gisborne Boys’ High School No.8 Khian Westrupp tries to break a tackle in the match against St Peter’s College at the weekend. Picture by Paul Rickard
RUGBY
They should be excited.
The Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 lost their traditional rugby match against St Peter’s College here at the weekend — 21-10 — but they emerged with hard-won credibility.
Where in 2018 they had led that year’s national champions 17-7 at halftime before going down 35-17 and last season they were beaten 46-0 in “The Cage”, the Amos Roddick-led side of 2020 let the Grafton school neither squirm from grasp nor steamroll them.
“We played well and we played as a team,” GBHS captain and openside flanker Roddick said.
Gisborne Boys’ High head coach Ryan Tapsell, four games into his first season, has reason to be pleased with both the attitude and effort of his squad.
“I’m very proud of the effort; we had most of our experienced boys available, and showed what we’re capable of,” he said.
“At the end of the day, our pre-season campaign was about preparing for the Super 8 championship, which starts next weekend against Napier Boys’ High in Napier. We’re tracking along where we planned to be — we’re in a good place. We have things to work on this week at training, but I think the boys are up for a big match-effort this Saturday.”
On a cold wet day in front of a Rectory 1 crowd of 500, GBHS played St Peter’s, holders of the Boris Srhoj Cup.
GBHS retained the ball for five phases before receiving the first penalty of the game from 20-year-old Wairoa-based referee Keelyn Smith — a Poverty Bay premier grade official.
Soon after that, GBHS first five-eighth Nic Proffit made the first hard tackle of the season at home, and St Peter’s scored the first try of the game after 10 minutes through left wing Caleb Laiman, having recycled possession from the left of the ground to right of the posts, then back for Laiman to score 15 metres in from the left corner.
Talented first-five Ajay Felaafaga converted Laiman’s try for 7-0.
Meanwhile, young GBHS players were finding their feet alongside the team’s veterans. Boys’ High No.8 Khian Westrupp — a third-year man — made some punishing runs with the ball in hand. Classy fullback King Love was composed and found good touch with line-kicks under pressure.
In the 24th minute, the visitors’ tighthead prop Salesi Tuifua made a big charge into Gisborne territory. A split second later, Roddick gave an example of the kind of commitment and never-say-die spirit he demands of his teammates, as he chased down and made a brilliant cover-tackle on hooker Nicholas Muli 10m out from the GBHS goal-line.
On 25 minutes, the GBHS defensive scrum held up against a big push by the St Peter’s tough forward pack, but four minutes later powerful centre Siale Faeamani scored the last try of the first half, with a conversion by Felaafaga for 14-0 to the visitors at the break.
Although St Peter’s had looked capable of wreaking havoc in the first half, head coach Dave Thomas knew — and told his crew at halftime — that the game could turn in a heartbeat.
“It was a tough game because Gisborne weren’t afraid to throw the ball around and put us under pressure,” he said.
“We were lucky to swing some momentum in the second half and grind out the win in difficult conditions.”
Halves in first-15 games are 35 minutes long.
In the 38th minute, GBHS scored in hilarious circumstances. Proffit, encircled by would-be tacklers, waited for a whistle that never came. He then sprinted down the right of the ground over halfway and with long passes (one of which bounced between Roddick’s legs) had the visitors stretching to cover the field.
The Gisborne captain toed the ball ahead and lock Dylan Bronlund won the race to St Peter’s in-goal for a try in the left corner. It was not converted and the score was now 14-5 to the Auckland side.
In the 46th minute, after eight phases of play, GBHS scrum anchor Nathaniel Hauiti scored to close it to 14-10.
St Peter’s, stung into action, then scored the last try of the match, courtesy of reserve Kafa Vaea, after 54 minutes. Felaafaga converted Vaea’s barging effort for 21-10, the final score.
St Peter’s showed their class and experience in closing out a highly competitive fixture away from home. Fans of GBHS rugby left the Rectory knowing that, but for one (or two) of their goal-line nudges on either side of the posts bearing fruit in the first half, they might have had an extraordinary result.
As it is, they now know they have a team of fighters.