Boys’ High give Wellington College a shake-up

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

Duane Hihi’s crew didn’t give it away at the weekend.

The Hihi-coached Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 lost to Wellington College 34-19, although they put up the opening try of their Tranzit Coachlines Festival clash and gave the locals a shake-up.

The home team — under All Blacks 1060 and 1049, Neemia Tialata and World Cup winner Piri Weepu — were rocked six minutes into the game on ground No.4 at the Campus of Innovation and Sport in Upper Hutt.

Lock Tipene Wilson was the GBHS player to dot down first in a game that produced eight tries. Gisborne beat Wellington College 33-24 at Porirua Park a year ago and had gone away resolved to start well.

Boys’ High co-captain and openside flanker Braith Ingram won the toss and chose to kick off on a windless day in the capital before 200 spectators.

Following a turnover from the hosts in their own half, Gisborne’s forward pack retained possession over eight phases of play before halfback Kauri Christie threw a cut-out pass to Wilson for the try 13 metres in from the left corner.

Wilson’s try was unconverted.

The Wellingtonians’ response came three minutes later with a try to their halfback Henry Bremer.

In the 25th minute, College co-captain and right wing Jacob Kennedy hared 40m to score the first try of his double on the day after centre Ezekiel Hotai found fullback Carisma Faitala, and the ball went from him to Kennedy.

First five-eighth Archie Sims converted both that and the winger’s second try eight minutes later to give the home team a 24-5 lead at halftime.

GBHS reserve No.8 Luke Bidois scored six minutes after the resumption, and first-five Te-Reimana Gray kicked the conversion for 24-12.

Sims landed a penalty goal in the 48th minute for 27-12.

In the 70th minute, Bidois completed his double with the seventh try of the match. Gray converted, and the score was 27-19 to Wellington College.

A try to college blindside flanker Finn O’Sullivan in the 73rd minute, with Sims converting, concluded the scoring.

Kennedy and co-captain and No.8 Jack Riley hold Gisborne in high regard.

“Last year, in the middle of the field, Gisborne’s strong pods put pressure on our ruck-defence,” Kennedy said.

“But in the lead-up to this game, we worked to strengthen our line and force them to spread it wide.”

He said they also tried to avoid throwing 50/50 passes in the first half.

Riley was named Wellington College’s MVP (most valuable player), with Bidois receiving the same honour for Gisborne Boys’ High.

Premier referee Tomas Roche, who controlled both the 2022 and 2023 meetings, said that Ingram was great to deal with and that Gisborne showed real fight in the second half.

Hihi was disappointed with the result. Both Boys’ High and Wellington College scored two tries apiece in the second half on the back of a quick, powerful start by the visitors.

“It was a tough one,” second-year head coach Hihi said.

“After scoring first up early in the match, we took the foot off the throat and allowed our opposition to get too far ahead.

“It was a gutsy second half from our finishers, but we have to work on getting the little things right. If we fix those small things, we will be OK. The big picture is there.”

Gisborne will play their second game in the festival this Saturday against St Patrick’s College Silverstream in Hastings from 11.30am.

Wellington College 34 (Jacob Kennedy 2, Harry Bremer, Finn Leighton, Finn O’Sullivan, tries; Archie Sims pen, 3 con) Gisborne Boys’ High School 19 (Luke Bidois 2, Tipene Wilson tries; Te-Reimana Gray 2 con). Halftime: 24-5.