St Peter’s — currently second in the 10-strong 1A competition — played into a strong wind in the first half and it took the visitors time to adjust.
At the four-minute mark, Boys’ High skipper Hall made a grand cover tackle on dangerous St Peter’s centre Apetone Vaka to set the defensive tone.
In the sixth minute, Boys’ High halfback Quintony Ngatai was hurt attempting a tackle on the visitors’ giant loosehead prop Zyon Holo near halfway. The Gisborne scrumhalf returned to duty without delay or fuss and was a key figure in the match.
Nine minutes in, the excellent lineout work of Gisborne lock Ofa Tauatevalu — and ideal field position given by first five-eighth Quinn Collard’s generalship — earned a reward. Fullback Moses Christie sidestepped two defenders and dotted down 15 metres to the right of the posts.
Gisborne second-five Niko Lauti made a prophetic tackle on openside Chris Halaufia in the 12th minute. Sixty seconds later, Halaufia scored to the left of the posts. St Peter’s first-five Ajay Faleafaga converted, for 7-5.
At the 17-minute mark came one of the highlights of the season. Boys’ High attacked down the blindside in short bursts over halfway. As he fell, tighthead prop Amanaki Tonga gave a super pass to Hall, who ran 40m and beat St Peter’s fullback Josh Loveday to score in the left corner: 10-7 to Boys’ High.
Ngatai’s maturity in not throwing a 50-50 pass infield as he hared down the left sideline in the 27th minute bore fruit two minutes later. Tauatevalu won lineout ball five metres out from the St Peter’s goal-line and after four phases of play, Boys’ High halfback Ngatai dived a metre to score, 20m to the left of the posts. Collard converted, and Gisborne led 17-7 at the break.
Both teams had shown some excellent play. Vaka had hit Tauatevalu’s locking partner, Khian Westrupp, with a stinging tackle shortly before the break, and the dangerous Faleafaga’s grubber-kick might have resulted in a try had Boys’ High blindside flanker Chayse Skudder not been on hand to make the save near halfway. The skill level of Holo — exceptional for a such a big player — was already apparent in his short-passing game.
St Peter’s coach Walter Alvarez made a change at the break which bore fruit in the 39th minute. Replacement halfback Ben Fuhiniu’s deft footwork and quickness from the scrum-base enabled him to beat Gisborne down the blindside, and he ran 41m to score. With Faleafaga’s conversion, the score was 17-14 to Boys’ High.
In the 46th minute, St Peter’s won their own scrum-ball five metres out from the Boys’ High line and Fuhiniu found Holo with a flick-pass. The prop scored and Faleafaga converted to put St Peter’s ahead, 21-17.
After 49 minutes, just outside Gisborne’s 22, going to the right, Loveday gave Vaka a great pass on the fly and the centre’s footwork got him through. Faleafaga kicked his fourth conversion, and St Peter’s led 28-17.
In the 67th minute, Holo went over between the posts for his second try. He played well. The Gisborne pack never ceased to meet him on the gain-line, and even won a tighthead in the attacking half in the game’s dying stages.
Classy first-five Faleafaga succeeded with five conversions from five attempts for St Peter’s, while Collard’s kicking in general play for Gisborne was of the highest standard.
Gisborne had 70 percent territorial advantage in the first half, Collard proving it’s one thing to have the wind and another to know how to use it.
Boys’ High captain Hall said St Peter’s did much the same thing from the break.
“We played a solid first half but St Peter’s used the wind really well in the second half. Billy (Priestley) and Quintony (Ngatai) were solid, we had some good sections on defence and when we built phases we were deadly.”
St Peter’s coach Alvarez said: “In the first half, we missed many tackles but in the second half we were able to maintain possession and speed the game up.”
The St Peter’s second 15 beat their Gisborne counterparts 54-22, having led 36-0 at halftime.
Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Super 8 campaign resumes on Saturday, with first 15, second 15 and under-15s to play Hamilton Boys’ High School in Hamilton.
