COLLISION: Gisborne Boys’ High School No.8 Khian Westrupp takes on the Hastings Boys’ High School defence in a Super 8 game on the Rectory field in Gisborne on Saturday. Gisborne won the match 17-5. Picture by Paul Rickard
RUGBY
Gisborne Boys’ High School have their first Super 8 win of the rugby season.
The Ryan Tapsell-coached, Amos Roddick-led first 15 beat 2019 national secondary schoolboys’ champions Hastings Boys’ High School 17-5 for the Norman McConnell Memorial Cup — first presented in 1965 — on the Rectory field on Saturday.
It was the first Super 8 win for the Gisborne Boys’ High first 15 since the 28-5 victory over Tauranga Boys’ College (TBC) in Gisborne on August 4, 2018.
Around 700 of their loyal followers endured a numbing southerly and frozen sheets of rain to witness it.
How were the faithful rewarded?
They saw a total match-effort from their young team, who took the three scoring opportunities they had and tackled tirelessly.
Saturday’s win ranks with the home-turf heroics of 2011 (20-18 v Rotorua BHS), and 2016 (22-20 v TBC).
Gisborne transformed the frustration of the previous weekend’s 20-19 loss at Rotorua into their first win against Hastings — Akina — since 2014.
Head coach Tapsell said: “Our boys fought hard all game and when we got in a position to score, they stuck to our process and scored. Our defence was huge but our set-pieces need a little work so we’ll address those things this week.”
Hastings captain and No.8 Cooper Flanders won lineout ball off Gisborne’s throw, and Akina took tightheads at scrum-time. Gisborne Boys’ High captain and openside flanker Amos Roddick and his pack compensated for that with jarring physicality in general play.
Roddick said: “Just to lead the boys out on to Rectory No.1 is an honour, and that was one of the best games I’ve ever been involved in.”
Game 3 of the Super 8 began in the rain yet the hosts were steady. Gisborne’s player of the day, first five-eighth Nic Proffit, demonstrated his composure and skill with a superb box-kick from centreground on his own 40-metre line to a metre into Akina’s 22, on the right-side touch.
The kick betrayed intent: GBHS were looking to play as much of the game as possible at the Hastings end.
Hastings senior players stood out — Flanders, left-footed first-five Hoera Stephenson and centre Andrew Hayward chief among them. Flanders is simply an excellent all-round forward. Stephenson, though slight, is a highly intelligent and skilful pivot. Squat powerhouse Hayward is, one on one, more than a handful.
GBHS drew first blood, in the 20th minute. From a lineout five metres short of the left corner, Gisborne hooker Matariki Kaa found Roddick, jumping at four. No.8 Khian Westrupp then drove back towards centreground, finding halfback Kirk Ngatai, for centre Von Huata. Huata was brought down just short of the goal-line, five metres to the left of the posts. Gisborne Boys’ High strained to the left once, before Patumaka scored eight metres to the left of the posts. Proffit converted the try for 7-0.
In the 32nd minute, Gisborne struck again, through powerful left wing Whetu King-Taufa. In the lead-up, right wing Corbyn Peach showed excellent nerve and hands, five metres into the Hastings half 15m off the touchline — under a kick by Hastings first-five Stephenson — and Patumaka’s locking partner Dylan Bronlund had hustled on the far side of the ground to clean up a kick-through near halfway.
Gisborne retained possession over seven phases. They held on to a tap-pass and hooker Matariki Kaa popped the ball up to a flying King-Taufa, who made the left corner for 12-0. His try was unconverted and 12-0 was the halftime score.
In the 49th minute, Gisborne’s Westrupp scored their third try. From an attacking scrum set 20m into the Hastings half, 17m off the right touch, Ngatai broke centrefield and was brought down 15m short of the goal-line. Eleven phases later, Westrupp muscled his way home in the left corner.
Technique, communication and ball-retention by the Gisborne pack had made the 17-0 scoreline a reality in what were, for the most part, awful conditions.
Hastings had to act quickly. In the 55th minute, Poverty Bay referee Isaac Hughes awarded the visitors a penalty 10m from Gisborne’s goal-line, 15m off the right touch. Hastings Boys’ High School’s Goulton made a curling charge towards the posts. Over the next nine phases, Akina went left, right, and left again before the final shift right, through reserve Fraser Taurima-Heperi and finally Hayward for big reserve right wing Troydyn Bird to score in the corner.
Bird, like Gisborne’s Peach, had a good game. His try was well deserved, but it was not converted.
In the last quarter of an hour, Gisborne Boys’ High tackled themselves to near exhaustion. Reserves desperate to see action took their chances. Left wing Bryan Howard scooped up a dangerous loose ball in his own 22 and was blindsided by Stephenson but laid the ball back. Proffit kicked long, to halfway. Lock Max Briant then led the chase to reel in Akina fullback Elidius Oli and made a great cover tackle on the 40m line.
One win does not make a season, and Gisborne face New Plymouth at first-15 and second-15 level here this Saturday.
In 2019, Gisborne Boys’ High were placed eighth at first-15 level and New Plymouth Boys’ High seventh.
New Plymouth won last year’s first-15 clash at The Gully 27-5. The Gisborne second 15, placed seventh with one win in the 2019 Super 8, beat New Plymouth 29-19.
Gisborne Boys’ High proved three things against Akina: they can play wet-weather rugby, they can score tries at Super 8 level and they don’t shy off tackles. The jersey means a lot to them.
This win wasn’t glitzy or glamorous; more grit and granite.
Hastings head coach and former New Zealand Sevens captain Tafai Ioasa said: “It was a typical Hastings-Gisborne clash. Both teams played well in the conditions but it came down to opportunities. They took theirs, and put us under pressure.”
Hastings captain and No.8, Cooper Flanders, was Akina’s player of the day.
“Gisborne played really good wet-weather rugby,” he said.
“The game was very physical, as we expected, and they had a really strong defence which we only managed to break through once.
“We never gave up, but it was just one of those days.”
Gisborne have now won the Norman McConnell Memorial Cup 41 times, with no draws, since it was first contested in 1965, when Gisborne were 50-0 winners.