GBHS earn respect in defeat

Progress impeded: Gisborne Boys' High School blindside flanker Dylan Bronlund, pictured trying to fend off a tackle against Rotorua Boys' High, is part of a forward pack with some heavy hitters in the tackle. Picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne Boys' High School first 15 rugby is a great sporting and cultural institution.

The Ryan Tapsell-coached team of 2021 lost their fourth consecutive Super 8 game on Saturday, unbeaten Hastings Boys' High School running out 65-0 victors at Akina.

The visitors' disappointment at that result was matched by the respect given to them in the aftermath and even as the score mounted. Hastings Boys' High principal Robert Sturch's boys showed their all-round class on and off the field of play at the weekend.

That is the trace empathy born of having lost 42 Super 8 games in a row over six years a decade ago. For context: Hastings beat Palmerston North BHS 100-0 in 2017.

Akina claimed the Norman McConnell Cup that Gisborne took from them, 17-5, at the Rectory on August 8 last year, Hastings having held the trophy since 2013.

Gisborne's biggest loss to Hastings remains Akina's 68-0 win in Hawke's Bay in 2017. Their heaviest loss of any description was the 80-5 defeat inflicted by Hamilton BHS in Gisborne on September 5, 2020.

Tapsell knows that he and assistant coach Kahu Falaoa could ask no more of their injury-stricken team in terms of commitment and effort.

On the injury list are first-choice first five-eighth King Maxwell, who hurt his right shoulder in Rotorua's 36-0 win here in Game 3 and did not play against Hastings; fullback Carlos Hihi (right shoulder), who bravely played at Akina; lock Tyla Keelan-Phillips (left ear); lock Matiu Anderson (left ankle); centre Paraina Davies (concussion); and right wing Siope Fakahokotau (left knee).

Taimana Teneti, a most promising player, was to have taken Fakahokotau's place on the right wing — Fakahokotau was listed in the reserves — but Teneti injured his right shoulder in the game-day warm-up.

The loss of Teneti and, in the first half on Saturday, the enthusiastic, feisty Davies necessitated further juggling, Puna Hihi replacing Davies

Tapsell said: “We had to work especially hard at set-piece. Our young backs did well, considering. Puna came on about five minutes into the first half and he did well against big Mefi Tupou, who's super-quick.

“Our starting first-five at the weekend, Karlos Howe, is — like Puna — 15 and is a definite talent for the future.

“Karlos could be in the team for four years. He's getting used to the speed of the game at that level, which will come with experience. He's likely to start again against New Plymouth BHS at The Gully this Saturday.”

GBHS captain and tighthead prop Nathaniel Hauiti was pleased with his side's defence in the first 20 minutes of Saturday's game. He won the toss, and chose to kick off on an overcast, windless day in front of about 800 spectators.

The referee, Joshua Strong of Hawke's Bay, ran a tight ship.

Although Hastings had the majority of possession and field position during the match, their second-year skipper, openside flanker Cooper Flanders, was moved to say: “Gisborne can tackle. Nathaniel, big Hayze (loosehead prop Hayze Nepia), Dylan Bronlund (blindside flanker) and Ben Phelps (openside flanker), they all hit hard.”

Flanders was the game's dominant figure at the lineout, and that was a phase of play Gisborne Boys' High will doubtless address. The visitors matched up well against Akina at the scrum, and held their hosts scoreless for 19 minutes, during which time left wing Izaiah Fox, new hooker Paul Tovio, vice-captain and lock Max Briant and Carlos Hihi all made gutsy stops on the ball-carrier.

Hihi made great tackles on Flanders in the 12th minute and right wing Alex Dickey (15th minute), with the fearsome pair of Bronlund and Nepia putting a no-beg-your-pardon stop to Dickey in the right corner at the 17-minute mark.

In the 19th minute, Hastings left wing Josiah Sakaria opened the scoring after Flanders had won a lineout five metres from the GBHS goal-line on the right side of the ground.

Gisborne had held Akina's initial drive but over five phases, Hastings went to the left five times before Sakaria scored in the corner for 5-0. No conversion followed, but 23 minutes in, Flanders won a GBHS lineout against the throw on the left touch, the ball then went right through three players before Dickey cut back to score 16m in from the corner.

Left-footed first-five Hoera Stephenson, who impressed for Hastings in Gisborne last year, converted the first try of Dickey's hat-trick for 12-0.

After 28 minutes, the hosts scored their third try. Gisborne, nine metres into Hastings territory on the left touch, overthrew a lineout and the home team surged over halfway. They worked the ball to the far sideline, then back to their right. Three long passes later, Dickey tightroped the sideline to score, dotting down five metres infield.

Dickey had narrowly escaped the clutches of Hauiti in-goal. Although Dickey's second try was not converted and the score was 17-0, the Gisborne captain and his crew never took pause. Shortly before the break, they got their hands on the ball and fought phenomenally hard over 16 phases to get into Hastings' 22 before turning the ball over.

Akina scored a textbook try from a lineout, five metres from the right corner, to end the half. Loosehead prop Aone Lolofie — who throws the ball into the lineout for Hastings — joined the ensuing drive, then burst openside to score 12m infield.

The half-time score was 22-0 to Hastings Boys' High School.

Akina opened their account in the second half with a converted try to Tupou off a set move, in the 40th minute. Flanders, at No.3, won an attacking lineout on the right touch, two metres into GBHS territory.

Hastings halfback Piripi King-Panapa cleared to blindside flanker Kaihau Pasikala, who found Stephenson, whose high crossfield kick had the ball land 10m off the right touch, 25m from Gisborne's goal-line.

Sakaria gathered the ball up for Hastings on the second bounce, found Tupou in support on the inside hit. Tupou scored five metres to the left of the posts. Stephenson converted Tupou's try, for 29-0.

In the 43rd minute, from an attacking lineout five metres from the GBHS goal-line, on the left touch, Lolofie found lock Tom Allen jumping at No.3. Flanders swooped on a drop-pass from Allen, around the tail of the lineout to score 12m wide of the posts.

His unconverted try made the score 34-0.

Sakaria was the next man to score, off a nice pass from second-five Tali Ioasa, in the 52nd minute. Gisborne had, five metres to the left of the posts in their own 22, turned the ball over at a ruck. One breakdown and a clearing pass to the left later, Sakaria was able to dodge Bronlund as he scored in the corner for 39, soon to become 41-0, courtesy of Stephenson. In the 58th minute, Dickey completed his hat-trick, Flanders having won an attacking lineout just outside the GBHS 22, on the left touch. The Akina forwards secured the ball and four passes to the right later, Dickey dotted down in the corner.

Bronlund, heroically, had somehow got across the ground in an effort to stop the try being scored.

The try was not converted, at 46-0.

In the 62nd minute, from an attacking five-metre scrum set five metres off the left touch at the GBHS end of the ground, Akina's reserve halfback, Jordi Viljoen, sent the ball left to reserve first-five Preston Whatarau. He, with a Samson-like effort between the posts, held would-be tacklers at bay until Tupou took the ball and scored for 51-0. Stephenson converted for 53-0.

From a line-out 11m from Gisborne's goal-line, on the left touch, HBHS reserve hooker Vikta Tavita found reserve lock Josh Leach at No.4. There followed a rush openside preceding a ruck, before Viljoen cleared to Tavita for a try to the new rake 68 minutes in.

Stephenson landed his fifth conversion, for 60-0, from 10m off the left touch.

The 11th and last try of the match was the only long-distance score of the day. Tavita found Flanders jumping at No.4, and from that defensive lineout 23m from their own goal-line on the left touch, the home team made only two passes while going 77 more metres for Ioasa to score in the right corner at the other end of the ground. There was no conversion.

Gisborne Boys' High have lost four Super 8 games in their campaign to date and have players who, often being outweighed by their opposition, have taken knocks.

The first and second 15s leave for New Plymouth tomorrow. Hauiti, Briant, second 15 captain and second-five Xavier Henare-Brown and company will use every muscle not mended as they hunt for victory at The Gully.

All four Gisborne BHS representative teams were swept by Rotorua at the Rectory a week ago and by Hastings at the weekend, but not for lack of effort. They make an enormous effort.

Hauiti's predecessors as first 15 captain, Jordan McFarlane (2019) and Amos Roddick (2020), played at tighthead prop and openside flanker respectively. They weren't chatterboxes.

But McFarlane, who now works at New Plymouth BHS and plans to be at the game, said: “Remember what and who you're playing for — what the team and jersey represent, play hard. Back yourself.”

Roddick, who was at the game on Saturday, shoots just as straight: “They have good men leading the way and our boys play with skill, urgency and belief in the first 20 minutes.

“Turn that into 70. Believe it, do it.”