“Play-wise, we showed improvement on Saturday, but need to be more accurate when we have opportunities in the opposition's 22.”
Dan Turnock, of Palmerston North Boys' High, was pleased to win Game 1 in maybe New Zealand's toughest first 15 competition.
Turnock respects the GBHS crew.
“Defensively, Gisborne were well organised,” he said.
“Their first five-eighth, Carlos Hihi, looked good and they had awesome line-speed in defence, which put us under pressure. Their set-piece play was tidy too, in a game in which defences were on top. We just managed to score a couple of good tries in the first half, then showed enough patience and composure to score a third after the break. Gisborne threw a lot at us.”
With 500 in at Palmerston North Boys' High and a cooling northerly breeze about, GBHS first-five Hihi won the toss and opted to kick off. The Palmerston North skipper, rake Eli Oudenryn, chose an end.
Second-year man Oudenryn said it was a tough game.
“They brought the physicality that we were expecting, and reminded us just how rugged the Super 8 is,” he said.
“Their scrum put us under pressure; they were strong and quick at the breakdown as well.
“Any and every win in the Super 8 is hard-earned.”
Gisborne had vastly the greater share of possession and much better field position to the point at which Nathaniel Hauiti scored the first try of the Super 8 season, at the 20-minute mark.
From an attacking scrum set five metres from the hosts' goal-line, eight metres to the left of the posts, halfback Israel Fox sent Carlos Hihi right and three phases later, Hihi's co-captain, tighthead prop Hauiti, grounded the ball a metre to the right of the posts. The try was unconverted.
In the 23rd minute, PNBHS responded with a try that got the home fires roaring in a manner reminiscent of 2021 hero first-five Curtis Heaphy's 20-point performance at the Rectory.
From a lineout a metre into Gisborne's half on the right touch, Oudenryn found blindside flanker Joe Simpson-Smith at No.3. Halfback Tyler Edwards sent the attack left. Creative positioning of the inside backs saw fullback Sam Coles hit the ball midfield and pick up Fletcher Carpenter on his outside. Carpenter put a chip-kick through, then won the race to the ball 10m in from the left corner.
Coles converted for 7-5.
PNBHS scored from the restart. Hihi forced them to look up into the sun and they booted the ball back as far as halfway. Shortly thereafter, the ball went loose and Carpenter again flew down the left side of the ground before firing a brilliant cut-out pass inside to halfback Tyler Edwards.
Edwards scored 16m to the left of the posts 26 minutes in. Coles did duty with his second conversion.
Gisborne Boys' scored — as they needed to — next, and on halftime. The seed was planted 26m out from their own goal-line at a defensive scrum, 15m off the left touch. Hihi put through a chip-kick, which fullback Cohen Loffler fielded on the volley just short of halfway. Loffler made a great run, went left to wing Luka Russell and he went inside to centre Xavier Tuapawa.
And so the halftime score was 14-10 to the hosts.
After 53 minutes of play in the match, Palmerston North scored their third try. No.8 Quinn Sturmey, at No.2, won an attacking lineout four metres from the left corner. Palmerston North probed to the right three times before going to left wing Tadhg O'Connor on the short side to score.
Coles didn't convert O'Connor's try but landed a 33m penalty goal, from 10m off the right sideline — in the 68th minute — for 22-10, the full-time score.
Gisborne's forward pack proved that they can win good ball at set-piece and make good metres when in possession. A confident Carlos Hihi is ready to spread his wings on attack and he will get his next chance to do so on June 11, when the first and second 15 travel to Napier BHS for Game 2 of the Super 8.
To beat Gisborne Boys' High School's oldest foes on their patch — with the Football Challenge Cup up for grabs — would be a big result. Gisborne's backs showed signs of clicking on Saturday and they have the flair to be dangerous.
