Gisborne BHS get workout they wanted

RUGBY

They wanted hard opposition and they got it.

The Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 opened their rugby campaign with a hard-fought 28-10 loss to Feilding High School yesterday.

GBHS fullback and player of the day King Maxwell kicked the first points, a penalty goal for 3-0, five minutes into the game, and converted his own intercept try after 32 minutes for what was to be the halftime score:14-10 to Feilding.

Left wing Moape Rokocuka, in the 10th minute, and second five-eighth Faleseu Tauailoto, in the 16th, were Feilding’s tryscorers in the first half.

Hooker Mike Strydom (40th minute) and reserve second-five Moses Palelei (64th minute) cut the line for Feilding in the second half.

Captain, first-five and Feilding player of the day Jonty Stewart (three) and fullback Terence Graham (one) converted all four tries. Left-footer Stewart’s conversion of Stydom’s try was from five metres in from the right touch and 30m back.

Gisborne Boys’ High School head coach Ryan Tapsell said that both yesterday’s game at the Hastings Sports Ground and the game against St Paul’s Collegiate School this Tuesday were ideal fixtures in terms of squad development, to “blood” new players.

Maxwell made a textbook one-on-one tackle to bring down Graham three minutes into the contest and in the 54th minute he dragged Feilding reserve right wing Christian Thompson down from behind in a genuine try-saving tackle.

The many good points to be taken out of the game at the Hastings Sports Ground for the young GBHS team included the impressive showing of fullback Maxwell (three points), No.8 Nik Patumaka (one point) and defensive player of the day and captain, openside flanker Amos Roddick.

Lock Dylan Bronlund was outstanding for GBHS against strong, more experienced opposition at the lineout.

Feilding head coach Justin Lock sees Gisborne Boys’ High as a side on the way up.

“Gisborne were tough,” he said.

“They shut us down for long periods with their hard defence, in what was our third game. They also put us under pressure with their work-rate, and they’ve got a lot to work with, ability-wise.”

Gisborne Boys’ High School coach Tapsell said the most important thing for his side was to get good game time for their “newbies” and get them into the team system.

That would also be the focus for their game against against St Paul’s Collegiate School, of Hamilton, as they built towards getting their top 23 selected for the game against St Peter’s School, of Cambridge (July 18 in Gisborne), then their best team for Napier Boys’ High School (July 25 in Napier) — the first Super 8 game.

And they still had some firepower to bring in.