“In that respect, we missed seeing (blindside flanker) Dylan Bronlund, who's been awesome over the years for GBHS. It was a shame he missed this one with an injury (right knee) — he's got a huge future in rugby if he works hard.
“In my 30 years of coaching, the lead-up to this game (player availability-wise, for one of my teams) was the toughest I've known. Because of illness, we had guys take the field for Napier with less than half a tank to start with — and play on empty a long time after that — against proud opponents who came here on a mission.”
Of Gisborne Boys' High challenging Rotorua BHS for the Moascar Cup at Rotorua BHS this Saturday, Ratcliffe said: “If Gisborne can stay tight, be mature, not be distracted by Rotorua, then they can make history.”
It was Palmerston North BHS 22 Gisborne 10 at PNBHS in the Super 8 opener a fortnight ago: Gisborne beat St John's College of Hastings 54-0 here in the interim.
In 19 degrees, with 600 in attendance, Hihi won the toss and chose to kick off. Napier BHS game-day skipper and scrum-anchor Gus Brown chose to play into the nor'westerly breeze.
Phelps made the first carry of consequence for Gisborne in his own half and in the sixth minute, from centrefield, Hihi made the first of his aforementioned 50-22 line-kicks. Soon after, Gisborne fed and won an attacking five-metre scrum, two metres left of Napier's goal-posts. Over four phases of play they went to the middle, left twice before powerful second-five Puna Hihi caught his hosts flat-footed.
He jinked 13m to score 14m to the left of the posts in a manner reminiscent of his father, current head coach 2000-2001 GBHS second-five Duane Hihi. Carlos Hihi converted his younger brother's try for 7-0. The home team made a brilliant response at the 15-minute mark. Gisborne set and won a scrum 15m off the right touch, 23m from their own goal-line. Halfback Israel Fox went left to Hihi, whose chip-kick was fielded by Martin. NBHS pushed to the right four times and probed left twice before fullback CJ Mienie spotted a gap and tore from halfway to dot the ball down in the left corner.
Halfback Cory Berkett converted Mienie's try to tie the game up at 7-7. In the 18th minute, Hihi kicked a 27m penalty goal from centrefield for GBHS 10 Napier 7.
There followed a top Gisborne try with a comic element. GBHS set a five-metre scrum eight metres to the left of Napier's posts and came back hard towards the middle. From the goal-line ruck, Ingram scored just to the left of the posts. Unsighted, National Panel referee Tipene Cottrell allowed play to continue — NBHS won a turnover and broke from their in-goal to halfway, courtesy of a 45m run from left wing Sidney Drinkrow.
Justice was then served: assistant referee 2 Luke Shadbolt told Cottrell of Ingram's great play, the try was given and Carlos Hihi made the conversion for 17-7, the half-time score.
In the 41st minute, Napier Boys' High scored in a way that speaks volumes of the Gisborne-Napier rivalry. Off the left touch, Brown won a lineout at No.4, 15m from Gisborne's goal-line. NBHS drove on an angle right until rake Tyrone Crystal grounded the ball for a grand pushover try a metre to the left of the posts.
Berkett converted Crystal's try to close it to 17-14, Gisborne still in front in a classic match. On show were Carlos Hihi's 50-22 kicks, NBHS winning ball on Gisborne's throw and gut-wrenching effort from both 15s. Napier took their first lead in the match at the 56th minute. At a lineout five metres from the left corner on attack, Brown won the ball and Napier's lineout drive got to the goal-line. Undetected, reserve second-five-cum-halfback Joel Russell rifled down the blindside to score.
Napier led 19-17; Berkett did not convert the Russell try. In the 68th minute, Gisborne set a midfield scrum 19m from their own goal-line and Carlos Hihi, having returned to action, put in a chip-kick. NBHS fielded the ball and reserve fullback Josh Augustine made the first strong carry-back for Napier. Two rucks and four sets of hands to the left later, Drinkrow scored in the corner. With no conversion, Napier won the match 24-17.
For Gisborne, having lost last year 27-20 and conceded 24 points without response the year before, Saturday's game turned on moments . . . the loss of Ben Phelps with a head-knock in the 39th minute and two other players being spelled for disciplinary reasons later in the half among them.
Duane Hihi, never one to dwell on what-ifs, instead seized on a positive: “Our MVP (most valuable player), lock Kaia Gate, because he tackled and carried hard from the first minute to the last . . . I asked him at the beginning of the year if he was keen to have a look at lock, as we needed some height. He's now one of the first names on the team sheet.”
