Gisborne BHS seek turnaround in clash again New Plymouth

Having a go: Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Jordan McFarlane takes on the Hastings Boys’ High School defence at the Rectory field last Saturday. McFarlane is in the side to play New Plymouth Boys’ High at the Rectory field tomorrow.Picture by Paul Rickard

They’re fighters.

The Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 have endured five straight losses, including their first four Super 8 games.

And last Saturday, while a late try to outstanding No.8 Liam Udy-Johns sealed Hastings’ 24-13 escape from the Rectory field, GBHS fans saw for the first time since April 7 their team competing hard against top-flight opposition.

Tomorrow at 11am on Ground 1 at the Rectory field, a Boys’ High team with a four-wins-from-12 record play New Plymouth, who have won six out of 10 and are coming off a 31-28 loss to Palmerston North at New Plymouth’s famous Gully ground.

Palmerston’s Stewart Cruden put paid to New Plymouth last weekend as he did to Gisborne Boys’ High in their Super 8 opener, 23-21, a month ago. Against Gisborne, it was a 40-metre penalty on fulltime. Against New Plymouth, it was a first-half try and conversion of the match-winning try six minutes from time.

Gisborne Boys’ High head prefect, captain and openside flanker Dylan Hall knows that supporters will want to see the type of match-effort they saw last weekend.

Until Udy-Johns scored in the dying stages, the score was 19-13. Despite Hastings’ dominance in field position and a 19-6 halftime lead, Gisborne were within a converted try of the 2017 Top 4 champions.

In 1970, about 7000 watched the two first 15s battle it outThe biggest crowd for a game at the Rectory is for a game against New Plymouth. In 1970, about 7000 watched the two first 15s battle it out.

This GBHS team got a tremendous boost from their fans in the game against Hastings on Saturday.

First 15 head coach Mark Jefferson said: “These boys are keen to improve. The effort’s always there — they just need to nail their chances and not ease up early.”

Last season, New Plymouth’s only Super 8 win was against Gisborne at the Gully, 22-15. Gisborne won the 2016 match 22-14 and crushed the visitors 72-7 here four years ago.

Since the inception of the Super 8 in 1998, Gisborne Boys’ High have won 15 of the 20 games against New Plymouth and all 10 games at the Rectory field.

The New Plymouth Boys’ High captain is loosehead prop Corrigan Millar, an 18-year-old second-year first 15 player. He, tighthead prop Tuterangi Anderson, halfback Kristian Standing and centre William Guthrie have all been selected to attend the Chiefs under-18 camp in July.

The visitors also have three promising 15-year-olds in their starting 15: lock Rowan Slater, first five-eighth Jack Parker and fullback Jone Rova. Another 15 year-old, 6ft 4in Tyler McNutt, is on the reserves bench.

New Plymouth Boys’ High deputy principal Sam Moore is in his second year as head coach of the first 15, while second 15 coach Paul O’Keefe has only three players from the well-performed New Plymouth second 15 who beat Gisborne 31-0 at the Gully last year. That New Plymouth team lost the second-15 final to Hamilton Boys’ High.

Gisborne second 15 captain Blake Beard missed the game against Hastings, a 50-14 loss, but will start tomorrow at blindside flanker.

The second 15 match, on Ground 1 at the Rectory field, starts at 9am.

The referees for this weekend’s games are Ollie Holst, Royce Maynard and Adam Tapsell for the first-15 clash, and Adam Tapsell for the second 15 match.

Gisborne BHS first 15 (1-18): Jordan McFarlane, Billy Priestley, Amanaki Tonga, Ofa Tauatevalu, Khian Westrupp, Chayse Sheridan, Dylan Hall (c), Sione Ki-niua, Quintony Ngatai, Quinn Collard, TK Reihana, Niko Lauti, Michael Fox, Matt Proffit, Moses Christie. Reserves: Seth Lundon, Salesi Niuvao, Tonihi Raureti.

New Plymouth BHS first 15 (1-22): Corrigan Millar (c), Josish Pokai, Tuterangi Anderson, Josh Black, Rowan Slater, Thomas Murray-Edwards, Tom Simson, Jekope Kitou, Kristian Standing, Jack Parker, Liam Wano, Adam Smith, William Guthrie, Matua Robinson, Jone Rova. Reserves: Shaun Leath, Tynan Tito, Tyler McNutt, Tom Cutler, Levi Rewiti, Bailey Hayward-Kingi.

Gisborne BHS second 15 (1-21): Sione Mafileo, Moko Kiwara, Reef Harris, Kauri Waitoa, Tamati Horua, Blake Beard (c), Setefano Tolu, Henare Brooking, Jordan Christie, Ricardo Patricio, Sam Royston, Alex Maile, Hunter Tangira, Keane Williams, De-Villa Pirihi-Coutts (c). Reserves: Sitiveni Tuilautala, Thomas Farr, Lyric Tahau, Tatau Te Whata, Benito Barry, Tonihi Raureti, Von Huata.

New Plymouth BHS second 15 (1-22): Shaun Leath, Josh Atkinson, Meli Sifa, Wilson Parata (c), Christian Elaise, Dallas Fisher, Josh McDonald, Walter Cole, James Cole, Tom Cutler, Rodney Meredith, Levi Rewiti, Vatiliai Vukuma, Cameron Dombroski, Zac Betteridge/Caleb Smith. Reserves: Kainoa Adams, Jordan Gard, Irirangi Armstrong.