Gritty win to Gisborne Boys’ High School's first 15

TRY-SCORER: Gisborne Boys’ High blindside flanker Dylan Bronlund is grabbed by the jersey by a St Paul’s player in a first 15 rugby match at the Rectory ground yesterday. Bronlund scored the home side’s try in a hard-earned 8-7 victory. Picture by Paul Rickard

To win a close rugby game takes courage, iron will and character as much as skill.

The Duane Hihi-coached Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 showed all of those qualities — in addition to much-improved discipline — to beat St Paul’s Collegiate School, of Hamilton, 8-7 at the Rectory ground yesterday.

The Central North Island’s finest, outweighed and faced by a GBHS crew who play the game with passion and flair, did not disappoint their fans among the 800-strong crowd in terms of commitment.

It is no coincidence that Hihi and St Paul’s coach Paul Hodder chose as their MVPs (most valuable players) openside flankers Ben Phelps and Daniel Strang, of Gisborne and St Paul’s respectively. The total involvement and tenacity of the two fetchers was a feature of the game, played as it was by willing hearts and in good spirit.

“That wasn’t the prettiest but we’re happy to have won it,” Hihi said. “The boys know that we’ll need to up things if we’re going to compete with Super 8 opposition.

“We need to be switched on because we play Feilding Agricultural High School at the Hastings Rugby and Sports Ground in Waipatu at 12.30pm on May 1. Our second 15 will play Feilding at 11am.

“Those will be tough ones.”

St Paul’s skipper Strang won the toss and chose to kick off. Boys’ High tighthead prop Nathaniel Hauiti opted to play with a northeasterly breeze on a surface that held up well.

Hauiti’s co-captain, first five-eighth Carlos Hihi missed his first kick at goal two minutes into the match and then high drama came in the fourth minute.

Heartland official Damien Macpherson suffered an injury to his right knee — in only his first game of the season — that necessitated his replacement by Poverty Bay head coach Miah Nikora.

From that point on, Nikora and Poverty Bay rugby and cricket player development activator Mitchell Purvis did a fine job with whistle and assistant referee’s flag respectively.

Carlos Hihi opened the scoring after 14 minutes with a penalty goal for 3-0 to Gisborne Boys’ on a day that his younger brother, second-five Puna Hihi, made his mark defensively. Boys’ High fullback Cohen Loffler’s technique in the tackle was likewise strong.

St Paul’s right wing Conrad Jackson and his gutsy skipper Strang were to the fore there for the Hamilton side.

St Paul’s second-five Layken Tua made a try-saving tackle on Puna Hihi 25 minutes into a game in which the home team dominated field position for 65 minutes.

GBHS loosehead prop Lathaneal Niwa-Karakia won lineout ball against the throw early in the game and his sharpness in that area was a great asset to the Gisborne team.

Small things become important factors in close, low-scoring games. Referee Nikora was in the same excellent position to call that GBHS had lost the ball forward on the ground, as he was to ping St Paul’s for lineout throws off-centre.

It was on the comical note of a throw meant for St Paul’s James Waddell being called not straight that halftime came with the score still 3-0 to Gisborne.

Waddell and his locking partner Jack Ruske both played well. The lineout battle was keenly fought, with the heavier GBHS pack having an edge at the set scrum.

Three minutes after the resumption, Strang brought Gisborne blindside flanker Dylan Bronlund down with a magnificent cover tackle. Bronlund had raced over halfway, and Strang got to him in the middle of the field just short of the 22. The GBHS player then made a brilliant tackle of his own in the 44th minute — he chased reserve halfback Guy Charteris down following an intercept.

Three minutes later, the ball went loose at a lineout on the left touch in St Paul’s half. Opportunity knocked and Bronlund scored in the right corner for 8-0.

Ruske and Boys’ High reserve lock Joe Kemp came to the fore at lineout time in the second half. Phelps and Bronlund were good value there throughout.

Charteris scored St Paul’s try in the 63rd minute of play. The visitors, having recycled the ball over six phases, put him over 10 metres to the right of the posts. Fullback Harry Trumm converted to close it to 8-7 in Gisborne’s favour.

Coach Hihi was relieved.

“It was a tough game and we made it hard for ourselves with errors, but I know we can play better.”

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