Hamilton too strong for Gisborne in Super 8 secondary school rugby

It took 44 minutes, but Gisborne Boys' High School First XV Year 11 No 8 Samuel Fox is pictured scoring at home against Hamilton BHS in a Super 8 game won 69-5 by the visitors on Saturday. From left are Gisborne left wing Kye Symes, Hamilton lock Aiden Saxon, Fox, Hamilton reserve loosehead prop Ryan Ralph and reserve halfback Lachie Ross.

Scoreboard

At Gisborne High School Rectory, Gisborne Boys’ High School First XV 5 (Samuel Fox try) Hamilton BHS First XV 69 (Nathan Stephens 4, Alex Arnold 2, Corban Dunlop 2, Maxwell Kara, Ollie Guerin, Hakopa Paringatai tries; Jackson Botherway 4 con, Stephens 2, Paringatai con). HT: GBHS 0 HBHS 26.

GBHS Second XV 14 (Jimmy Tufunga, James Maynard-Wilson tries; Jake Kara 2 con) HBHS Second XV 46 (Koewyn Kearins-Te Whare 2, Ollie Barnett, Luka Moala, Isaiah Edwards, Liam De Har-Elliott, Tevita Halauafu, Israel Marshall-Moore tries; Miller Sturm con, Kiwa Rata con, Ezaiah Solomon con). HT: GBHS 7 HBHS 25.

They didn’t expect an easy ride.

And regardless of the 69-5 scoreline to their First XV, Hamilton Boys’ High School have gone home with bumps and bruises in addition to rugby’s Vesty Thomas Cup.

They led a Gisborne BHS team under industrious openside flanker James McKay 26-0 at halftime, and not until the 44th minute did the hosts score on Rectory No.1.

Their effort never wavered. Try-scorer and promising No 8 Samuel Fox played strongly, as did lock Storm De Thier, centre Manawanui Stewart and others.

GBHS head coach Mark Jefferson said his team were outclassed but there were good individual performances.

Hamilton’s 11 tries to one victory, their third win of the Super 8 season, sees them go to fourth place on the ladder heading into the last game of the round-robin this weekend.

Gisborne are in eighth spot and at 12pm this Saturday will look to take the Kane Trophy off Tauranga Boys’ College at Nicholson Field.

In front of a crowd of around 800 and with Keelyn Smith blowing the whistle on Saturday, Hamilton reserve fullback Nathan Stephens scored four tries, captain blindside flanker Alex Arnold and No 8 Corban Dunlop got a double each, and second five Max Kara, centre Ollie Guerin and fullback Hakopa Paringatai crossed for a try each.

First-five Jackson Botherway landed four conversions, Stephens two and Paringatai one.

Both teams tackled hard. Hamilton hooker Kaden Manuel and Gisborne lock Storm De Thier and left-wing Maioha Waru were hugely committed. The spot tackle Waru made on Paringatai at halfway in the 22nd minute was a beauty.

Fox’s no-guts-no-glory try came with Hamilton 33-0 ahead nine minutes into the second half.

From a penalty for offside play 5m from Hamilton’s goal-line, Gisborne reserve halfback Coen-Theros Brown tap-kicked, De Thier charged first and Brown’s fine clearing pass from the ruck allowed Fox to feign left, then split reserve loosehead prop Ryan Ralph and lock Aiden Saxon to dot down 13m from the corner.

Hamilton head coach Cameron Moorby saluted Gisborne’s match effort.

“They disrupted our strike attack and they were tough at set-piece, especially the scrum,” he said. “We always back ourselves but they challenged us physically, defensively and knocked us down hard. Gisborne always play with passion and pride.”

Players of the day were James McKay and Samuel Fox (Gisborne) and Nathan Stephens (Hamilton).

Hamilton also won the Second XV clash, 46-14. Players of the day were Apairoa Pokoati and Leyton Hall (Gisborne) and Koewyn Kearins-Te Whare (Hamilton).

Other Super 8 results: Hastings BHS 41 Tauranga Boys’ College 27, Napier BHS 27 New Plymouth BHS 10, Palmerston North BHS 15 Rotorua BHS 19.

Points: Palmerston North 25, Rotorua 24, Hastings 21, Hamilton 18, Tauranga 18, Napier 12, New Plymouth 5, Gisborne 4.