Schoolboy rugby: New Plymouth too good for Gisborne Boys’ High in Super 8 clash

Gisborne Boys' High School First XV No 8 Frazor Wainohu, about to take on the Rotorua Boys' High School defence, had a strong Super 8 game in a 29-5 loss to New Plymouth. Photo / Paul Rickard

New Plymouth BHS 29 (Lucas Goodman 2, Riley Mitchell, Nate Werder, George Le Quesne tries; Jack Hurley con, Taene Nelley con) Gisborne BHS 5 (Max Hammond try). HT: New Plymouth 10 Gisborne 0.

New Plymouth Boys’ High School’s fortress the Gully is unique and unforgettable.

And a hard-trucking Gisborne Boys’ High School First XV will do well to remember their experience of that cauldron in a 29-5 Super 8 loss to New Plymouth on Matariki Friday.

The Ray McDonald-coached New Plymouth scored five tries to the visitors’ one five-pointer. They picked up the maximum five points in their first win of the 2025 competition.

Coach Mark Jefferson and captain James McKay’s feisty Gisborne mob had their moments at the newly turfed Gully on a fine, clear morning.

In the 11th minute, tough-as-teak No 8 Frazor Wainohu used excellent technique to get over New Plymouth ruck ball to force a turnover 5m from the Gisborne Boys’ High School (GBHS) tryline.

Loosehead prop Kane Soto, hooker Max Hammond and scrum anchor Joshua Aukuso forced the New Plymouth front row off their own ball at the first engagement, drawing a murmur of surprise from the modest crowd.

The Gisborne pack also won a tighthead in the 18th minute.

Hammond scored a delightful try in the 46th minute, sprinting down the blindside unopposed to score after lock Storm De Thier was driven upfield after winning a lineout 28m from the home team’s line.

In between, New Plymouth fetcher and co-captain Riley Mitchell, blindside flanker Luke Goodman (2), hooker Nate Werder and Le Quesne scored excellent tries.

New Plymouth relished a victory built on tremendous line speed and suffocating defence – having lost to Gisborne in 2024 (24-20) and 2023 (28-24).

In other Super 8 games last week, Rotorua Boys’ High School pipped Hastings Boys’ High School 34-33, Napier Boys’ High School defeated Hamilton Boys’ High School 40-29 and Palmerston North Boys’ High School beat Tauranga Boys’ College 34-29.

Palmerston North Boys’ High School, with five wins from five games, lead the competition on 24 points, Tauranga have 17 (from four games), Hastings 16 (5), Rotorua 15 (5), Hamilton 9 (4), Napier 7 (4), New Plymouth 5 (5) and Gisborne 4 (5).

Gisborne next face Hamilton in Gisborne on July 19, then finish their Super 8 campaign against Tauranga away on July 26.