An injury-hit GBHS side without Hihi's regular co-captain, scrum anchor Nathaniel Hauiti, battled against a high-quality Stream unit.
Having met stern resistance, St Pat's led 12-11 at halftime.
St Pat's had been 24-0 down at halftime against Hastings Boys' High but had had a week in which to make adjustments, recalibrate and turn things around against determined opposition.
They achieved that.
St Pat's head coach Mitchell Forbes said: “The Gisborne boys were very good in contact and over the ball, and were clinical at the lineout. They also had strong runners across the park.
“I was delighted with our defence, our forwards' penetration and our running game.”
Boys' High chose Puna Hihi as their MVP (most valuable player), while for Silverstream that award went to lock Tavis Polglase.
Gisborne's tryscorer was vice-captain and blindside flanker Dylan Bronlund.Carlos Hihi kicked two penalty goals.
Tryscorers for St Pat's were halfback Ollie Cuff, loosehead prop Senio Senale, fullback Jacob Denyer, captain and hooker Toby Mallon, second-five Emmanuel Solomona (who also landed two conversions), reserve left wing David Tokalautawa and right wing Oliver Krijnen.
Mallon won the toss and chose an end on a cool, dewy, windless morning at Napier BHS. Gisborne kicked off.
Silverstream opened the scoring in the eighth minute. They set an attacking scrum to the right of the posts, 17 metres from Gisborne's goal-line and then attacked the corner. Cuff got the loose ball and scored seven metres infield.
Gisborne's response took the form of a stunning try to Bronlund. Hooker Boston Morete hit lock Kaia Gate at a lineout 16m from the left corner at the St Pat's end. Bronlund scored from a lightning lineout drive to equalise.
In the 19th minute, Senale got home four phases after Polglase's towering second-row partner Lennox Easthope won an attacking lineout on the left touch, six metres from the GBHS goal-line. Over four phases of play, the Wellingtonians pressed the advantage and strongman Senale got to ground for the try, 16m infield.
Solomona kicked the conversion for 12-5.
Hihi kicked penalty goals in the 26th and 32nd minutes to keep the scores close at halftime.
The importance of starting well after the break was not lost on the Wellingtonians, who scored in the left corner after 38 minutes. That try to the classy Denyer had its origins phases before, in a lineout on Gisborne's 22, right touchline.
No conversion followed.
In the 50th minute, Bronlund gave those assembled at Napier BHS 1 something different to ponder with his goal-line effort to stop St Pat's captain Mallon from scoring. As Amos Roddick — GBHS captain and openside flanker at the time — did at Hamilton BHS two years ago, Bronlund went mountain-climbing over the opposition maul. In this case, it was five metres out, 15m in from the right touch.
Roddick did say at the time that: “If it needs doing again, it will be”, and as international television match official Aaron Paterson (Waikato) allowed that innovative play in 2020, so did Hawke's Bay premier referee Jordan Cameron on Saturday.
Silverstream then led 22-11, and closed their account with tries to Solomona (56th minute), Tokalautawa (61m, with a conversion by Solomona) and Krijnen (70m). Tokalautawa's try came as a result of a Gisborne pass going astray on the right sideline and his ability to dash 60m from his pursuers, while Krijnen's try was the result of a turnover and counter-attack down the right flank.
Attention now shifts to the GBHS game against Palmerston North BHS at Palmerston North on May 28. It will be the opening match of the Super 8 competition, and the day will involve the first 15, second 15 and under-15s.
