GBHS first 15 co-captain and tighthead prop Nathaniel Hauiti won the toss and opted to kick off while Hastings skipper Jehmial Ross chose to play with the nor’wester at their backs.
GBHS co-captain and first-five Carlos Hihi opened the scoring in the minute with a penalty kick in the seventh minute.
The home side dominated possession and field position up to the 20th minute and extended their lead when blindside flanker picked up loose ball from a Hastings scrum 13 metres in their own territory and dotted down.
Hihi’s conversion made it 10-0.
Hastings struck back in the 24th minute with a try to centre Heta Tulima after enterprising lock Josh Leach tapped from a penalty 10m out and was brought down a body length from the line. Two rucks later first five Kobe Deacon put Tulima away for the five-pointer.
Left-wing Mokau Lambert converted and two minutes later the visitors went ahead with a try to Hastings fullback Bryson Crawford-Pakoti, who scooped the ball up on the volley from a Hihi chip kick and ran 60m to score in the left corner.
Leach went over after an attacking lineout in the 37th minute and Hastings went into the break up 19-10 — those 19 points coming in the last 10 minutes of the half.
Five minutes after the resumption, Hastings were at it again — Leach bolting away from a ruck and Lambert converting.
GBHS closed the deficit to 26-15 with a try to reserve right winger Izaiah Fox in the 66th minute. Hastings overthrew the ball from a lineout a metre inside GBHS territory. Morete collected it and charged 15m, the ball was swept to the left and reserve left winger Cohen Loffler did superbly to stay in play before Morete passed for Fox to score 11m from the right sideline.
It was at this time Morete was injured and referee MacPherson decided to move the game to the No.2 field.
The last act of the game was a classic counter-attack try to Tulima, who veered and swayed in and out on a 40m glide to score in the left corner. Lambert converted from the sideline.
Referee Macpherson said the GBHS discipline was 100 percent better than the other games he had controlled last season and made special mention of Morete’s outstanding performance.
Hastings BHS head coach Tafi Ioasa also praised the home side’s efforts.
“We came here to do a job but the Gisborne boys stuck to their guns. They were raw and they were tough. I want to give big ups to the people who are in charge of their development. They are doing a tremendous job.
“Take it from me, it’s hard to win here.”
Ross, who last year suffered a season-ending injury, complimented GBHS on their quick start, which forced his team to raise their standards.
Gisborne Boys’ head coach Duane Hihi said: “The positive is that we’re showing we can compete in this Super 8 competition, but we need to fininsh the job.”
Support for injured players was extremely important from a mental health point of view, he said, and he and sent Morete and Henare-Brown Hastings’ best wishes.
The second 15 flew the flag for Gisborne Boys’ High School rugby as 25-17 victors over Hastings — the second win of their Super 8 campaign.
GBHS captain No.8 Noah Torrance-Cribb, who backed up for the first 15, won the toss and chose an end while his opposite, lock Reuben Allen, opted to kick off.
Hastings right-wing Iosefa Sa opened the scoring in the ninth minute and first-five Monte Timu’s conversion gave the visitors a 7-0 lead.
GBHS blindside flanker Latrell Walker scored in the 15th minute and second-five Quaydon Chaffey-Kora put Gisborne 10-7 in front in the 20th. Four minutes before halftime, Hastings hooker Detroit Thompson-Marsh scored a try to make it 12-10. Eight minutes after resumption, a serious injury to Hastings centre Xavier Henare-Brown resulted in referee Mark Greene moving the game to the other Rectory field.
Reserve second-five Impala Waipara scored 50 minutes in for 15-12 and Greene awarded Gisborne a penalty try in the 62nd to put the home side 22-12 up.
Allen powered over with four minutes to play and as the game wound down, referee Greene awarded GBHS a penalty and halfback Kauri Christie slotted the kick for 25-17.
Loosehead prop Malosi Lufalealo was the home team’s Most Valuable Player.
The win avenged a 20-12 loss to Hastings at Nuhaka Domain on May 14.
“That was an awesome game,” Torrance-Cribb said, “Intensity-wise it was hard-fought and both teams gave it their all. All of our boys put everything that they had into that performance.”
In the two other Gisborne-Hastings games, Hastings u15s ran out 40-10 victors over Trevor Crosby’s GBHS.
Richard Brown and Josh Maynard were no doubt proud of their Gisborne u14s, who, after trailing 24-0 at the break, fought back admirably to lose 34-17.
Four-team fixtures take much work to organise, but GBHS v Hastings made for a great occasion and community turn-out, with 900 present yesterday.
All three grounds used — the two rectory fields and School Road reserve — were in good repair.
The referees and their assistants — Macpherson, Greene, Les Thomas, Ray Young, Ben Holt and Miah Nikora — made a fine contribution to an important and popular fixture.
