Rugby: HBHS retain Hurricanes title

Danny Toala succeeded with six of his eight attempts at goal for HBHS today. Photo/File

HBHS 47 St Pats Silverstream 17
Hurricanes Final

The Hastings Boys High School 1st XV rugby team has secured a berth in the national top four competition for a second consecutive year by retaining their Hurricanes title with a 47-17 victory against St Pats Silverstream of Wellington in Palmerston North today.

As the score suggests if was another convincing display from the Kianu Kereru-Symes-captained HBHS team which led 33-12 at halftime. However Kereru-Symes knows there is still work to be done before returning to Palmerston North for the start of the national tournament on Friday.

"We made a great start but could not keep it up for 70 minutes. We've got to work on that for the top four," Kereru-Symes said.

While outstanding No 8 Devan Flanders was judged the player-of-the-match the award could easily have gone to powerful prop Josiah Metcalfe-Tavita, who scored two tries and was busy in the tight, or second five-eighth Danny Toala who shone with his carries, accurate defensive reads and options on attack and six successes from eight attempts at goal in a tricky wind.
Flanders agreed his side got complacent in patches and allowed the Wellingtonians to score off their errors.

"This is another piece to our puzzle but we've got two more games yet," Flanders added referring to how keen the Hastings outfit is to go one step better than last year's second placing in the national top four tournament.

Openside flanker Josh Southall, who played alongside nine of the Hastings players in the Hurricanes under-18 team in July, had a huge workrate for St Pats Silverstream.

Scorers:
Hastings Boys' High School 47 (Josiah Metcalfe-Tavita 2, Lincoln McClutchie 2, Kini Naholo, Liam Udy-Johns, Jeriah Mua tries; Danny Toala 6 cons), St Pats Silverstream 17 (Neyla Masina, Kienan Higgins, Todd Svensen tries; Harrison Boyle con). HT: 33-12.