Rugby: HBHS run riot in "river"

Centre Dennon Robinson was among the Hastings Boys' High School tryscorers today. Photo/File

Loosie Liam Udy-Johns grabbed a hattrick as the Hastings Boys High School 1st XV maintained their unbeaten run in the Super 8 rugby competition today.

His team beat New Plymouth Boys' High School 32-0 in New Plymouth after leading 17-0 at halftime. Udy-Johns has stints at No 8 and blindside flanker and was a workaholic in both roles.

Hastings again produced a display which belied the atrocious weather conditions the match was played in.

"It was like the boys were playing in a river. There was so much water coming down off the top of the hill into the gully here where the field is," Hastings manager and former Magpies halfback Jason Bird said shortly after the final whistle.

Halfback Folau Fakatava again impressed with his defensive workrate for Hastings and his first five-eighth Lincoln McClutchie controlled play well.

"Conditions were particularly tough in the seocnd half but Lincoln made good decision and put us in the parts of the field where we wanted to be," Bird said.

Centre Dennon Robinson, flanker Jacob Stephenson and winger Kini Naholo scored Hastings other tries and fullback Danny Toala kicked a conversion.

This was Hastings fifth consecutive Super 8 win and 14th victory for the season. They have scored 810 points while conceding 50.

Napier Boys' High School were pipped 34-33 in their away fixture against Rotorua Boys' High School after a last second penalty attempt drifted wide. Rotorua led 22-7 at halftime.

The Napier forward pack functioned well as the visitors enjoyed some dominant patches in the second half.

"Our boys showed plenty of heart as they have done all year," NBHS coach Ash Johnson said before singling out captain and lock Josh Bokser and flankers Luke Russell and Sam Henderson and vice captain and halfback Humphrey Sheild as his team's best players.

Russell and No 8 Lolani Faleiva scored two tries each for Napier and lock Josh Gimblett the other. Fullback Nikau McGregor kicked four conversions.