Rugby: Inaugural Thomas Cup goes to HBHS

PRESENTATION TIME: HBHS 1st XV rugby captain Kianu Kereru Symes (right) receives the Graham Thomas Challenge Cup from Thomas' son, Craig, who is an old boy of HBHS. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Hastings Boys' High School's 1st XV rugby team captured the Graham Thomas Challenge Cup with a 33-10 win against the Wellington College 1st XV in Hastings last weekend.

This is the first year the cup has been played for. Thomas taught at Wellington College from 1964 to 1978.

He was then deputy principal at HBHS from 1979 to 1984 and headmaster from 1984 until his retirement in 2002. Thomas died last February.

Head of physical education at HBHS and manager of the 1st XV, Steve Small, said Thomas' name means a great deal to both schools.

Last weekend's match was the HBHS team's second of the season.

The Wellington is tipped by many to win the Wellington schools competition this year but the HBHS team's confidence was high after a convincing 41-10 away win against Kelston Boys' High School the previous week.

HBHS started the Wellington game well and were clinical in the execution of the game plan to exit well and put pressure on the opposition in their own half.

This pressure lead to a well taken try by explosive winger Trent Hape. Wellington came back and kicked a penalty to trail 5-3.

HBHS dominated the rest of the half with powerful second five-eighth Hunta Marsh scoring back-to-back tries and winger Kini Naholo getting his first try.

Naholo, 17, is a brother of Highlanders and All Black winger Waisake Naholo. All three tries were converted by centre Danny Toala.

This gave HBHS a comfortable 26-3 lead at halftime. Lock Liam Bauckham and No8 Jeriah Mua had strong games and made some telling stops on defence.

The second half turned into a grind for both teams. Complacency set in for HBHS, the team went away from the game plan and failed to execute to conditions that were deteriorating.

The flow of the game was not helped by a number of indifferent options HBHS took with attacking ball in the red zone. HBHS scored one more try in the second half with Toala getting his fourth of the season. He converted it to end the scoring.

Openside flanker Xavier Hill had a strong game and Jacob Stephenson made sound contributions playing at fullback.