Rotorua Boys' stride to solid win

Rotorua Boys High School 1st XV player Te Ra Whata dances his way to the tryline during the match against Napier Boys Photo/ Ben Fraser

The Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV team have shown their class once again this season by dispatching Napier Boys' High School 69-7 at home.

Rotorua Boys' are tracking well this season helped in no small part by the appointment of a rugby director at the school this year, in former Whakarewarewa club coach Ngarimu Simpkins.

Rotorua Boys' are in strong contention to make the final of the Super 8 competition following their latest win over Napier Boys' High yesterday. The Super 8 competition is contested between the eight best rugby schools in the central North Island, covering a huge area from Palmerston North up to Hamilton.

If Rotorua win their remaining two matches they will qualify for the Super 8 final next month. Vice-captain Trent Harris said having Simpkins on board this year had really helped their game.

"We have got a rugby director now in Ngarimu Simpkins and he has definitely helped a lot this year with breaking things down with detail, and going back to the basics and really nailing those before we go on to the advanced stuff," he said. "We are not really throwing those 50/50s, we are sticking to structure a lot more and things are paying off better."

He said they played really well yesterday against Napier, especially at building phases. While the scoreline blew out towards the end of the game, the first half was a close battle between Rotorua and Napier.

Rotorua scored the first try when captain Isaac Te Aute went on a long run before chipping a nice kick behind the fullback. Ngarohi McGarvey-Black was first to the ball and scored. Kaleb Trask added the conversion plus a penalty a few minutes later.

Napier were next to score when Sam Pomana crossed in the corner after a smart quick-tap. McGarvey-Black then hit back with his second try for the home side.

Rotorua Boys' shifted the ball brilliantly from one side of the field to the other causing an overlap, finished off by McGarvey-Black.

The scoreline stayed close at 15-7 until the last minute of the first half.

Rotorua Boys' player James Tofa made a big break down field and connected well with a teammate, before retrieving the ball and scoring under the posts, which proved a big moment in the match.

The second half was all one-way traffic, with classy backs Hayze Perham, Isaac Te Aute and Te Ra Whata causing plenty of problems as their team ran in seven more tries.

Rotorua Boys' have only lost one match this year to reigning national champions Hamilton Boys' High School (16-5).

- Rotorua Boys' High School 69 (Ngarohi McGarvey-Black 2, Te Ra Whata 2, Isaac Te Aute 2, James Tofa, Michael Vaeno, Hayze Perham, Waisea Niumataiwalu tries; Kaleb Trask 8 con, pen) Napier Boys' High School 7 (Sam Pomana try; Cam Robinson con)