First XV rugby wrap: Auckland Grammar fight back as Liston College claim historic upset

Auckland Grammar's first XV team. Photo / Supplied

Auckland Grammar have given themselves a fighting chance of making the top four in 1A First XV rugby after a thrilling 28-25, come-from-behind win over rivals Mt Albert Grammar.

On a day when Henderson’s Liston College rolled King’s College 25-24 - claiming a win in that contest for the first time in their history - and St Kentigern marched on at the top of the table with an impressive 25-12 away win over St Peter’s, there was also much to admire in the manner in which Grammar surged to a seasonal high of third place with two rounds to play.

Back in early June, when Grammar shambled to a 48-0 defeat at the hands of an under-strength Hamilton Boys’ High in a traditional exchange fixture, their seasonal prospects seemed bleak. However they have doggedly remained in contention in Auckland competition, where they have now won their last six matches.

With tougher matches against St Peter’s and Sacred Heart still to come, there is still no guarantee Grammar will make the cut for the top four. But the character, composure and game management they displayed in grafting their way back from a 25-14 deficit in the final quarter of this 139th match against Mt Albert since 1922 will certainly stand them in good stead.

Grammar dominated the early exchanges, preying on Mt Albert errors and second five-eighths William Laurence-Vaivai was well worth an early converted try.

Auckland Grammar win a lineout.

Mt Albert struck back with a try to winger Hokioramai Dunn, following a scything run from Ieriko Terence, and then unveiled the slickest backline move of the day as first five-eighths Reuben Stewart stylishly cut through for a 10-7 halftime lead.

Grammar’s scrum monstered Mt Albert a couple of times at the start of the second half, and flanker Ethan Hall, who was lively all day, dotted down, while Monty Parkinson added his second conversion for Grammar to regain the lead, 14-10.

However Mt Albert prop Rob Vakalahi, playing in an unnumbered jersey, crashed over to restore his team’s lead, and while Ikaika Hanks-Papali’i again missed the conversion, he did slot a penalty shortly afterwards for Mt Albert to enjoy an 18-14 edge.

Mt Albert then enjoyed an even greater margin of comfort when Stewart scored another classy, converted try to make it 25-14.

But Grammar fullback Rios Tasmania got his team back into the contest with a converted try. Then two minutes from time, Grammar spun the ball from close range and replacement centre Jackson McMullen forced his way over to snatch the lead back for Grammar, with Parkinson adding the extras.

Grammar then ran the clock down with chanceless rugby to retain the Jubilee Cup, contested annually between the schools.

The difference between evenly-matched teams was the kicking of Parkinson, while diminutive halfback Preston Brydon was also good value for Grammar.

Auckland Grammar halfback Preston Brydon passes the ball.

Liston College, once the whipping boys of the 1A competition who finished the 2022 season with a negative points differential of 399 points, continued a highly respectable 2023 campaign with a historic 25-24 win over once-proud King’s College.

They’ve now beaten four opponents and there’s a great schoolboy rugby story waiting to be told here - though sadly in an era of increasingly pointless media bans and unanswered phones, it probably never will be.

To be fair to King’s, they were missing players through illness and injury, and the fact Liston now sit above them on the table in eighth place suggest this was not the boilover upset it may look at first glance.

The lead see-sawed with King’s ahead 6-0, then trailing 10-6, leading 13-10 and 21-15, before a Liston converted try thrust them ahead 22-21 and the teams both added a late penalty each.

For King’s, prop Sione Manuopangai and hooker Oliver Hatch scored tries while fullback Luca Fuller kicked four penalties and a conversion.

Second-placed Sacred Heart scored an important 26-7 win away to now fifth-placed Kelston. Despite being seriously on the wrong side of a wonky penalty count, Sacred Heart showed pace, strength and good ball-handling to defeat an unpredictable Kelston team.

Fijian centre Sunia Ragede caught the eye as Sacred Heart led 10-0 at halftime, though the Kelston forwards barged over for a converted try at the start of the second half.

Sacred Heart halfback Charlie Ashford then cleverly stole the ball from a Kelston scrum on halfway and sprinted downfield in a move which ended with a penalty being converted, while mercurial fullback Cohen Norrie earned a further penalty following a clever run and a head-high tackle gifted a further three points.

The Sacred Heart forwards then forced their way over following a dropped ball, and the conversion completed the scoring.

St Kentigern, five points clear at the top of the table, beat St Peter’s 25-12 in an epic contest at The Cage after establishing a 22-7 halftime lead.

For St Peter’s, flanker Joe Jarvis Tuuga and prop Olive Lam Yuen scored tries, while Aziel Hau managed one conversion. Best for St Peter’s was front rower Robson Faleafa. St Peter’s face Kelston in their final round-robin match on August 5, which may well determine the top-four fate for both teams.

Meanwhile Dilworth registered their first win of the season, 17-13 over St Paul’s, while De La Salle had a 53-0 romp against bottom-placed Tangaroa College. Sixth-placed De la Salle are still a top-four chance with remaining fixtures against Liston and King’s College.

Hamilton Boys’ High School have returned to the top of the Super 8 First XV standings on goal difference (ahead of Napier) after a 25-7 away win over Gisborne Boys’ High, and Hastings Boys’ High beating Tauranga Boys’ College 21-17.

Hamilton had previously been beaten 17-15 by Napier Boys’ High in a catch-up game where they fielded a slightly under-strength team. It was Napier’s first win over Hamilton since 2011.

Thanks to tries from Richie Magele, Angus Prouting and George Prouting, Napier become the inaugural recipients of the Del Whyte Taonga, a trophy which recognises the service the former Napier teacher gave to Super 8 rugby.

In traditional fixtures over the holiday break, St Peter’s beat Gisborne Boys’ High 31-5, King’s College lost 22-51 to Palmerston North Boys’ High, and St Kentigern beat Whanganui Collegiate 45-14. Westlake beat New Plymouth 32-5, while Kelston lost 34-20 against Tauranga Boys’ College.

Meanwhile in a Chiefs top-four qualifying match, Wesley College beat Pukekohe High 45-0.

St John’s College (Hamilton) have risen to the top of the Central North Island First XV competition - ahead of Whanganui Collegiate on goal difference - after an 80-5 win over Rathkeale College, and with Whanganui going down 41-22 at the hands of St Paul’s Collegiate. That’s set up a cracking fixture at 12 noon on Saturday with fourth-placed St Paul’s hosting St John’s in Hamilton, while Whanganui face a tough encounter away to Feilding.

Four teams are fighting for the last two semifinal places heading into the final round of the Wellington First XV premiership, reports Adam Julian.

Scots College and St Patrick’s Silverstream are guaranteed the top two spots, but who will join them?

With victory at home against St Patrick’s College, Wellington, Hutt International Boys’ School will stay third and likely eliminate St Pat’s Town.

If sixth-placed Town win, then things become messy, but essentially the 2022 runners-up are on 20 points so would require both Wairarapa College (on 22) and Wellington College (on 21) to lose their fixtures.

Rongotai College host Wairarapa College in a match that could go either way, while it would be a surprise if Wellington College weren’t to score four tries and beat Tawa College.

Meanwhile last Wednesday in a dour struggle, St Pat’s Silverstream completed their grand slam of traditionals, with wins in the same year over St Bede’s (Christchurch), Palmerston North Boys’ High School, New Plymouth Boys’ High School, Wellington College, Rongotai College, and St Pat’s Town.

It’s the third time since 2017 that Silverstream have achieved this feat, having waited 29 years between drinks prior. In 1988 the Silverstream First XV won 24 of 25 matches, a Wellington Under-19 Championship, and a grand slam. In 1985, current director of rugby Tim Mannix was in a first XV that won 19 of 21 matches and achieved the grand slam.

In a previous column readers were invited to nominate the largest schoolboy winning margin they had come across at premier first XV level.

From a host of replies, a couple bear recirculating. James Perry reported that Otago Boys’ High put 135 points on James Hargest College in 2012, but that was dwarfed by St Stephen’s School beating Manurewa in the Counties competition in 1996 or 1997.

“It was printed in the scoreboard pages of the NZ Herald at the time and helped me decide to go to St Stephen’s for schooling, and not Manurewa High just up the road from where I lived,” Perry wrote.

Perry also cited an impressive 2002 result in which Hastings Boys’ High (featuring the likes of future All Blacks Hika Elliott and Alby Matthewson) beat Te Aute College 114-0 in Hawkes Bay first XV competition.

However by that stage Super 8 had started, so it is debatable whether a non-Super 8 match could be considered premier.

Meanwhile Mike Thorpe cited Cargill High’s 102-6 win over James Hargest College in 1992, in which Jeff Wilson scored 66 points.

“That was the last weekend that tries were worth four points,” Thorpe pointed out. “In today’s money: 120-7.”

Saturday’s Auckland 1A draw (Saturday 2.30pm, home team first): Kelston v St Kentigern; Mt Albert Grammar v Sacred Heart; St Paul’s v King’s College; St Peter’s v Auckland Grammar; Liston v De La Salle; Dilworth v Tangaroa.

1A Points: St Kentigern 43, Sacred Heart 38, Auckland Grammar 35, St Peter’s 33, Kelston 30, De La Salle 28, Mt Albert Grammar 23, Liston 17, King’s College 12, Dilworth 5, St Paul’s 2, Tangaroa 0.

Super 8 draw (Saturday 12pm unless stated, home team first): Palmerston North v Napier, Wednesday 12.30pm; Rotorua v New Plymouth; Hamilton v Hastings; Tauranga v Gisborne.

Super 8 points: Hamilton 25, Napier 25, Tauranga 20, Hastings 19, Palmerston North 18, Rotorua 8, Gisborne 2, New Plymouth 1.

North Harbour 1A, Round 11: Rosmini 22 Massey 12; Takapuna 5 Westlake 76; Whangarei 37 Rangitoto 5; Manurewa 7 Ōrewa 10.

North Harbour points: Westlake 54; Rosmini 40; Massey 37, Takapuna Grammar 35; Whangarei 28; Rangitoto 15; Ōrewa 10; Manurewa 1.

North Harbour draw (home team first all Saturday 12pm unless stated): Westlake v Rosmini; Rangitoto v Massey; Ōrewa v Takapuna, 1pm.

Central North Island: Lindisfarne College 19 St Peter’s Cambridge 35; Wesley College 20 Feilding HS 21; St Paul’s Collegiate 41 Whanganui Collegiate 22; St John’s College, Hamilton 80 Rathkeale College 5.

Points: St John’s Hamilton 32 Whanganui 32, Feilding 30, St Paul’s 29, Wesley 26, St Peter’s 26, Francis Douglas 11, St John’s Hastings 5, Lindisfarne 5, Rathkeale 1.

Draw, Saturday (home team first, all 12pm): Feilding v Whanganui; Francis Douglas Wesley College; St Paul’s v St John’s; St Peter’s v St John’s Hastings.

Wellington Premiership, Round 8: Wairarapa College 20 St Bernard’s College 14; Wellington College 5 Hutt International BS 0; Rongotai College 56 Mana College 3; Scots College 73 Tawa College 0.

Points: Scots 40, Silverstream 35, HIBS 24, Wairarapa 22, St Pats Town 20, Wellington 12, St Bernard’s 17, Rongotai 15, Tawa 4, Mana 0.

Canterbury Premiership, Round 9: St Thomas of Canterbury College 29 Nelson College 31; Marlborough Boys’ College 24 Christchurch BHS 22; Timaru BHS 15 Selwyn Schools Combined 16; St Andrews College 12 Christ’s College 10; St Bede’s College 37 Shirley BHS 7.

Points: Nelson 44, Christchurch 38, St Thomas 32, St Bede’s 25, St Andrews 24, Marlborough 23, Christ’s 19, Selwyn 16, Shirley 12, Timaru 7.

Otago Schools Rugby Championship Round 4: Otago BHS 14 King’s HS 25; Southland BHS 40 Wakatipu HS 7; John McGlashan College 49 South Otago HS 0.

Points: Southland 16, Otago 14, John McGlashan 14, King’s 9, Wakatipu 6, South Otago 0.

• Readers are invited to send their first XV rugby updates, news snippets and hot takes to nzschoolboyrugby@gmail.com.