Tyrone Mafi in action for Dilworth School against Aorere College. Photo / Photosport.
A strong second spell carried Palmerston North BHS to a 22-13 win over Wellington College in Saturday night's Super Rugby curtainraiser at the capital's Westpac Stadium.
Coll led 13-7 at the break on the back of an ascendant scrum and a try in the corner to prop Michael Heyworth from a superb offload by captain and lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi, a 2016 NZ Barbarians Schools rep. Coll were disrupting Palmerston North BHS' lineouts, but a critical try to loose forward Mackenzie Tansley kept the latter in the contest, and they were starting to break Coll tackles. Their cause was not helped, however, by a yellow card on halfback Jacob Hewetson-Talamaivao.
Palmerston North BHS slowly, inexorably, took control with centre and player of the day James Stratton prominent and penetrative, setting up Tansley for a second try.
There were chips off the old block, with Palmerston North BHS halfback Bryn Wilson, grandson of 1965 Springbok Lionel Wilson, and Jaden Tiatia of Coll, nephew of Sunwolves coach and former All Black Filo Tiatia, featuring. The increasingly influential Stewart Cruden, son of Stu and brother of Aaron, set up Darel Lander for the match-clinching try.
In other Hurricanes festival games, Hastings BHS continued on their merry way, dispatching Rongotai 55-0 for their 26th win in their last 27 outings, and they look nigh on unbeatable thus far in 2017. Napier BHS blanked St Pat's Town 22-0.
Results of significance in the UC Championship saw St Thomas defeat St Bede's 27-15 with a double to Sione Afemui, while Rangiora toppled STAC 28-22 and Christ's beat Timaru BHS 28-15.
Old rivals Hamilton BHS and Rotorua BHS will again contest the Chiefs Cup final after the latter edged Wesley 9-5 and Hamilton BHS defeated 2016 CNI champs St Paul's Collegiate 35-14.
There were some topsy-turvy results in the North Harbour 1A competition. Westlake BHS had contrasting victories, a 94-0 midweek hiding of Takapuna Grammar followed by a much tighter 14-0 result over Rangitoto on the weekend. Massey suffered two reverses, 30-9 to Rangitoto and an 8-0 boilover versus Birkenhead.
There was also a boilover in the Auckland 1A, where St Peter's edged St Kentigern, not for the first time in recent seasons, 11-10. MAGS could not christen their newly named BG Williams Field with a win, falling 21-12 to rivals Auckland Grammar. Dilworth, with three straight wins for the first time ever in the 1A, are still atop the table after three rounds, on points differential from Sacred Heart, who beat Kelston BHS 27-8. Dilworth won 20-3 over Aorere.
The next televised game is tomorrow's traditional from the deep south: Southland BHS v Otago BHS. The latter tuned up with a 32-5 win over King's HS in another traditional.
There was snow and sleet in John McGlashan's 26-5 victory over Mt Aspiring.
North Harbour 1A
Rosmini 35 Whangarei BHS 23
Takapuna Grammar 21 Orewa 0
Westlake BHS 14 Rangitoto 0
Birkenhead 8 Massey HS 0
Westlake BHS 94 Takapuna Grammar 3
Rangitoto 30 Massey HS 9
Auckland 1A
De La Salle 42 Tamaki 10
Dilworth 20 Aorere 3
Sacred Heart 27 Kelston BHS 8
Auckland Grammar 21 MAGS 12
King's 51 Liston 5
St Peter's 11 St Kent's 10
Auckland 1B
St Paul's 32 Tangaroa 26
Macleans 17 Avondale 3
Mt Roskill Grammar 23 Otahuhu 0
Pakuranga 22 Edgewater 5
One Tree Hill 22 Mangere 12
Onehunga 6 Southern Cross 3
Papatoetoe 17 Waitakere 5
Chiefs Cup
Rotorua BHS 9 Wesley 5
Hamilton BHS 35 St Paul's Collegiate 14
Tauranga BC 48 Manurewa 5
Chiefs Trophy
Pukekohe 50 Wesley Second XV 0
Taupo Nui-a-Tia 15 Western Heights HS 14
Chiefs Bowl
James Cook 93 Waiuku 5
Bay of Plenty
(Division one)
Bethlehem beat Te Wharekura o Mauao by default
Opotiki 17 Aquinas 12
Rotorua BHS Second XV 19 Trident HS 18
Tauranga BC Second XV 24 Rotorua BHS Third XV 8
Central North Island
St. Peter's (Cambridge) 30 Wanganui Collegiate 8
Hurricanes Festival
Palmerston North BHS 22 (Mackenzie Tansley 2, James Stratton, Darel Lander tries; Stewart Cruden con) Wellington 13 (Michael Heyworth try; Joshua Morgan-Ranui con, 2 pen) HT: 13-7 Coll
Hastings BHS 55 Rongotai 0
Gisborne BHS 33 Wairarapa 15
Napier BHS 22 St Pat's (Town) 0
UC Championship
Christchurch BHS 76 Roncalli 3
St Thomas 27 St Bede's 15
Rangiora HS 28 St Andrew's 22
Lincoln Combined 15 Mid Canterbury Combined 13
Waimea Combined 33 Burnside HS 10
Christ's 28 Timaru BHS 15
Traditional
Otago BHS 32 King's HS 5
Otago
John McGlashan 26 Mt Aspiring 5