Southland Boys High players, from left, Justin Shaw, captain Gregor Rutledge and Lachie Riley with the National First XV Trophy and the Moascar Cup.
By Adam Julian and Bruce Holloway
“Chalk one up for the battlers in schoolboy rugby.”
That was the call from overjoyed Southland Boys’ High coach Jason Dermody after his injury-stricken team secured its first national first XV title in Palmerston North on Sunday with a gobsmacking 32-29 triumph over first-time finalists Westlake Boys’ High.
“This means everything to us,” Dermody said. “It is a testament to the culture we have created and the hard work we have put in, and we are over the moon.
“We have always been the underdogs, but at the same time we had no fears and also had a lot of self-belief.”
However, Southland’s run of winning matches by five points or less - they’d also beaten Palmerston North 20-19 in Friday’s semifinal - appeared to draw disbelief from other quarters, and Dermody spent a bus trip to Wellington on the long journey home clearing phone messages from well-wishers.
The Lone Star Cafe and Bar on the corner of Leet and Dee Sts in Invercargill is a shrine to Southland sporting legends - and these kids now belong on the wall beside the likes of Burt Munro and Brian McKechnie.
But if you’d forewarned any ardent first XV rugby follower that the National Top Four final would be decided at 10.30am on a Sunday at a near-empty stadium in Palmerston North between two schools from more than 500km away from unions which have won just a single NPC game combined in 2023, you might well have been told in response that Eddie Jones had more chance of becoming World Rugby chairman.
Westlake Boys’ High School and Southland Boys’ High School produced a decider as good as any in the competition’s 41-year history.
And in a monumental surprise, Southland became only the third South Island school to claim national honours, and also secure the Moascar Cup - the Ranfurly Shield of schoolboy rugby - for the first time.
“We knew about this shield,” Dermody said. “And now all of a sudden our captain is holding it for the first time in the school’s history.”
That same history earlier appeared to be against Southland. In nine previous trips to the Top Four they had only made the final once, when they were smashed 25-7 by St Peter’s College (Auckland) in 1987.
Excluding the four occasions when two South Island schools have attended the National Top Four and played each other, South Island schools have only won 15 of their 72 matches at the tournament since its inception in 1982.
Indeed, before this weekend, South Island entrants hadn’t won a single Top Four match since 2013. The last time Southland competed in 2017, they suffered a record 49-0 whitewash against Hamilton Boys’ High School who converted just two of their nine tries.
Southland were hindered by having five of their starting lineup out with injury for the final, including captain, Gregor “Baby Cabbage” Rutledge as well as their best 10,12,13 combo. Lachie Riley, a flanker, had spent 69 minutes on the wing against Palmerston North.
Southland were so undermanned they sent out an SOS, which resulted in winger Cody Stevens being shipped in from a school basketball tournament in Dunedin for the final, to start on the wing.
And though Southland found themselves 19-5 down against freewheeling Blues champions Westlake, they still found a path to glory.
Southland started vigorously enough with two passages of attack lasting longer than a dozen phases. Initially, at least, Westlake were stubbornly resolute and then ruthlessly clinical.
Centre and captain James Cameron scored the first try, thundering 25m after hitting a shallow pass with zeal and palming aside two hapless tacklers. Moments later fullback Isaac Murray-Macgregor hauled in a grubber that dribbled perilously close to the sideline to score in the corner.
Southland responded through Amaziah Mitchell. The second five bulldozed through congestion and made an angled pursuit to the paint.
The threat of Murray-Macgregor loomed large and a dazzling offload he delivered behind his back to winger Reimana Saunderson Rurawhe will no doubt ignite Instagram. Did the sheer audacity of that moment become an issue later for Westlake?
Southland struck a crucial blow before the interval with a rugged lineout drive and turned with a significant breeze.
Southland No 8 Justin Shaw was a tower of strength. He embarked on a 50m weaving run early in the second half and then crashed over several phases later.
Saunderson-Rurawhe replied for Westlake, who otherwise became disturbingly clumsy. A botched clearance was caught by Southland centre Kiseki Fifita who slipped his marker near the 22 to dot down beside the corner flag.
A sideline conversion by Year 11 fullback Jimmy Taylor levelled the score 24-24, but this kick was only an entrée.
Southland had all the momentum and when blindside Fraser Wilson hurdled over a ruck after courageous industry from lock Thomas Spain, they led for the first time.
With 15 minutes remaining, Southland had a penalty advantage 45m out from the Westlake line. Taylor, aged 15, retreated, stood stationary, received the ball on the chest, and unleashed an ambitious drop-kick attempt.
It was a work of art. Straight down the middle she sailed, and Southland led 32-24. In Stags country it was as good as James Wilson’s drop goal to win the Ranfurly Shield off Canterbury in 2011.
Taylor joins All Black Colin Slade as the only South Island player to kick a drop goal in the final. Slade nailed one for Christchurch Boys’ High School in a 22-22 draw with Wesley College in 2004.
For Westlake, Cameron scored 22 tries this season, including at least a single try in 13 consecutive games. He repeated his first-half surge to cut the deficit to three.
Any thoughts Southland would panic were buried with composed cradling of possession; the kind of grind best learned in the freezing mud and slush of the “City of Water and Light”.
It concluded an epic season for Southland. In total, they won 15 of 17 games and outscored opponents 702-222. In pre-season, they conquered King’s College (44-17) and Auckland Grammar School (18-17).
Dermody nominated his No 8, Justin Shaw, as his man of the match in the final after some barnstorming 50m runs, while he also praised the work of lock Thomas Spain.
But in terms of season-wide performance, Dermody said skipper Rutledge had been “different level” as a flanker, and Mika Muliaina was the pick of the backs.
Remarkably, Southland lost twice to fierce rivals Otago Boys’ High School in the Otago Schools Championship this year before exacting revenge in the decider. Southland then tamed a considerably bigger Christchurch Boys’ High School 29-28 in the South Island final on August 19 in Invercargill.
In Friday’s semifinal, Southland doggedly resisted Hurricanes champions Palmerston North Boys’ High School 20-19. Seasoned Manawatū sportswriter Peter Lampp complained that Palmerston North should have “banned the offload” after several chances let slip.
Southland were greeted at Invercargill airport by a haka at 9pm on Sunday.
Southland Boys’ High Top Four Squad: Ethan Brock, Josh Cairns, Preston Evans, Kiseki Fifita, Jayton Fisher, T.J. Gallen, Thomas Jennings, Matt Johnson, Presley McHugh, Phoenix McKay, Amaziah Mitchell, Jak Morton, Mika Muliaina, Rico Muliaina, Hoani Nikora-Wilson, Jordon O’Connell, Lachie Riley, Gregor Rutledge (c), Justin Shaw, Thomas Spain, Noah Sutton, Jimmy Taylor, Fraser Wilson, Cody Stevens.
With seven All Black captains (Billy Stead, Andrew ‘Snow’ White, Frank Kilby, Brushy Mitchell, Rusty Page, Paul ‘Ginge’ Henderson and Mils Muliaina), Southland Boys’ boasts a rugby heritage few schools can match. In fact it even has a small rugby museum on its premises.
The eccentric Clive Willaims, who taught his players ballet to improve balance, was such a successful coach, that Southland didn’t lose an interschool fixture in Invercargill for two decades between 1969 and 1989.
Perhaps his best student was Peter Skelt, who these days is Southland Boys’ assistant coach (along with Chris McIlwrick, and Jason Rutledge).
Skelt played in the 1972 and 1973 first XVs that won 38 out of 40 games, including all 20 in 1973 and later coached the First XV from 1991 to 2010, making the National Top Four in 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003.
Meanwhile, the Dermody family is something of a Southland rugby dynasty. Dad Fergus Dermody played 62 games for Southland at lock between 1974 and 1983. His brother and fellow lock Gerald were capped 128 times and another brother Stuart also represented Southland.
Jason’s cousins Grant, Sean and Malcom played for Southand, and his brother Clarke Dermody was an All Blacks prop in three Tests in 2006. Jason’s great-great-grandfather was 1893 All Black Graham Shannon.
The 1893 tour of Australia was the first tour arranged by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, which had been founded the previous year. They were also the first team to wear the Silver Fern. When Clarke made the All Blacks, that Silver Fern was passed down to him.
Peter Skelt previously led the Southland Development team to a national title and was part of the Stags coaching group through its Ranfurly Shield tenures from 2009 to 2011.
Jimmy Taylor’s brother Jack Taylor plays for Southland from the NZ 20′s this year, and older brother Harry Taylor plays for Otago.
Fa Muliaina is Mils’ brother and the father of the two Muliaina boys in the team, Mika and Rico Muliaina. Rico survived a cancer scare last year to play.
2023 NZ Barbarians National First XV Championships Top Four scoring summary:
Semifinal: Southland BHS: 20 (Kiseki Fifita, Phoenix McKay tries; Jimmy Taylor 2 con, 2 pen) Palmerston North BHS: 19 (Ryder Crosswell 2, Ollie Barham tries; Jamie Viljoen con) HT: 14-12
Semifinal: Westlake BHS: 43 (Issac Murray-McGregor 2, Matereti Hoyt 2, JD Van Der Westhuizen, Jay Cameron, Tyler Pulini tries; Murray-McGregor 4 con) Tauranga Boys’ College: 40 (Aidan Spratley 2, Ashton Paintin, Ryan Dunn, Fauuma Kupita, Noah Johnstone, Aaron Gibbs 5 con) HT: 19-21.
Three v Four: Palmerston North BHS: 31 (Tom Illston-Park 2, Ollie Barham, Tayne Harvey, Jaziah Symons tries; Jamie Viljoen 3 con) Tauranga BC: 24 (Aidan Spratley, Lachlan Stevens, Ryan Dunn, Charlie Sinton tries; Aaron Gibbs 2 con) HT: 14-10.
Final: Southland BHS: 32 (Amaziah Mitchell, Hoani Nikora-Wilson, Justin Shaw, Kiseki Fifita, Fraser Wilson tries; Jimmy Taylor 2 con, dg) Westlake Boys’ High School: 29 (Reimana Saunderson Rurawhe 2, James Cameron 2, Issac Murray-McGregor tries; Murray McGregor 2 con) HT: 10-19.
Manukura won the Hine Pounamu Trophy with a resounding 31-0 thrashing of four-time previous winners Hamilton Girls’ High School in the final.
Based in Feilding, Manukura shared the title with Christchurch Girls’ High School last year and are undoubtedly a slick outfit.
Coached by former Black Ferns halfback Kristain Sue and Black Ferns Sevens representative Rhiarna Ferris they come equipped with a mental skills advisor (Pounamu Wharehinga) and video analyst (India O’Connell) too.
Manukura scored five tries and led 17-0 at halftime in a lopsided decider.
The most eye-catching tries were to halfback Maia Davis who strode gracefully 50m on the wing and hooker Lashaye Blake who resembled a steamroller in her 30m charge.
The handling and creativity of the Manukura backs were excellent. Second five Manaia Blake scored twice in the semis and her brute force was ideal beside the guile of centre Mia Sutherland.
The Manukura forwards were direct and abrasive with No.8 Te Maia Sweetman an imposing force.
Tragically Manukura only played four official fixtures in 2023 and a couple of tournaments under varying rules. Moves are afoot to develop a New Zealand Secondary Schools Girls team. Who they might play remains a mystery.
Semifinal: Manukura 36 Christchurch Girls’ High 12.
Semifinal: Hamilton Girls’ High 28 Mount Albert Grammar 5.
Three v Four: Christchurch Girls High 15 Mt Albert Grammar 5.
Final: Manukura 31 Hamilton Girls’ High 0. 17-0 HT.
Forty-three South Island co-ed principals have asked the national body to intervene.