Influential flanker Anton Segner being injured in a head clash did not help New Zealand Schools chances in their narrow loss to Australia Under 18 in Hamilton this afternoon.
Influential flanker Anton Segner being injured in a head clash did not help New Zealand Schools chances in their narrow loss to Australia Under 18 in Hamilton this afternoon.
A late comeback was not enough for the New Zealand Schools team and their Whanganui hooker Ben Strang in a 18-14 loss to Australia Under 18 in Hamilton today.
Both teams came into their last international fixture confident, with New Zealand having hammered Fiji Schools 43-8 on Monday, while Australiaaccounted for NZ Barbarian Schools 31-17.
As a side selected from Australia's Super Rugby academy system, rather than 1st XV rugby, the Australians were powerful defenders and had plenty of pace in both their backs and tight forwards, breaking out of their own line to score two first half tries while being unlucky to miss a third.
Strang and his fellow pack tested that defence early, taking multiple penalty lineouts and then a scrum right in front of Australia's tryline, with Strang getting the ball at the back of the maul, but they were turned away each time.
After the ball was cleared, New Zealand tried a chip kick attack but winger Tolu Koula went back to save it and then sparked a brilliant counterattack where the ball was transferred from sideline to sideline with a succession of great offloads, before ending up back with Koula to score in the corner.
His fellow winger Joseph Suallii just missed a try when his chip kick into the New Zealand in-goal eluded him with the final bounce, but good tactical kicking kept the Aussies on attack and after sustained buildup in the pack, flanker Will Roach burrowed over beside the posts.
Strang had been on the end of some hard tackles, but made a strong midfield run to bring New Zealand down into Australia's 22m, but twice they lost the ball and saw an opposing forward dash nearly 100m to score tries.
Lock Hugh Bockenham went close but his final pass back inside couldn't go to hand, and then hooker Billy Pollard appeared for certain that he would score but hard-chasing centre Meihana Grindlay got him at the tryline for the ball to be lost.
The Australians kept up the pressure early in the second half, as Strang and then his replacement Matt Dobbyn couldn't complete their lineout throws.
Ben Strang
Brumbies-contracted first-five Reesjan Pasitoa (three from four) added two penalties to put his team well clear at 18-0 with time running out.
Despite losing blindside flanker Anton Segner after a head clash, New Zealand dug deep, as some good individual attack from winger Roderick Solo put the home side on attack – the bigger Australians looking tired and beginning to concede a succession of penalties.
A quick tap was fired out to flanker and captain Cam Church dashed away to score in the corner, with first-five Aidan Morgan converting from touch in his last act before being subbed.
New Zealand got close again, with reserve lock Dom Gardiner having a crack before fumbling, but his team were playing under advantage and Australian No 8 Alex Masibaka was sinbinned after repeated team professional fouls.
Another quick tap saw the forwards rumble close, before Gardiner took the long pass to dive over, with Morgan's replacement Ollie Lewis also adding a good conversion to take his team within a try in the 68th minute of the 70 minute game.
However, Australia withstood New Zealand's last ditch attack, forcing them out on the 22m, and with less than a minute left, they made repeated carries in the centre of the field to wind down the clock and boot it out for fulltime.
