Wanganui Collegiate 1st XV a tough unit

Hadleigh O'Leary goes on the rampage during Collegiate's 50-nil thrashing of St Johns Hamilton in Whanganui on Saturday.

The Wanganui Collegiate 1st XV is standing up remarkably well to a busy playing schedule that includes both traditional match-ups and Central North Island competition commitments.

Director of rugby Guy Lennox said the side had come through four extremely tough games within the space of 11 days with two wins, a draw and a loss.

"Wednesday week ago we beat Hato Paora 39-18 in a traditional match-up, then drew 24-all with Francis Douglas Memorial College three days later on the Saturday," Lennox said.

"Last Wednesday we trekked up to Hamilton and lost 34-25 to St Paul's. We only got run down the last 10 minutes Then on Saturday just gone we thrashed St Johns Hamilton 50-nil. The boys have been playing really well against some very tough opposition."

Lennox said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where Collegiate was on the CNI table with each team in the secondary schools competition juggling games with other outside commitments.

"To be fair we are probably one of the busiest teams in the CNI competition when you take into account our traditional match-ups every season. The last three games have been CNI matches and I'm guessing we must be right up there and pushing for a top four spot.

"The whole team has been fighting well and standing up to the pressure of a busy schedule, especially our forward pack which is probably the best of any in the the competition," Lennox said.

The schedule does not get much easier over the coming weeks with Collegiate down to play a home fixture against Rathkeale College from Masterton next Tuesday, followed by Lindisfarne College in an away game in Hawkes Bay on June 19 and a quadrangular competition at home where it will play two games in three days (Monday, June 25 and Wednesday, June 27).

The season calendar then had Collegiate down to play Feilding High on Saturday, June 30, but that is likely to change to a later date.

"These boys are fit and to be fair probably prefer playing over training," Lennox said.