Dream start for Collegiate

Guy Lennox had a dream start to his new coaching career when the Wanganui Collegiate 1st XV crushed Hato Paora College 55-0 during an away fixture in Feilding yesterday.

The former Wanganui rep player and former coach of the Steelform Heartland squad is co-coach of the Collegiate side this season with Barry Touzel and yesterday's match was the first game of the national secondary schools season.

This year it was just Collegiate's second season in the competition. Last year it finished seventh.

Lennox said while it was a satisfying start to the season there was still plenty to work on.

"There was a lot of good things to like, but in saying that a hell of a lot to work on as well," Lennox said yesterday.

"We completely dominated from the front and that gave the backs room to move, although the tries were shared around.

"Prop Cameron Nelson played a good game and scored a nice try and Caleb Bensemann scored a hat-trick.

"The whistle was the only thing that slowed the game down to Hato Paora's level and that was quite frustrating.

"We dominated in the scrums and lineouts which was good, but backs need a bit of work.

"The competition can only get stronger from now on in, but over all we've definitely got something to work with," Lennox said.

Collegiate meet the strong Hastings Boys High School in Hawke's Bay in a few weeks time.