WHS defeat old rivals in lead-up to final clash

HIGH NOTE: Sheldon Pakinga,Wanganui High School 1st XV player (pictured earlier in the season), was part of the winning combination against Collegiate yesterday. PHOTO/FILE

The winning sequence continued for the Wanganui High School 1st XV when they beat Collegiate in a low-scoring inter-school encounter yesterday.

Playing at Collegiate, WHS won a hard-fought contest 10-3 on a ground that was peppered by a heavy shower at the 2.30pm kick-off.

The rare win against old rivals augurs well for WHS' McDonalds Manawatu Colts Championship finals clash with Massey White in Palmerston North this Saturday. It also came hard on the heels of the semifinal victory at home over Linton last Saturday.

WHS deputy principal and rugby spokesman Chris Friedel said the team had come through the narrow 24-22 win against Linton without injury.

"We were always planning to put our strongest team up against Collegiate today and use the match as a lead-in for this Saturday's final against Massey White," Friedel said.

"In form or not, Collegiate has usually found a way to beat us in inter-school games and we were not going to take them lightly.

"It was a low-scoring game today and a good, tough encounter ahead of this Saturday."

Yesterday's result came down to a try by WHS halfback Cameron Davies and two goal kicks by Mitchell Millar and Harerangi Meihana. Collegiate first-five Stephen Perofeta kicked his side's only points.

Despite the run of form it will be a tough week for WHS and while they again came away injury-free, Massey White will be no pushover and they will need to field their strongest team.

Massey White ended the Colts round robin competition on 40 points, two ahead of WHS, in clear second with 38. Massey White lost only one of the 11 matches throughout the competition and that was by defaulting one of their games during round-robin play.

WHS had two losses from their 11 matches.