Napier Boys’ v Hastings Boys’: Annual twin-cities schools 1st XV match goes down to the wire

It was a day to celebrate for Napier Boys’ High School first fifteen captain and prop Tasman Soanai Oeti as his team marked its first home game in 10 matches this season with a 24-18
win over Hawke’s Bay rival Hastings Boys’ High School.

Soanai Oeti scored the match-winning last try on the Napier field and was soon afterwards presented with a new cap for passing the milestone of 40 matches during the extended away programme, including five at a tournament in Japan.

It is a near-unbeaten run, including now three wins from three games in the Super 8 schools competition among boys’ schools in the central North Island from Hamilton to Palmerston North.

Napier is away next week to Tauranga Boys’ College, but it is the match seven days later on June 24, against Hamilton Boys’ High School in Napier, that looms as the Super 8 match of the season, kick-started by Napier’s want for some payback after Hamilton snatched the national first fifteens title from Napier’s grasp in the last seconds of their final in Palmerston North last year.

But for Hastings, winners of the annual clash in Napier two years ago and last year in Hastings, and up 15-10 at halftime, it was a second loss in two Super 8 matches this season, despite being on attack for much of the second half.

Rain forecast earlier in the week for the afternoon stayed away, but so too did some of the expected crowd, and it was Hastings that scored first with a penalty goal to fullback Mokau Lambert.

Napier bounced back and forward with unconverted tries to first five-eighths Luke Thomas, in a 40-metres move sparked by a charge-down by flanker Khan Stevenson and hooker Juan Ross.

But HBHS returned the favour with their only two tries, to wing Crichton Crawford and flanker Taufaeteau Kaufononga, the latter converted by Lambert three minutes before halftime.

With the sun behind them, Hastings was on attack deep in NBHS territory for the first 18 minutes of the second half, in which Napier were a man-down.

But they were unable to add to the score before halfback Joel Russell flicked the ball on the short side to second five-eighths CJ Mienie who set off on a 40-metre run, brushing off five to six tackles in a decisive run which put his side back on attack and led to a try to prop Richie Magele charging over after a tap penalty.

Fullback Jacob Cotter converted, Hastings responded quickly with a second penalty goal to Lambert regain the lead at 18-17, before Napier surged back and scored the winning try, also converted.

Winning coach David Russell described the win as a scratchy performance but with improvement by the team each week.

He and assistant Tai Te Rito had sensed the Hastings fifteen was starting to feel the strain from unable to score on attack for such a period in the second half.

“The key thing was they needed to be patient,” said Te Rito. “Once they were back in the 22 (at the other end) they knew what the roles were and they were able to finish it off.”

There were big performances from most in the forward packs, including Hastings No 8 Shaun McLaughlen and Napier lock George Prouting and No 8 and brother Angus Prouting, both from southern Hawke’s Bay.

Hastings halfback Mike Brown was able to deliver clean ball in a variety of options which were, however, often thwarted further out by a strong Napier defence.

SCORES:

Napier Boys’ High School 24 (Luke Thomas, Juan Ross, Richie Magele, Tasman Soanai Oeti tries; Jacob Cotter 2 conversions) Hastings Boys High School 18 (Crichton Crawford, Taufaeteau Kaufononga tries; Mokau Lambert 2 penalties, conversion). Halftime: 10-15.

Other games (home team first): Palmerston North BHS 15 Hamilton BHS 40, New Plymouth BHS 17 Tauranga Boys College 50, Gisborne BHS 22 Rotorua BHS 42.