1st XV vs Hastings Boys’ High School – Saturday 25 July
The 1st XV kicked off its Super 8 campaign on Saturday against the current National Champions from Hastings. Both teams had shown some form during their truncated pre-season and so a good game was on the cards.
Played out on a sticky ground that got stickier, the first half was a relatively even affair with both teams willing to give the ball some air. A solid scrum set up the first try with the backs executing a fine move to break down one side of the field before an excellent cross field kick was gathered and grounded for a try. This began a period of dominance for the home side with most of the play being in the attacking half. A second try followed after sustained pressure. Hastings came back with one of their own after some ill-discipline gave them easy yards up the field. The halftime score was 15-8 to PNBHS which was a fair return for a good stint of rugby into the wind.
The messages at oranges was around the need to not give the opposition easy outs in terms of penalties and to play the game in the right areas of the park as the ground got heavier.
By and large this message was followed although we did spend some time with 14 on the field after a period of persistent infringing. Our kicking game forced Hastings to play from deep and our defensive line aimed up and kept putting their big runners down. Playing territory rather than possession meant we had limited opportunities but we were extremely effective when we did, scoring another try from set piece and a further penalty to extend our lead. We kept attacking when it was appropriate but it was a disciplined effort in terms of sticking to the game plan, backing our defence and this paid dividends in the end.
The final score of 25-8 reflected the professional manner in which we went about our work and this team can be extremely proud of their efforts. Next up is Hamilton Boys’ High School – the standard bearers for Super 8 rugby and another massive challenge for a playing group that grows in confidence week by week.
A big thank you to Scafit for supplying the platform on the sideline for filming, to Todd Collins from NZSC and the White Jersey Club for their continued support of the 1st XV.
Points Scorers:
Tries: Jack Trotter, Hunter Morrison and Leo Gordon
Conversions: Logan Love x 2
Penalties: Logan Love x 2
