2nd XV v Rotorua BHS - Saturday 5 September
The 2nd XV headed north to face the always strong Rotorua Boys' High School in their penultimate game in Super Eight. With superb conditions, the boys were confident they could put in a good performance and come away with the win. Unfortunately, this was not the case. A slow start gifted the initiative to Rotorua and they put PNBHS under early pressure. Good defence held them at bay, but unforced errors and a lack of accuracy prevented PNBHS from exiting efficiently or building any pressure. A try had Rotorua 5-0 up before a nice tip pass saw them score their second try on the halftime hooter.
The halftime chat focused on the need for us to up our energy and intensity, start winning the race to the breakdown and being more aggressive on both sides of the ball. The boys responded well in the second half, taking the game to Rotorua and creating opportunities. However, accuracy and execution again were not quite good enough and we saw opportunities slip away before Rotorua punished us with the last play of the game to secure a 17-0 win.
The players were very disappointed but can be proud of the energy and intent in the second half. Unfortunately, these games are often decided by the smallest margins and we were slightly off where we needed to be. The season wraps up next weekend with a home game vs Tauranga Boys' and the players will be keen to end their season in style.
