First XV 43 vs 5 St Paul's College
The First XV put together a comprehensive performance to defeat St Paul’s College 43-5 in their 1A clash at home on Saturday.
Slippery conditions didn’t suggest there would be many points on offer but the team controlled the ball well.
They were disciplined in defence when they needed to be and attacked with precision as second five Saia Manu (Year 12, Averill) was dangerous with ball in hand, while No 8 Taniela Ngata (Year 13, Parnell) and fullback Ryan Young (Year 12, Parnell) also had some nice moments.
It didn’t take long for King’s to get on the board when first five Harrison Martin (Year 13, Selwyn) sliced through and scored under the posts in the early running. He then converted his own try to give the team a 7-0 lead.
Hooker Charlie Burn (Year 12, School), who celebrated his cap game alongside wing Kahu Cotterill (Year 13, School) on Saturday grabbed a try shortly after and from there the First XV never looked back.
With the superior scrum, King’s laid a positive platform to work from and Johan Schaumkell (Year 12, School) and Young also scored before halftime giving the home side a 26-0 advantage at the break.
The comfortable lead meant coach Ian Robinson could use the bench in the second stanza. Burn added another try in the 49th minute, while Spencer Capper (Year 12, Parnell) and Hawaiki Morrison (Year 13, Parnell) also got across the line.
The win built on last week’s 39-9 victory over Botany Downs Secondary College and Robinson said the team was progressing well with the business end of the season on the horizon.
“Just really proud of our boys’ effort and attitude the last couple of weeks coming off the block of games we had,” he said.
“We knew coming into this game a bonus-point win was probably what we were looking for and what we needed to get.”
The result put King’s in fourth place on a congested 1A ladder.
The competition is now set for a brief hiatus to coincide with the school holidays and King’s have three matches left where they will control their own destiny with regards to making the semi-finals.
Their next 1A outing is on Saturday 27 July when they head to Sacred Heart College where the Fitzpatrick-Kirkpatrick Cup will be on the line. That will be followed by matches against Dilworth School and Mount Albert Grammar School.
The equation is simple, if they keep winning with bonus points, they will make the play-offs.
The First XV now have a week off before travelling to Palmerston North Boys’ High School for a traditional fixture.
Tries: Charlie Burn (2), Harrison Martin, Johan Schaumkell, Ryan Young, Spencer Capper, Hawaiki Morrison
Conversions: Harrison Martin (2), Marco Miln (Year 12, Selwyn), Zion Heiloa-Savaka (Year 12, Peart)
1R Maroon 17 vs 27 St Kentigern College (Wednesday 3 July)
Despite having beaten the St Kent's team comfortably in a pre-season match, I knew that this match would be a challenge for us given that we still had four of our starting lineup absent with injuries, another player absent with illness, and several boys already on holiday overseas.
A sunny winter afternoon with a light cross-breeze welcomed us to St Kent’s. I could call upon several Second XV players and one member of the 1R Gold team to bolster our numbers for the match. St Kent’s started well and scored a pushover try from the lineout close to our line. Not long after, we lost our hooker, Oliver Gregory (Year 12, Selwyn), to a severe arm injury (that turned out to be broken). The game flowed back and forth before St Kent’s scored a second try after a couple of missed defensive tackles. The conversion put them out to 12–nil. First five eight Jackson Brown (Year 13, Peart) replied with a try and at halftime, we were down 12-5.
The second half ebbed and flowed and when we held onto the ball for multiple phases, we could put them under some pressure. However, we made a number of simple errors that gave them back possession. An infringement cost us a penalty that they converted, then St Kent’s scored another try, but we bounced back straight away with a well-taken try to no.8 Finn Priddy (Year 13, Marsden) that was converted by first five eight Brown.
St Kent’s scored a fourth try for the bonus point and again, we replied with a try to replacement lock Josh Want (Year 11, Major). With time almost up on the clock, we were hammering their goal line. However, we could not score a fourth try that would have given us two bonus points, and we ended up losing the game 27–17.
The three-week holiday break will allow us to get a number of our players returning to play, although it sounds like Gregory’s season may, unfortunately, be over. Next term, we play Westlake Boys and Mount Albert Grammar School at home before travelling to undefeated Auckland Grammar to try to secure a home semi-final.
6A 42 vs 7 Saint Kentigern College (Thursday 4 July)
After consecutive losses, King's were eager to grab an away win at St Kentigern. It was a stunning day with no wind and no clouds in the sky, as two strong teams took to the pitch.
Both teams showed their intent right from the kickoff, playing open attacking rugby. St Kent’s were first to take advantage of possession and sent wave after wave of attack at the King’s line, which King’s defended with heart and physicality. King’s managed a turnover after holding strong in defence before spinning the ball out wide for some heavy territory gain and relieving the pressure. Now on attack, the game's first points went to King’s when Henry Main (Year 10, School) crashed over the line after 11 minutes. Gaining back ball after the restart, King’s started to make some good inroads into the St Kent’s defence, opening gaps for outside backs to strike, with Ollie Perry (Year 10, Marsden) running around a defender to score King’s second try, lengthening the lead to 10-nil.
A momentum change happened shortly after this try, with St Kent’s getting the ball and making territory gains through strong forward runs striking through the midfield of King's defence and scoring near the posts. The try was converted to close the lead to 3 points. Again King’s started to attack and make some good territory with Harry Lyus (Year 10, Major) charging over the line! His try was well converted by Yamato Sukuri (Year 10, Peart).
The 2nd half got underway, and King’s really started to dominate in all areas of the game. The forwards were making solid gains through the middle and the backline was beginning to spin the ball wide and showing some excellent skills. King’s started to run in tries from all over the park. Caleb Francis (Year 10, School) scored the first try of the 2nd half with a strong run, and Lyus scored his 2nd try of the match, barging through the St Kent’s forwards.
Team captain Harry Rutherford (Year 11, School) was next on the scoreboard, setting an example for the team, who had impressive running and perseverance with the ball in hand. Toby Willis (Year 10, Selwyn) got one for the backs with a well-worked backline move, and Jake Peacock (Year 10, Selwyn) committed himself to an intense battle against St Kent's forwards to push over the line. The match's final try went to the speedy centre Jarel Samasoni (Year 10, Averill), who put his outside backs in space and then ended the move himself, running outside the winger and backing his pace to score a wonderful try.
After a hearty effort from the two sides, King’s took a well-deserved win with the final score being 42-7. Great work to the 6A players who performed well across the park.
Forward of the day: Archie Mclness (Year 11, St John's)
Back of the day: Ollie Perry
5A 20 vs 5 Saint Kentigern (Wednesday 3 July)
U15R 7 vs 27 Saint Kentigern College (Thursday 4 July)
In a highly anticipated matchup, King's U15R took on St Kent's U15R in a game that showcased the best of youth rugby. Despite a valiant effort from King's College, the strength and depth of St Kent's ultimately proved decisive in the closing stages of the match.
The game started with both teams displaying high levels of energy and determination. St Kent's quickly found their rhythm, scoring two well-executed tries within the first quarter of the match. Their precision and speed in attack put King's on the back foot and they found themselves down as the end of the first half drew near.
However, King's responded brilliantly. Karter Harris (Year 9, Peart) made a stunning breakaway, showcasing his pace and agility as he outpaced the St Kent's defence to score a runaway try. The try was expertly converted by Santi Barton (Year 9, School), bringing the score to a close 10-7 as the teams headed into halftime.
King's came out of the blocks with renewed vigour in the second half. Their aggressive play and cohesive teamwork saw them dominating possession and territory in the early stages.
Despite their best efforts, King's was unable to capitalise on their dominance, with several promising attacks being denied by St Kent's resolute defence. As the game entered the final ten minutes, the physicality and fitness of the St Kent's side began to show.
St Kent's scored three tries in quick succession in a devastating final surge, displaying remarkable speed and coordination. The King's defence, which had held firm for much of the match, could not contain the onslaught. With all three tries successfully converted, St Kent's pulled away to secure a 27-7 victory.
Despite the final scoreline, King's can hold their heads high after a performance that was full of heart and determination. Their spirited display in both halves of the match highlighted their potential and resilience. The team can take many positives from this game as they continue to develop and improve.
