Regional First XV finals run to formbook

The Hurricanes Secondary Schools First XV regional finals were held today at grey and wind-swept Arena Manawatu in Palmerston North.

Boys: Hastings steamroll Silverstream

Hastings Boys’ High School emphatically ended Silverstream’s top four ambitions with a 47-17 win on the No.1 field.

Silverstream haven’t faced a team with the polish and intensity of Hastings and it showed in the opening quarter.

The quick and dynamic linking of Hastings forwards and backs stung Silverstream into submission. The contest was over after 13 minutes when Hastings impressively surged ahead 26-0.

Openside Jeriah Mua, first-five Lincoln McClutchie, prop Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe and flanker Liam Udy-Johns all crossed the chalk in the opening blitzkrieg.

McClutchie nearly bombed a three-man overlap, but used fleet of foot to wriggle through. Tavita-Metcalfe was more like a bulldozer ramming through the heart of the Catholics defence and sprinting 25-metres while Mua and Udy-Johns were the profiteers of attacks that stretched both touchlines.

Silverstream briefly rallied before the interval and tries to prop Luke Chisholm and second-five Kienan Higgins.

Hastings prolific try scoring win Kini Naholo was relatively subdued by his lofty standards, but his individual try just before halftime saw him step off the left foot three times dodging as many defenders to make it 33-12 at the break.

The second-half was a ragged affair with both teams emptying the beaches and battling with the cooling breeze. Tavita-Metcalfe and McClutchie secured their doubles. Metcalfe barraged over from a lineout drive and McClutchie burst 55-metres in an exciting angled run.

Todd Sevenson had the last say for Silverstream, as he has had in the last three games, finishing a break by fellow wing Chris Aumua.

For Silverstream wing Chris Aumua sought work and broke regularly. Openside Josh Southall made a series of determined charges and never stopped trying as did lock Iona Apineru.

Hastings enter the National Top Four as favourites as the only unbeaten team and scorers of over thousand points.

Girls: St Mary’s roll the Dhys against Manukura

St Mary’s College have won through to the National Top Four for a second year in a row after defeating Manawatu champions Manukura, 31-10.

Playing against the stiff southerly, St Mary’s started strongly when No.8 and Captain Dhys Faleafaga powered through the initial wall of defence and recovered her footing from an ankle tap to score out wide.

First-five Cheyne Copeland nailed the sideline conversion and then kicked precisely for winger Katalina Tai to collect and touch down, despite a smashing tackle from her opposite Denae Te Huna.

St Mary’s was obliterated in the penalty count and Manukura was able to cast an anchor inside the St Mary 22. Constant attack was rewarded on the stroke of halftime when gritty halfback Lucy Brown wrestled over. The score at the interval was 12-5 to St Mary’s.

Faleafaga was the outstanding figure in the match and illustrated her considerable talent at the resumption, gathering the kick-off and surging 65-metres to score.

Faleafaga completed her hat-trick following a bullying charge by prop Laine Semu and St Mary’s last try was scored by the assured Copeland as Manukura became leg weary.

Manukura’s best were openside Isbella Rewiri-Wharerau, second-five Mia Waiariki, centre Carys Dallinger and lock and Captain Leilani Parkinson.

St Mary’s lock Emma Brown, tighthead prop Jayna Lau-Young and openside Renee Savai’inaea had lively games for St Mary’s who will tussle with Auckland Champions Southern Cross Campus in Friday’s top four semi-final.

Co-Ed: Feilding leave it late against Porirua

Defending National Champions Feilding High School has battled past Porirua College 15-11 to earn the right to defend their title next week.

Feilding come into the match with a considerably stronger pedigree having finished runners up in the Central North Island competition as opposed to the lower ranking of Porirua in the capital.

However tenacious tackling and bold attack by Porirua unsettled Feilding, almost causing a boil over. With two minutes left Porirua reserve wing Ethan Moafanua was smashed into touch as he attempted to touch down in the corner following lateral attack which eventually became incisive.

There was little in the way of attack in the opening quarter. Both teams had the fumbles and the only scoring was a penalty kicked by Porirua first-five Eli Moataa from a divot he hacked into the ground after the tee went missing.

Feilding first-five Kody Edwards scored the opening try after multiple phases and quick hands left Porirua stranded for numbers.

Moafanua nudged Porirua 6-5 ahead with a skimming 25-metre penalty, but Feilding fullback Drew Wild was on target from 40-metres to make it 8-6.

All three Porirua loose forwards Zekiel Ioane, Nash Kemp and Jamie Soapi were a hive of activity and a try by the latter propelled Porirua ahead. Soapi busted through two tackles at the 22, stumbled, but rolled over.

Feilding struggled for momentum; several dropped balls in the face of the physical defence trhwarting their chances. With five minutes to play, Feilding attacked from a scrum in centre field 35 metres out. Using a big blindside, loose forward Tyler Moeau rushed forward in to the danger zone and handed off to halfback Griffin Culver to score the match winning try.