Feilding fall at final hurdle
Hamilton Boys’ High School and Feilding High School have produced almost the same Condor Sevens final 10 years apart.
Feilding lost the final 29-5 against a slick Hamilton Boys’ High School in Auckland on Sunday, which is almost the same result as the last time Feilding were in the final 10 years ago in 2006.
That day Hamilton won the final 21-5.
Feilding were also in the 2004 final, which they lost 28-19 to Mt Albert Grammar School.
Feilding had been on a hot streak through this year’s tournament, winning all three of their pool games convincingly, then beating St Patrick’s College Wellington 24-12 in the quarterfinal and Tauranga Boys’ College 24-7 in the semifinal.
That was until they came up against a strong Hamilton team in the final.
Feilding coach Wesley Clarke said this year the team has made a point of smiling and joking before games to keep the nerves away, but there wasn’t any of that before the final.
‘‘[Hamilton] were pretty sharp but I don’t think any team’s unbeatable,’’ he said. ‘‘We had a plan in place but the boys were a bit nervous for the last one and probably didn’t do things that we had been doing all day.
‘‘It’s finals footy even though it’s the second final we’ve been in this year.’’
Feilding beat Aorere College in the national co-ed 15s final this year.
Clarke said Hamilton were a different type of athlete and have a much bigger pool of players to pick from than Feilding do.
But he was pleased with the effort to knock over some of the big rugby schools.
Such was Feilding’s dominance they had Vilimoni Koroi named as the tournament’s most valuable player, and Mosese Dawai was named in the tournament team.
The two speedsters were electric for Feilding.
In pool play Feilding beat Otahuhu College 33-5, St Peter’s College Gore 34-0 and Mt Roskill Grammar School 28-15.
Palmerston North Boys’ High School won the bowl final 39-7 against Mt Roskill.
Boys’ High beat De La Salle College 21-19 in the semifinal and Aorere College 28-19 in the quarterfinal.
In pool play Boys’ High lost 21-7 to Tauranga Boys’ and 33-0 against Hastings Boys’ High School, but beat Rangitoto College 21-0.
The Feilding girls team were knocked out in the semifinals of the bowl competition, losing 39-5 against New Plymouth Girls’ High School.
Feilding beat Mt Albert Grammar School 25-0 in the bowl quarterfinal.
In pool play Feilding beat Wesley College 28-0 and Rangitoto College 26-5, but lost to Howick College 29-7.