Bleak campaign looms for Boys’ High
The Super 8 1st XV competition threatens to be a long campaign for Palmerston North Boys’ High School.
Boys’ High were crushed 76-7 by Hamilton Boys’ High School in Palmerston North on Saturday.
The 12-tries-to-one thumping comes just one week after they lost 100-0 to Hastings.
While both of those teams have been heavily recruited, Boys’ High should have been more competitive.
Against Hamilton, they looked defeated before the match even got underway.
Boys’ High were outsized, but they are in most matches. The issue was the lack of heart they showed, especially on defence.
Tackling remains a serious concern. They struggled to make any one-on-one tackles and even when they made gang-tackles, they were still going backwards.
On attack, Boys’ High were not much better.
Centre James Stratton tried hard, wing Ethan Helu-makasini looked threatening and first fiveeighth Stewart Cruden put in a couple of promising kicks.
Flanker Mackenzie Tansley was one of the few who could hold his head high on defence, while Tyler Labuscher, making an earlier than expected return from injury, made a difference when he was on the field.
But too many Boys’ High players were guilty of poor body position.
They were hammered for running into tackles too high.
Frustrations started to boil over late. There was a bit of push and shove after a scrum and flanker James Woodmass was yellow carded for his role in it.
His repeated arguments with the referee saw the card elevated from yellow to red.
Hamilton were impressive with midfielder Quinn Tupaea particularly dangerous.
He banked three tries and was heavily involved in four more.
Helu-makasini scored the final try of the match to avoid the nil scoreline.
Boys’ High now have a shortturnaround for their next match against New Plymouth in Palmerston North on Thursday.
While improving their tackling will be key, turning up to the game in a better mental state will be crucial for their chances of a second win in the Super 8.
A late penalty saw Feilding High School fall to St Peters 21-19 in Feilding on Saturday. Feilding had been leading 19-18 late in the match, but they saw their chances of an important win in the CNI slip away when they conceded a penalty at a breakdown.
It was a frustrating game for Feilding, who failed to fire in the first half.
They were heavily penalised throughout the match which cost them plenty of field position.
Even the usually dominant Feilding scrum was being heavily penalised with some of the calls from the referee seeming confusing.
But Feilding’s biggest issue was a poor lineout which saw them gift the ball to St Peters seven times.
Despite all of that, a try to midfielder Josiah Maraku meant they trialled by just seven at the break 18-11.
They were much improved in the second half.
Year 11 wing Coby Osborne picked up a try to help put Feilding into the lead.
But the penalties ultimately cost them the match.
Fullback Drew Wild, first fiveeighth Kody Edwards, Maraku and prop Ethan Mcquinlan were the standouts for Feilding.