Boys’ High on wrong end of penalty drama
It was ecstasy one week, agony the next for the Palmerston North Boys’ High School first XV.
Boys’ High beat Rotorua Boys’ High School 16-13 with a lastminute penalty on Saturday, and yesterday it was their turn to be heartbroken, as a missed penalty on fulltime cost them the Polson Banner against traditional foe Napier Boys’ High School.
Napier won 12-10 at a boggy Boys’ High, to claim the coveted 113-year-old banner for the first time since 2013.
Having trailed 10-5 at halftime, Napier scored a try with seven minutes left. Boy’s High then ground their way into Napier’s half and with time up, were awarded a penalty, about 30m out to the left of the posts.
First five-eighth Stewart Cruden, who was the hero against Rotorua, hit it well, but it drifted to the right and Napier erupted with joy.
Boys’ High coach Blair van Stipriaan said it was a heartbreaker, but they had their chances to win with the territory they had in each half.
‘‘We trained for this and we wanted this weather and wanted this bog and really embraced it,’’ van Stipriaan said. ‘‘We just didn’t get there in the end.’’
The Boys’ High forwards were solid protecting their own ball, but couldn’t break through Napier’s defence.
Napier didn’t threaten too much outside of their effective rolling maul, but as van Stipriaan said ‘‘they had enough’’.
It was obvious there was a bit of feeling about the game when the two opposing hakas advanced and stood face-to-face, and referee Matt Mcewen asked them to separate.
Second five-eighth James Stratton scored Boys’ High’s try two minutes into the game off a simple scrum move, receiving a short ball and breaking through.
Despite the muddy conditions, Stratton was a threat for Boys’ High when he ran the ball, being used as a battering ram, and even got suck into some of the tight stuff.
Napier answered with a try of their own out wide when a man shot up out of the defensive line.
Cruden slotted a penalty to give Boys’ High a 10-5 lead at halftime and that was the last scoring play until Napier got the winner when Fletcher Sugden burrowed over the line.
Napier were helped at the end when reserve Boys’ High centre Ethan Helu-makasini was yellow carded for a late shoulder charge with eight minutes left.
Tighthead prop Michael Ioane was busy on defence, as was No 8 Tyler Laubscher, who made some strong first-half carries.
Halfback Bryn Wilson used his box kick to good effect and marshalled his forwards well.
Boys’ High finish the Super 8 with three wins and four losses.
The two teams will play again next Saturday in a Hurricanes knockout match on should be a dry track in Napier, with the Polson Banner game deciding who got home advantage. Whoever wins that game will play the top Wellington school.
The Napier second XV won 21-15 and the Napier third XV won 34-10. The Boys’ High under-15 team won 17-10 and the under-14s won 33-17.
The Boys’ High first XI hockey team won 2-1, the second XI won 9-0 and the colts team won 5-0.
In basketball the Boys’ High premier team won 92-57 and in golf Napier won 5-3.
Boys’ High won the senior and junior debating.
All three football games were cancelled because of the wet grounds.