Feilding in tight win over Collegiate side
A tough win over Whanganui Collegiate School has qualified the Feilding High School first XV for the Central North Island competition semifinals and the next round of the national co-ed knockout competition.
Feilding won 13-8 at Feilding on Tuesday in a match they needed to win for both competitions. Feilding finished the CNI regular season in fourth place and will play top qualifiers St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton on Saturday. The next co-ed knockout match is likely to be against the Wellington winner at the end of the month.
Collegiate have been a top side this year, but came unstuck against Feilding.
Feilding played into the strong wind in the first half and held on to the ball for long periods, leading 3-0 at halftime. In the second spell, Collegiate had most of the possession and scored not long after the break to take a 5-3 lead.
But Feilding replied when wing Peceli Malanicagi scored off a set-piece move from a scrum.
The rest of Feilding’s points came from the boot of first fiveeighth Jonty Stewart, who was their standout player. Other Feilding stars were hooker Todd Reilly and prop Tyreese Adams.
Both teams had a player yellow carded for lifting tackles and both teams got a final warning. A Collegiate player was then red carded for another lifting tackle with about five minutes left.
Feilding also beat St John’s College Hastings 62-26 in a comfortable win in Hawke’s Bay at the weekend. Feilding led 26-12 at halftime and ran away with the game in the last 20 minutes.