St Bede’s sweep aside Marlborough
The inconsistency that has plagued the Marlborough Boys’ College First XV’s season came back to haunt them on Saturday.
The Falcons met St Bede’s College, another side who have struggled through an up-and-down season, in the final of the University of Canterbury championship bowl.
Unfortunately for the home side, who were defeated 50-13 on the MBC front field, they were off their game while the Christchurch side were very much on theirs as they ran in eight tries to one.
Playing with the benefit of a strong northwesterly at their backs, St Bede’s led 24-6 at halftime, finding their feet to run in four tries after the home side went out to an early 6-0 lead through two penalties from full- back Keelan Murrell.
Almost immediately St Bede’s replied with the game’s first try. Halfback Jackson Youngman, who was outstanding throughout, found space at the tail of a lineout and scampered 20m before feeding No 8 Oli Watts. Five minutes later they were in again as the home side’s defence fell away, this time rangy winger Reuben Cotter picking up the first of his three tries following a midfield turnover.
A second try to Watts and another to midfielder Simon Smith, plus two conversions to first five Kynan Stowers-Smith, gave the visitors a handy, but not yet unassailable, halftime advantage.
If MBC were to have a say in the final result they needed to make full use of the wind at their backs and score first after the break. They looked likely too, lock Vailua Kaloni, prop Peter Vakaloa and midfielder Nigel Satherley carrying strongly as they worked their way back into proceedings.
However, as MBC endeavoured to create space on the right, a long pass was picked off by the lively Cotter who accepted the gift with glee and raced 60m to score under the MBC posts.
Trailing 31-6, MBC lifted their intensity on attack and quickly replied, Mitchell Boyce, their best player on the day, deservedly picking up their only try to offer faint hope. But that was quickly extinguished as Youngman forced his way over the line three minutes late. Late tries to Cotter and Stowers-Smith merely rubbed salt into the wound.
MBC will be disappointed to finish the season in such a fashion, especially with their defence letting them down, as it has been a big part of the successes they have achieved over the past four months.
Coach Gray Cornelius felt St Bede’s ‘‘played smart’’ in the first half.
’’They used the wind well and we didn’t cope with it. We weren’t able to handle their attack and were left playing catch-up after that.
‘‘We probably conceded two tries too many in the first half – then the intercept try was a killer.
‘‘All year we have judged our success on our effort and attitude and for part of today’s game that was good, but defensively we let ourselves down at times and that cost us.’’