Foxton narrowly beat Old Boys
Defensive grit hold out College Old Boys in last minutes
Under sunny conditions Foxton won narrowly over College Old Boys (COB) at Easton Park in Foxton on Saturday. COB dominated the early part of the first half, opening the ledger on the scoreboard with a try to lead 5-0. This was followed up with another converted try shortly after to extend their lead to 12-0.
However, Foxton slowly started to grind down the opposition to be behind by 12-7 at halftime.
COB assistant coach Axel Neilsen said: “We’ve had trouble with our lineout and I’ve spent time with the forwards trying to get this right. When we play Foxton, it always comes down to the last 20 minutes of the game, and it’s about still being physical at that point right till the final whistle.”
Foxton coach Tom Zimmerman said: “It’s about taking personal responsibility in getting to the breakdowns and supporting the ball carrier. We’ve had too many errors that have cost us tries against us. We need to get more urgent and physical and take it to them, and get the ball wide from the forwards workload.”
After the break, Foxton took control with an early try to level the ledger at 12-12. This was from a forward rush that saw Massie Harvey score.
This was followed up by another quick try and Foxton extended their lead to 19-12.
Late in the game, however, COB fought back with a converted try. This was too little and too late, as Foxton held on by scoring a late try to win 24-19.
At the after-function, Foxton forward Harry Mehana was presented with his blazer for chalking up 30 games for the Premiers team.