Unlikely team in spotlight
Publicity-shy De La Salle play in front of thousands in Eden Park curtain-raiser
In a bruising contest, St Peter’s beat De La Salle College 17-7 to move into fourth on the 1A table, but perhaps more interestingly, the match was played as a curtainraiser to the Blues’ Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final at Eden Park on Saturday night.
And while it was great to see schoolboys back on what is supposedly New Zealand’s national stadium, De La Salle were nevertheless arguably a curious fit in front of thousands of paying spectators.
That’s because De La Salle principal Myles Hogarty has been one of the most vocal proponents of the Auckland 1A schools’ ongoing but increasingly ineffective media ban.
Is there incongruity or hypocrisy in one of New Zealand’s most publicity-shy rugby schools being happy to play on the biggest possible stage but still wanting to leave no media footprint?
As to the match, St Peter’s made a great start with wing Tua Tapua’iSoti scoring after just two minutes and Malakai Hafoka converting.
De La Salle halfback Genesis So’oa levelled with a converted try before the break, but six minutes into the second spell, lock Longani Fakateli — St Peter’s best performer — added a converted try and Hafoka sealed St Peter’s fourth successive win over De La Salle with a penalty. Other standouts for St Peter’s were lock Tevita Tatafu and centre Jacob Paea.
Defending champions Sacred Heart continued to bounce back from two first-up defeats with a comfortable 44-0 away romp over Dilworth, despite having a number of players out injured.
Sacred winger Maximillian Morgan perfectly contributed 19 of those points with his boot, while Etikeni Helu (two), Soane Ma’asi and Charlie Ashford scored tries. But the best play of the day came from Cohen Norrie, positioned at fullback, who glided 65m to touch down in the second half.
Forward try machine Sam Jancys scored in both halves as his St Kentigern team had to come from behind to beat St Paul’s College 24-7. Earlier, St Paul’s prop Noah HetutuDavis scored in the second minute, with the try converted by Sebastian Smith to threaten St Kentigern.
Tries to lock Lisiate Akolo, fullback Preston Broadhurst and subs Patrick Tousoon and Jackson McMullen eased Auckland Grammar to a 29-3 home win over Liston College, whose only points came from a first-half William Couper penalty.
Mt Albert Grammar notched their first win of the season, 55-9 over Botany Downs Secondary College. Mt Albert led only 12-9 at the break — having trailed 0-6 in the opening 15 minutes — but a second-half onslaught produced a further seven tries, with substitutes Tyler Yare, Ikaika Hanks-Papali’i and Rico Allen accounting for 23 of Mt Albert’s points. Botany’s points all came from the boot of first-five Preston Field. Auckland 1A points: Auckland Grammar 19, St Kentigern 19, King’s 15, St Peter’s 13, Kelston 12, De La Salle 12, Sacred Heart 11, St Paul’s 10, Liston 7, Mt Albert Grammar 6, Dilworth 0, Botany Downs 0.
Friday night football on the Shore
Rangitoto College set themselves up for a big Friday night showdown at 6pm with leaders Westlake Boys’ High in North Harbour’s Kyocerasponsored First XV championship at Windsor Park with a tight 19-10 home win over Whangārei Boys’ High.
Rangitoto are a young team this year, with just four year 13s, but are benefitting from the college’s former champion under-15 and under-16 players starting to come through, and are second equal on the table.
Their points against Whangārei came from four penalties and a penalty try, with Regan Slabbert the kicker. Stand-out players were firstfive Luke Gillespie, who led the team well, and openside dynamo Andreas Kuys.
Rangitoto are coached by Boyd
Gillespie, a former New Zealand Colts halfback and the college’s 1991 titlewinning First XV captain.
“Westlake are Westlake,” he said of the daunting task they face on Friday. “I’ll take a special performance from us to upset them but we’ll give it a go.”
In otherwise clearcut results, Westlake beat Manurewa 45-3 despite never hitting top gear, Rosmini beat Mahurangi 50-12 and Massey overwhelmed Takapuna Grammar 43-14. North Harbour First XV points: Westlake 30, Rosmini 22, Rangitoto
22, Whangārei 20, Massey 11, Mahurangi 9, Takapuna 4, Manurewa 1.
Tauranga’s record Super 8 start
Tauranga Boys’ College, accompanied by a jubilant horn section and shirtless kapa haka party, announced themselves as serious contenders for the Super 8 title with a record 57-14 demolition of Rotorua Boys’ High School at Nicholson Field.
Tauranga scored eight tries from broken play, scrum moves, lineout pushes and clinical phase attacks in a ruthlessly compelling performance.
They made a blistering start, leading 21-0 in as many minutes, though the lack of mercy for the visitors was best illustrated late in the second half when leading 47-7. First-five Mason Verster (22 points) chipped over a straightforward penalty to bring up half a century.
A short while later, workhorse lock Hunter Weaver scored a brave consolation for Rotorua, but Tauranga weren’t done. A stampeding lineout drive showed Tauranga have the brawn up front to complement their guile and speed out wide. Outside back reserve Ethan McManemin benefited from the muscle of those in smaller numbers.
Lock Caleb Neilson, blindside Leo Keaney and No 8 Aidan Spratley were headliners in a polished pack that rolled out the red carpet for an exuberant backline.
The only starting back not to score a try for Tauranga was centre Aiden Roy, who attracted defenders like a magnet with his ramrod rushes. Captain and halfback Charlie Sinton was authoritative with his swift distribution and calculating snipes.
Second-five Judah Draiva played a blinder and was rewarded with two tries, his second after a brief half-pitch soccer game with fellow Fijian flyer Kele Lasaqa.
Fullback Adrian Roy is slight in stature. He found himself in space following sophisticated lineout manoeuvering. He could have passed to an unmarked colleague but instead chose a Julian Savea route to the paint.
Last year, Tauranga made the National Top Four for the first time since 1983. They have started 2024 with eight consecutive wins on a South America tour, outscoring opponents 404-67, and thrashings of St Paul’s Collegiate, Westlake Boys’ High and Rotorua.
Head coach is Aidan Kuka, who played 39 games at lock for Bay of Plenty and coached Te Puna to their only Bay of Plenty senior championship in their centenary season in 2019. Kuka played over 300 games for the club, starting as a 17-year-old in 1988.
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