Boys High Make Playoffs
27th August 2009 01:56PM
Hamilton Boys' High School first XV produced a determined fightback to beat Rotorua Boys' High yesterday and advance to the top four national secondary schools rugby playoffs as the Chiefs franchise representatives.
After narrowly beating Wesley College in the first round of playoffs last Saturday, hosts HBHS went behind early against Rotorua, but gathered momentum and never looked back, going on to comfortably take the match 27-10 in front of a large crowd at the school.
The visitors, playing with a strong breeze in the first half, made all the early running.
In the seventh minute winger Ross Flynt followed up a chip over the top to dive and score in the corner and just four minutes later No8 Henry Kershaw put the finishing touches on a cross-field kick.
But the remainder of the first spell belonged to HBHS as they created chances and executed well, with a four-try burst in 20 minutes propelling them into the lead.
Captain and first five-eighth Nathan George scored one of those tries, got the backline firing with beautiful wide passes and led the side well. George said he was encouraged by the way his team fought back.
"We realised it was a slack start. We knew we were never out of the game because it had just started.
"But it just took heart and courage and showed the boys we were like brothers today.
"And it showed in the comeback I think how tight we were, just how well we knew each other, that's why I think we came back."
George said the game plan going into the match was to keep a tight, forward-dominated game, but opportunities came to throw the ball wider, with centre Chauncy Edwardson impressing in midfield.
"It was just a bonus that we could get it to our backs so good and they could hit the gaps and find the holes," George said.
A George penalty goal was the sole scoring act of the second half, but the hard work had already been done, with coach Nigel Hotham pinpointing hooker Sefo Setefano's try as a crucial moment in the game.
"Psychologically to nail them (Rotorua) from a lineout drive and score before halftime, it would have been hard for them to turn around into the wind and come back from there," he said.
Hotham felt the team's leaders kept their heads and showed their ability to come back under pressure.
"I think they're pretty composed as a group of young men.
"We've been down before this season so we've been through the scenario of having to fight back into a game."
Halfback Kurt Davies and fullback Henare Hira-Herangi also crossed for tries. Loose-head prop Fraser Armstrong had a good work rate and scrummaged well.
HBHS now play a semifinal at Rotorua International Stadium on September 5, with the final scheduled for September 7 at the same venue.
George was part of the HBHS team that finished first equal last year and third the year before and knows it will take a disciplined performance to win the title.
