First XV rugby: Auckland Grammar, Kelston Boys’ High reach 1A final

For Grammar, this will be their first final since 2015, while for Kelston it will be their third final in five years – though despite those factoids, on this occasion Grammar will start as warm favourites.

Still, for a school which places a high premium on privacy and player safety – to the extent that they even banned one poor media boffin from their home turf this season – Grammar may find the short trip to our unofficial national stadium disorientating insofar as it must inevitably put them in the public spotlight much more than their hierarchy would prefer.

Certainly Grammar will be far less in control of members of the public who may choose to furtively video their First XV with mobile phones from the cavernous grandstands at Eden Park and post to TikTok than they are at Mountain Rd.

Who knows, the banned social media spruiker, Herschel Fruean, may even loiter anonymously in the North Stand with a dastardly phone in his hand, or Auckland Rugby may even daringly post First XV photos to Facebook and Instagram with players’ faces clearly visible, as they did of Kelston’s semi-final win.

However, for all that surreal peripheral 1A fluff, when it comes down to rugby, no First XV team deserves the spotlight more than Grammar this season and there was plenty to admire as they again showed great resilience to graft out a win over a tough, if slightly predictable St Kentigern.

Grammar had centre Nico Stanley back from injury, with a heavily strapped right leg, and he made his presence felt by opening the scoring in just the third minute, capitalising on great hands from Taye Thomson inside him to go over almost untouched.

St Kentigern levelled when prop Sau Manu went in under the posts but Grammar almost immediately regained the lead through left wing Tyler Byres following a tap penalty.

Halfback Bobby Neels extended Grammar’s lead to 17-7 after a clever inside pass from Luke Thomson on the right wing and Ethan Halaapiapi chipped in with a penalty.

But St Kentigern kept things interesting with determined prop Sunia Vaka scoring before the break and 10 minutes into the second spell hooker Connor Mackie completed a full house of front-row tries when he also got on the scoresheet, to nudge his team ahead 21-20.

The game almost completely lost its structure as the second half unfolded. There was always a danger that greater chaos would favour St Kentigern, though until totally desperate their approach remained conservative in playing in the tight channels.

Instead it was Grammar which capitalised on the mayhem, with No 8 Ashton Kirke applying a critical touch.

St Kentigern had attempted to retain possession and play out from near their own line but were nailed by an alert Grammar defence, the ball rolled loose and Kirke pounced through the ruck to apply downward pressure.

Referee Ben Mclauchlan was initially uncertain but after consulting his assistant, could see no reason not to award what was to prove the day’s most critical try.

It was good reward for the muscular Kirke, who has been a major influence for Grammar this season as both a constructive and destructive force, with this his sixth try of the campaign.

Grammar were the more cohesive unit, and also offered an extra dimension, with potential gamebreakers throughout their backline. The Thomsons, Taye and Luke, were always a danger and halfback Bobby Neels was solid, as was his late replacement, Jack Baillie.

But ultimately they succeeded because their defence was so well prepared for St Kentigern’s forward rumbles.

For St Kentigern this performance was at least a marked improvement from June 6, when they were hammered 39-12 by a rampant Grammar.

From the previous week’s draw St Kentigern switched Toni Tuuhoko-Pole to blindside from No 8 to accommodate the return of skipper Lucian Mikaele (with Harper Tait shifting to openside).

Mikaele was a pillar of the pack, while diminutive halfback Keanu Graham was always dangeorus and often brilliant.

At least St Kentigern had the consolation of having their First XI crowned Auckland premier football champions after a 1-1 away draw against St Peter’s on Friday night.

A historic perspective on Grammar v St Kentigern

Grammar’s victory was their first in a knockout match against St Kentigern since their 31-26 triumph in the 2014 1A final.

And the last time Grammar reached a 1A final was when they lost 17-15 to St Kentigern in 2015. That year, their first five-eighths, Wiseguy Faiane, the hero of the 2014 final win against St Kents with 16 points and a dramatic run that led to a penalty try, agonisingly missed a 45m penalty attempt at full-time.

St Kentigern’s outstanding fullback Etene Nanai scored a try within the opening 90 seconds, but soon three of their backs succumbed to injury. Grammar predictably had the better of most of the tussle, leading 8-7 at halftime and scoring tries through halfback Melino Fineanganofo (brother of All Black Fehi Fineanganofo) and wing Sean Cassidy.

St Kentigern hung in though, with three decisive goals slotted by New Zealand Schools selection Carlos Price and a try to prop Sesimani Tupou, playing in his fifth straight 1A final. St Kent’s, who won 18 out of 20 games that season and finished third at the National Top 4, found a way. All Blacks Dalton Papali’i and Braydon Ennor played in blue and white hoops that day.

However Grammar lead St Kent’s 41-25 in all matches between the two schools.

On the other side of the ledger, St Kentigern won 1A finals against Grammar in 2012, 2013 and 2015 as well as a semi in 2017.

Fretton and Wichman steer Kelston to the final

On the other side of town bruising Kelston No 8 Satali Fretton bagged a hat-trick of tries as his team saw off a stern challenge from Sacred Heart.

However, the most important try of all was a 65th minute effort to hard-working Kelston flanker Benji Wichman, which took his team from a 21-23 deficit to the 26-23 win.

In a see-sawing contest, Fretton put Kelston ahead after charging over from a tap penalty in the 60th minute.

But Sacred No 8 Ammon Lavea-Lilomaiava applied the same tap-and-go formula to put Sacred back in front after a scything backline move.

Sacred lost possession from the kick-off and from an attacking scrum Wichman finished a determined drive over the line.

Sacred had a late chance to steal a win with a lineout drive from a penalty, but lost possession and Kelston were able to wind the clock down in a thriller.

Earlier Sacred had led 13-7 at halftime through tries to winger Troy Hola, with 30 appearances under his belt, and hooker Ryan Smeath, while Keanu Simpson added a penalty.

On Saturday Kelston will be chasing their 15th 1A title since the school was opened in 1959.

One hard-core social media poster perhaps best summed up the proletarian Keli Block supporter vibe this way: “When all you have is each other. Humble beginnings. Proud rugby history. Built by the West.”

Hamilton claim their 17th Super 8 title

Normal transmission has resumed in the Super 8.

For the 17th time (16th outright, one shared), Hamilton Boys’ High School have been crowned champions after rare triumphs for Palmerston North Boys’ High in 2025 and Tauranga Boys’ College in 2024.

Hamilton denied a gutsy Napier Boys’ High School by winning Saturday’s 2026 final 13-12 at home after first five-eighths Jackson Botherway – who also played in Hamilton’s 37-0 final humiliation at the hands of Tauranga in 2024 – scored all his team’s points, including two tries and a 40m penalty in the 55th minute.

Significantly, it is Hamilton’s first title without either of the redoubtable coaching duo of Nigel Hotham and Greg Kirkham (358 wins in 420 games) and a triumph for their younger successor, Cam Moorby.

“We’re thrilled, absolutely stocked,” Moorby, older brother of All Black Josh, said at the end of a match much tighter than Hamilton’s 40-28 home win over Napier in June.

“I think it was just a reflection more of two teams right up for a final and just laying down everything they’ve got.

“It was a hell of a contest. Napier forwards in particular were good and their 10 [Will Lovatt] was really, really sharp ...

“Their forwards are tough, confrontational, really accurate and brutal at the breakdown. So they challenged us a lot, and it turned into one of those games that could have gone either way.”

Moorby acknowledged it was special to clinch his maiden title as head coach.

“I’ve worked with Nigel and Greg for a long, long time, and a lot of what I’ve learnt as a coach has come off the back of them so they have been really positive influences in my coaching journey so far.

“So I’ve got a lot to be thankful to them for, but also to the team that I’m working with now. We’ve got a great, great team assembled across our First XV and Second XV, who have been successful as well.”

By contrast, for Napier, the result represented another harrowing Hamilton heartbreak.

The Sky Blues haven’t won in Kirikiriroa since 2002. They failed to beat Hamilton between 2011 and 2022, losing the 2018 Super 8 final 23-22 on a last-minute penalty goal to now-father Demante Murray.

They also lost the 2022 National Top Four final 17-15 on an outrageous try to Caelys-Paul Putoko, now with the Warriors.

In the 2023 Super 8 final, after beating Hamilton in the round robin, Napier were destroyed 56-22. Paul Putoko scored twice, along with future New Zealand U20 reps Oliver Guerin and Ollie Mathis (2).

Napier started undaunted by the haka and the burden of history. In the seventh minute, Riley Waenga, son of a first-class referee and former Chiefs, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, and North Otago first five-eighths Dan, crossed in the corner following sustained continuity.

Without a jolting tackle by Hamilton prop Dion “Fortress” Fifita and a slight fumble by Napier winger Riley Winchester, the early damage could have been even greater.

Hamilton nicked the restart and promptly built pressure. Fifita, fellow prop Mitch Matangi, No 8 Isaiah Edwards, and locks Malakai Hala and Caleb Puamua charged with fierce intensity throughout.

They compensated for a backline that, with the exception of elusive centre Cullen Parai, was error-ridden and offered little.

In the 11th minute Napier’s Tom Morris was yellow-carded for cynically dragging down a menacing maul. Hamilton deposited the ball to the 5m corner again, enveloped the defence, allowing Botherway to slither through, 5-5.

Napier regained the lead in the 16th minute. Impactful surges from weather-beaten hooker Harry Jones and lock Brad Pearce stretched Hamilton with right winger Davis Hancy, bumping off Ben Ward, 12-5.

The next half an hour was a prolonged Hamilton assault, with Napier’s cast-iron tackling snuffing out repeated chances. A stoic charge by blindside Kent Mills was ended by immoveable Napier No 8 Carter Pirie, who was later at the bottom of a pile-up over his try line.

He then won a huge turnover, his body the only thing preventing a certain concession. He was also involved in an effort to stop Fifita when he was penalised for a double movement.

Napier’s desperation was heroic. A stop by Charlie Worsnop hanging grimly on Carson Hunter challenged fragile heart rates. Parai was denied by a lunging defender and a lick of sideline paint too.

Mental fatigue, more than physical strain, perhaps caused Napier to surrender a 45th-minute try. A lame box kick by usually astute halfback Harry Bain wasted rarely acquired possession.

Hamilton returned with gusto, then halfback Carlos Nordstrom surprised with a Cortez Ratima-style snipe, finished by Botherway.

It was a deliberate, hardly cynical knock-on by Napier that presented Botherway with the chance to propel Hamilton ahead in the 53rd minute.

Napier were perhaps guilty of kicking too frequently, especially with a lineout that wasn’t always reliable. Still, superlative scramble almost created two breakout tries. Pearce booted the unprotected oval outside his 22. Lovatt isn’t Lionel, though; his follow-up dribbling ended in a face-first tumble.

In the 64th minute, a Riley Winchester kick had opposite Liam De Har-Elliott sweating, Hamilton’s winger getting the ball tangled between his legs as Napier centre Sakaraia Paodi loomed and seized what he thought was a try.

Since winning their first title in 2006, Hamilton’s record is 134 wins, 20 defeats and three draws. They have enjoyed unbeaten Super 8 campaigns in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2025.

Moorby struggled to pinpoint the technical and tactical factors which turned Hamilton back into champions after a modest 2025 season, when they finished third.

“It’s not like we’ve changed a heck of a lot,” he said. “I think probably just a year’s growth and a year’s experience, both as a team and as a coaching group, learning how to manage young players to get the best out of them.

“Every boy you’ve got to coach and work with a little bit differently. We’re just thrilled with the way that things have been able to turn around for us after what was a challenging season last year.”

But Moorby did give an insight into what made his matchwinner Botherway tick.

“Jackson’s really passionate about the team and about the school. He’s got a lot of family history through the school.

“His father [former Waikato rugby coach Sean Botherway] worked at Hamilton Boys’ High before his time and his grandfather is Glen Ross [Waikato and NZ U21 rep] who has obviously had a long affiliation with the school, so it’s in his blood and I think that shines through. The big players stand up in big games.

“That’s the difference between your good players and your great players. The team means a heck of a lot to Jackson. He takes everything in his stride. He puts his hand up and he’s a really strong leader for our team.”

Meanwhile the title triumph also completed a remarkable sporting quadruple for Hamilton Boys’ High over a four-day period.

The school’s Second XV won their Super 8 by beating Rotorua Boys’ High School 26-24 in their final, the Hamilton Boys’ High First XI football won their Super 8 championship for the third consecutive year with a 2-0 final win over Tauranga Boys’ College. And the First XI hockey secured their third consecutive Super 8 title with a 3-1 final victory over Hastings Boys’ High.

Napier’s Super 8 record is now 110 wins, 86 defeats and eight draws. They won the title in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Between Round 5, 2001, and Round 2, 2004, they won 17 games in a row. Napier have had 16 seasons in which they’ve won more games than they’ve lost.

On Saturday, Napier play Gisborne Boys’ High School in a Hurricanes regional qualifier for the National Top Four.

Meanwhile, Hamilton host Central North Island champions and near neighbours St Paul’s Collegiate at noon, Saturday, in a Chiefs region Top Four qualifier.

St Paul’s set new Central North Island records

St Paul’s Collegiate have secured a record eighth Central North Island (CNI) title after an emphatic 44-5 final victory over St Peter’s (Cambridge) in the final at Owen Delany Park in Taupō.

It was the biggest final-winning margin in CNI history as St Paul’s took home both the Taine Randell Cup and the Rick T Francis Memorial Shield in their first championship since 2021.

For St Peter’s there was the heartbreak of a second successive final loss after being beaten 48-12 by Feilding High School in the 2025 final.

St Paul’s stormed to a 39-0 half-time lead after blindside George Benjamin opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

There were further tries to left wing Caleb Blake, fullback Jackson Hill-Brown, halfback Jamie Silich and No.8 Lachie Young (earning his 40th cap) before the break as St Paul’s applied relentless pressure.

St Peter’s did manage to staunch the flow in the second half though and even score a consolation themselves through loosehead prop Joshua Aukuso, though there was still a try to St Paul’s right wing Billy Smyth.

St Paul’s director of rugby Paul Hodder paid tribute to his forward pack.

“The lineout and both attack and defence have been excellent, and our scrummaging has come on leaps and bounds,” Hodder said. “We’ve always applied pressure and we’ve got a bit of a theory around disrupting the opposition ball.

“Obviously a solid set-piece is always going to help you on attack, but I think a core group of our boys are good quality rugby players and they’ll just continue to grow.”

When the colleges clashed back in May it was considerably closer with St Paul’s getting home 36-29.

But in the final, Hodder said St Paul’s were slicker through their phase play and carried really hard.

“Defensively, we applied pressure to the rucks so they couldn’t really get anything going and we challenged them at every option.

“But it was a pretty social first half, to be fair.”

Between 2014 and 2021 St Paul’s had 69 wins, five defeats and two draws in winning the titles from 2014-16 and again from 2018-21.

Since 2016, St Peter’s record is 73 wins, 31 defeats and five draws in 109 matches. They have lost four semi-finals and the finals in 2016, 2025, and 2026. They shared honours 36-36 with St Paul’s in the 2021 final.

Meanwhile, Wesley College won the third-place playoff, beating Lindisfarne 33-31 and Feilding High claimed the plate, 34-26 over St John’s Hamilton.

Also in Taupō, Francis Douglas beat Whanganui Collegiate 10-3 and Matamata College 15-12, while Matamata College beat Whanganui College 12-7.

Westlake looking good in North Harbour

Westlake Boys’ High School’s dress rehearsal for the semifinals of the Kyocera-sponsored North Harbour championship was an impressive one as they beat Rangitoto College 56-17 away in their final pool match. The two schools will clash again in the semis on Saturday at Westlake.

Westlake star centre Matt Fleming’s pick-up from spilled Rangitoto possession to canter through for an early 30m try under the posts set the tone for the day.

The well-drilled defending champions continued to punish errors made by Rangitoto and convert them into immediate points.

Exploiting these opportunities produced further tries to Flynn Holbrook, Chase Sharp, Mana Smith and Fleming, with halfback and skipper Levi Leith finishing with a hat trick.

Rangitoto at least responded with three of their own, two notably to hard-driving No.8 Macsen Frith and one to blindside Stanley Langaoi. Another feature was a goal-kicking exhibition by Westlake’s Luke Waller, who nailed all eight conversions.

While a Rangitoto repeat of their famous win against Westlake last year was not to be, both teams will be looking forward to a packed semifinal.

Rosmini College beat Mahurangi College 52-10 to finish one point clear at the top of the table. Second-five Lachlan Murray led the way with three tries plus one conversion.

Elsewhere Whangārei Boys’ High School beat Ōrewa College 31-12 away, with centre Casey Wright accounting for 16 of his team’s points, while Takapuna Grammar edged out Massey High School 14-12.

North Harbour semifinal draw (midday, Saturday, home team first): Westlake v Rangitoto; Rosmini v Whangārei.

North Harbour final points: Rosmini 66, Westlake 65, Rangitoto 45, Whangārei 45, Mahurangi 24, Ōrewa 16, Takapuna 14, Massey 8.

Silverstream charge into their 10th straight final

St Patrick’s College Silverstream are refusing to surrender their Wellington Premiership title without a mighty fight, storming into a 10th consecutive final by overwhelming St Patrick’s College Town 51-24 as the visiting third-placed semi-qualifier at Evans Bay Park.

And for the third consecutive year, their opponents will be Wellington College, who have not won a title since 2016.

Unblemished Wellington battled past rugged Rathkeale College 17-0 in an unconvincing display that featured only two first-half tries, to second five-eighths Benjamin Faitala and No 8 Z’kdeus Schwalger.

Though Wellington beat Silverstream 26-17 on June 10, it’s the later who might be charging home like Kiwi on the last corner of the 1983 Melbourne Cup.

For just the second time against Town in a semi-final, Silverstream posted a half-century, reversing a shock 38-36 loss in the annual Old Boys Cup a fortnight ago.

Despite lapses in discipline, three bombed first-half tries, and difficulty defending the rolling maul and retrieving kickoffs, Silverstream were a cut above Town, never trailing and outscoring the hosts seven tries to four. The closest it got was 35-24 with 10 minutes left.

First-five Fletcher Cooper set the early tone with a converted try, icing earlier incisions from bully blindside Ryder Thompson and immense hooker Jahaan Hunt.

Cooper entered the match with 216 points for the season. With his fifth consecutive haul of more than 20 points, he passed his own single-season record for the most points by any player in a single year for Silverstream, which opened in 1931.

In 2025 he scored 234 points, passing a 36-year-old record of 233 held by future All Black Simon Mannix. The Year 12 has 237 this year despite missing five weeks with a hand injury.

Cooper’s fingerprints were all over Silverstream’s most startling passages. A towering bomb that possibly dropped with sleet on it was gathered by lock Bronson Martin in the first half, while a cheeky, shallow restart was collected by whippet winger Troy Waldrom at the start of the second half to make it 27-12. Waldrom was toxic, scoring another try and dropping a Cooper grubber with vacant real estate ahead.

On several occasions Town were punished for a lacklustre kick-chase. Jaxon Ropitini was a shredder from fullback, and his well-deserved try traversed 60m.

Town’s beefy lineout drive saw 128kg No 8 Nelsson Tiumalu twice punish Silverstream transgressions, but lightning winger Zac “Zoom” Kimmis, who has 34 tries in 43 games, was starved of the pigskin.

Every time Town threatened to rally, a mistake or Silverstream brilliance thwarted hopes. A third lineout try to 96kg hooker Herman Tuiatua was the blueprint for a revival until Silverstream’s bulky reserves delivered knockout blows. Tries to front rowers Kristian Joshua Leaupepe Sua and Donald Mar had affable coaches John Herbert and Karl Davis grinning from ear to ear.

Town’s season ends with a 10-4 record. They scored 99 tries, 46 by forwards. With 18 capped players and 17 departing Year 13s, they face a sizable rebuild.

The last time Town beat Silverstream twice in the same season was in 2010. That year, Town, featuring future All Black Matt Proctor, won 18 of 21 games and beat Silverstream 33-21 in a special 125th Anniversary fixture and 19-3 in the annual Old Boys Cup. They, however, lost the Premiership final against Silverstream 21-13.

Combined Wellington and Silverstream have won the Premiership 23 times since its inception in 1979. The final started in 1993 and they have faced each other 10 times for five wins apiece, though Silverstream have won the last three.

Silverstream have never won a hat-trick of titles but have featured in every premiership final since 2017, winning 95 of 107 premiership games in the last decade, including the finals of 2017, 2018, 2021 (shared), 2022, 2024 and 2025. Between 2017 and 2018, they set a record of 28 consecutive wins.

Between 2024 and 2026, they won 21 games in a row. Since 2024, Silverstream have won 18 games by scoring 50 or more points. All seven wins this season have come by 50 or more points.

Wellington hold the record for most successive premiership wins with five on the bounce between 2004 and 2009. Wellington’s overall record in that span was 94 wins in 113 games. All Blacks Dane Coles, Lima Sopoaga and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen passed through.

Since 2010, the lower-ranked qualifier from the round robin has won the final nine times.

In the consolation playoffs, Scots College pipped St Bernard’s College 36-34 to finish fifth and prevent St Bernard’s from achieving their best finish since 2012. Wairarapa College accounted for Hutt International Boys’ School 38-15 and Rongotai College overcame Mana College 24-6.

Will ‘STAC’ stack Up to CHBS in final?

Are the stars aligning for St Andrew’s College? The last time they beat St Bede’s College before Saturday’s 31-21 conquest of Main North Road Papauni was at the same stage of the 2020 season, 18-14.

A week later, “STAC” rallied from 14-0 behind to beat Christchurch Boys’ High School 35-26 in the final and claim their only Miles Toyota Premiership. Present Wellington Lion Isi Saumaki was the hero that day with two tries.

Christchurch and St Andrew’s will meet in Saturday’s decider having shared a 29-29 draw in the round-robin.

The outcome of the St Andrew’s, St Bede’s semi remained uncertain with 15 minutes remaining. Despite the overwhelming weight of possession and territory, the visitors only led 19-14.

The hefty figures of St Andrew’s props Moleli Lagokamu and Lennox Kopelani, lock Charlie Tanner and No 8 Leeson Tiakia kept coming. Gritty St Bede’s surely had to wilt and did when replacement forward Jairo Senio was shoved over from a lineout drive.

With a cushion of 10, St Andrew’s showed they were anything but one-dimensional three minutes later, launching an expansive counterattack from sideline to sideline that saw centre Tom McIntosh run down a visionary kick.

A boisterous Bede’s crowd was giddy early when fullback Ethan O’Donovan stepped off the right foot and sprinted 25m to score. Did a repeat of St Bede’s lopsided 37-7 round robin victory loom?

St Andrew’s are a vastly improved side from that May 16 drubbing and soon settled into a direct, muscular, stifling pattern. Tiakia scored after 15 minutes; hooker Henry Tayler rumbled over six minutes later.

First five-eighths Ollie Kirk played an assured hand. When St Andrew’s pivot slipped through in the 39th minute, the margin was a comfortable 19-7. It could have been greater had opposite George Kneebone not made two try-saving interventions.

St Bede’s second-five Asi-Tui’lagi Fuli was the hosts’ most consistently threatening back. His headway led to a penalty and a lineout try to flanker Jayden Tatafu after 46 minutes. Even when St Bede’s prospects were dashed, Fuli had the last say.

Across town at Straven Rd, they’ll be calling Christchurch Boys’ captain Jonty Leary “Jonty Lomu” after the blindside flanker scored four tries, two in each half, to propel the defending champions to a 17th final with a pulsating 39-36 victory over Timaru Boys’ High School.

While all of Leary’s tries were close-range drive-overs, more like Wallaby Greg Cornelsen against the All Blacks in 1978 than Lomu’s destruction of England in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semi-final, Leary’s feat in a schoolboy context is the stuff of legend.

Scoring four tries in a finals match is extremely rare (though it happened in the 2003 Auckland 1A final when Daniella Teutau scored four tries for De La Salle College in their 31-12 victory over Kelston Boys’ High School).

Famous examples of Christchurch Boys’ High players scoring four tries in a match include All Black Sydney Carlton, who scored four tries and kicked 14 conversions in an 88-0 win over St Bede’s College in 1920. And in 2015, the now-All Blacks all-time leading test try scorer Will Jordan bagged four in a record 80-0 slaughter of Christ’s College.

You have to feel for Timaru, who had their own hat-trick hero in second five-eighth Zy Woodham. The visitors led more than once and, by scoring 36 points, achieved the highest score by a losing semifinalist and by a Trustbank Cup loser.

That trophy started in 1994 and is regained by Christchurch, who lost it to Timaru on July 4.

Christchurch Boys’ coach Peter Chaplin was both relieved and gracious with the outcome.

“Man, that was a game,” Chaplin said. ”Timaru played really well and got off to a flyer. It was really physical from both teams.

“Our scrum was positive with a few penalties that helped our cause. Jonty is a workhorse and will credit his deserved success to the team.”

Founded in 1880, Timaru have been victims of some extraordinary individual scoring feats. In 1923, Waitaki Boys’ H L Hawkins scored five tries in a 15-14 win against Timaru. In 1989, Paul Anderson scored five tries for Otago Boys’ in their 66-0 whitewash of Timaru.

In 1943, with two future All Black captains Bob Duff and Pat Vincent on their team, Christchurch Boys’ defeated Timaru 60-0. John Pearson crossed four times. In 1983, Christchurch hammered Timaru 67-3, with the school annual losing count of individual try scorers.

A match report notes Richard Wilkinson scored four of the 13 tries, but a captioned photograph suggests Richard Henderson scored five. Interestingly, the 1983 team was unbeaten in 20 games and captained by Stu Loe, who played 122 games (83 wins) for Canterbury and was part of the first Crusaders Super Rugby winning team in 1998. His cousin Richard Loe is a 1987 Rugby World Cup-winning All Black.

Moeahu double-act lifts King’s High to final

The Moeahu family are entitled to feel as proud as punch after King’s High School reached their third consecutive Southern Schools Rugby Championship final.

Halfback Jaxon Moeahu scored the first try after six minutes of a semi-final, a blow that denied Otago Boys’ High School a place in the decider after a 24-24 draw.

Despite being outscored four tries to three, King’s advance on the first-try-wins rule and for being the higher qualifier, to the delight of Jaxon’s dad, coach Dean Moeahu.

“She was a bit of to and fro,” Moeahu quipped in a laconic southern drawl.

“We started hot on attack and made a break down the left which Jaxon finished on the inside. Jaxon, Lafa Tofiga, Zane Rakete-Gray and Kavahn Saville-Tonih have been unbeaten for three years against Otago. There wouldn’t have been many boys in King’s history who have done that.”

Earlier in the season King’s beat Otago 30-21 to win the annual Harley-Taylor Trophy for a fourth consecutive year, a feat not achieved since 1962.

“We had 17 players leave in 2025 so it’s been a challenge to rebuild,” Moeahu explained.

“We’re not a big team, but I feel like we’re now starting to play the rugby we want to with a lot of ball movement. Otago’s forwards are very strong, so we had to shift them.”

Crisis management was also vital in King’s maintaining equilibrium. In the first half King’s lost No 8 Te Ani Rakete and gun first-five Lafa “Profile Pic” Tofiga to yellow cards in quick succession. Against a gale, conceding 10 points wasn’t the worst outcome.

Otago second five-eighths Joseph Flutey was a constant threat and scored two tries. When Otago winger Coen Breen celebrated his brace in the second-half, King’s were down 24-14.

Dechey Keefewhite pulled one back for King’s and then, with four minutes remaining, Tofiga kicked a penalty, his fourth goal from as many attempts to level the scores. Otago tried two kickers, Flutey and fullback Ethan McSkimming, with half the success.

Approaching full time and anchored five metres in from touch, five metres out from their own line, King’s won a defensive scrum and calmly quarantined possession, Jaxon Moeahu a study in composure marshalling his fatigued forwards. It was a scenario King’s had planned for.

“The South Island Boys’ Schools competition isn’t our pathway to the National Top Four so we used it to give the whole squad a go and set goals for areas of improvement,” Moeahu revealed.

“It wasn’t realistic for us to win every game in that very tough competition against bigger and better resourced schools, so we set targets within games to meet. One of those was shutting down a tight contest. I’m proud of the way we managed that. Otago were gutted. They played a wonderful game.”

Southland Boys’ High School, winners of 34 successive competition games, await in the final. Southland’s last defeat in 2026 was 13 games ago on May 2 to Christchurch Boys’ (28-22). On July 4 they beat King’s 45-10 and in their semi dispatched John McGlashan College 66-7, an improvement on their 50-0 win against Johnnies on July 18.

Though Southland will be sweating on the fitness of fullback Jack Brock, who left the field injured, there was little else that was a cause for concern.

It was 14-7 after 20 minutes before Southland assumed full control. Head prefect and loosehead prop Mito Faalialia and centre Max Savory each bagged a hat trick.

“Southland are pretty much a complete side,” Moeahu said. “You can’t make mistakes, you’ve got to hold the ball and take your opportunities. Probably the only way Southland loses is if they beat themselves. We’re going to give it a good crack.”

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