Golden day for Southland school rugby at Les George Oval
"They are just good kids as well. They do what they are told, turn up when you want them, play rugby, and put their body on the line. That’s all you can ask for.”
The Southland Girls’ High School first XV set the tone very early on Saturday in what evolved into a special day for Southland rugby.
Southland Girls’ turned in one of the more commanding school rugby performances you might find at the Les George Oval on the outskirts of Invercargill.
The Invercargill school, which has produced the likes of Black Ferns Alena Saili and Amy du Plessis, took on Otago Girls’ High School in the final of the Highlanders-wide competition.
Southland Girls’ progressed after earlier in the week beating Central Southland College 41-15 in the Southland final.
It took little time on Saturday for the Southland Girls’ team to showcase their ability when it blitzed Otago Girls’ to go up 45-0 at halftime.
The Otago Girls’ team showed a bit of resolve in the second half, but the Southland Girls’ juggernaut continued as it run in 12 tries in total winning 76-5. It included four tries to Claudia Bloomfield.
Then came the turn of the boys in front of a large crowd at the Les George Oval.
Southland Boys’ High School took on Otago Boys’ High School in the final of the Otago Secondary Schools boys final.
Southland Boys’ also made its presence felt early, on the way to an impressive 22-10 victory.
Hooker Hoani Nikora-Wilson scored tries in the 10th and 20th minutes as SBHS went up 12-0.
An Otago Boys’ High School penalty made it 12-3 at halftime before impressive winger Kiseki Fifita scored in the second half to push it out to 19-3.
Otago Boys’ High School did manage to score to bring it back to 19-10 although it never really felt like SBHS was under real threat. Even when they spent much of the second half with 14 players, first with a yellow card and then a red card to captain Gregor Rutledge late in the piece.
First five-eighth Mika Muliaina put the finishing touch on the win with the penalty in the 22-10 win.
SBHS coach Jason Dermody was naturally pleased with his team’s performance.
He said the current SBHS first XV was a highly skilled team, although he points to the players’ attitude as being just as important to the success.
“Most the boys should go through the ranks, but they are just good kids as well. They do what they are told, turn up when you want them, play rugby and put their body on the line. That’s all you can ask for,” Dermody said.
Southland Boys’ High School will now host Christchurch Boys’ High School in the South Island first XV final in Invercargill on Saturday.
It will be Southland Boys’ High School’s first shot at the South Island final after it beat Christchurch Boys’ High School at the Les George Oval in 2017.
Fullback Ben Pope kicked a late penalty just before fulltime to win that 2017 game.
There is likely to be an important judiciary process to work through this week for Southland Boys’ following Rutledge’s red card.
Traditionally there is a mandatory stand down but it’s likely Southland Boys’ will appeal.
Rutledge was deemed to have collected Otago Boys’ High School first five-eighth Will Thode with a high shot.
The game was live-streamed and on replay it looks to show Rutledge has a strong case to argue the red card call.
It appears Thode was tackled by another player and accidentally clashed heads with Rutledge.
Ruling him out of the South Island on the basis of that evidence would be harsh.
Southland Boys’ High School also claimed the Southland Under-18 title on Saturday when its second XV beat Verdon College in the final.
Although they were made to work very hard for the 23-21 victory. Verdon College had an opportunity to win it with a penalty late in the contest but cruelly it missed.
Well done Southland Boys
I hope next weekends clash with Christchurch Boys is on rugby Park
It's rare to have such an important and I expect entertaining game to be held in invercargill