Southland Boys' progress to first national final in 36 years
Southland Boys’ High School beat Palmerston North Boys’ High School 20-19 on Friday to progress to Sunday’s final against Westlake Boys’ High School.
Boy does Southland Boys’ High School know how to find a way to win a game of rugby.
The Southland Boys’ first XV’s remarkable 2023 run continues as the Invercargill school now finds itself one win away from its first national rugby title.
Southland Boys’ High School beat Palmerston North Boys’ High School 20-19 on Friday to progress to Sunday’s final against Westlake Boys’ High School.
Again Year 11 pupil Jimmy Taylor showed a calmness beyond his years to help lift Southland Boys’ to the one-point victory.
A couple of weeks earlier the 15-year-old had landed a sideline conversion to ultimately lift his school to a South Island title through a 29-28 victory over Christchurch Boys’ High School.
On Friday, with about 12 minutes to play, Taylor landed a penalty from out wide to put Southland Boys’ in front 20-19.
From that point, it was just a whole heap of resolve from Southland Boys’ to hang on to the victory and book the school a place in the national final for the first time since 1987.
Southland Boys’ made the best possible start against Palmerston North Boys’ High School in the game played at Palmerston North.
Dynamic winger Kiseki Fifita scored inside the first minute of the game when he turned the opposition fullback inside out in a brilliant individual try.
That try followed Fifita’s first-half hat-trick against Christchurch Boys’ High School.
Palmerston North Boys’ High School quickly responded with two tries in the 7th and 11th minute to shoot ahead 12-7.
Southland Boys’ regained the lead in the 23rd minute when first five-eighth Rico Muliaina produced a nice pass to find winger Phoenix McKay who scored.
It put Southland Boys’ 14-12 up which remained through to halftime.
Taylor pushed it out to a 17-12 lead 10 minutes into the second half with the first of his two penalties.
However, it didn’t take long before Palmerston North Boys’ wrestled back the lead with another try to go up 19-17.
At that point, the home side looked like it had started to gain some momentum against a Southland team that’s pretty banged up at the moment following a tough month or so of rugby.
But there’s something special about the 2023 Southland Boys’ High School first XV.
They possess a mental toughness that Peter Skelt-coached teams over many decades have delivered.
Southland Boys’ dug deep when the going got tough, and when Taylor was provided the opening to get his team in front, he took it.
Taylor yet again made the moment look like he was going about kicking practice on a relaxed Friday afternoon, rather than propelling his school to its first national final in 36 years.
Whether Southland Boys’ have got enough left in the tank to continue the fairytale run and claim a national title on Sunday only time will tell.
They could well be down some pretty key players, including its inspirational captain Gregor Rutledge who coach Jason Dermody said dislocated his clavicle late in the game with one of his many strong carries.
Dermody pointed out “he is a Rutledge” when asked if that was him ruled out of Sunday’s game. Although Rutledge did head to hospital after the game and there is real doubt.
Centre Preston Evans was also forced from the field very early in the contest with a dislocated shoulder in another big blow.
They had already lost first choice first five-eighth Mika Muliaina in the lead up to Friday’s game through a knee injury.
“We’ll have to see if we can get 15 players together [for Sunday],” Dermody said, with some humour but also a touch of concern added.
Dermody told The Tribune soon after the exciting win that it was hard to describe just how he was feeling at that point.
“It’s unreal. That last 20 minutes was nerve-wracking, the whole game was really. The boys defended well, and we put them under pressure at the right times. We dominated their lineout defensively which was good.
“We had a lot of plans around that which was really good.”
Dermody wanted to let the players enjoy the moment but was wary of them not losing sight that they now have a final to play in a couple of days. His fellow coach was quick to point that out.
“We’ve got a man in Peter Skelt that takes care of that. He’s given them a dressing down now actually, we just got back on the bus and they were celebrating. We’ll let them celebrate for a bit.”
Whatever happens on Sunday, this journey has been a fun ride to follow.
Sunday’s final is scheduled to kick off at 12.40.