Rugby: Bethlehem open with a real bang

Bethlehem College captain Thomas Allen drives into a Thames High School tackler. Photo/George Novak

Bethlehem College began their first Chiefs Trophy campaign in fine style at home on Saturday with a resounding 53-7 win over Thames High School.

The score blew out considerably in the final 10 minutes after Thames had a player sin binned for punching and Bethlehem's superior fitness kicked in.

The early stages gave no indication of what was to follow with the visitors' solid defensive line and superior scrum making them highly competitive.

They even took the lead midway through the half with a well-worked try down the left touch line which was converted, but two crucial tries in the final five minutes of the half turned the match Bethlehem's way.

Mobile lock Nicholas Bartlett scored the first after Thames were ran ragged from side to side and another telling intrusion into the backline from Chris Johnston created the space.

Captain Thomas Allen set up the second with a typically aggressive charge that was finished off by Sam Waddell for a handy 20-7 lead at the break.

Ten minutes into the second half, play was rightly held up for 15 minutes as a precaution by referee Amon Ripene after Bethlehem centre Tristan Downs-Hetet suffered a blow to his neck and was assessed on the field by doctors.

Bethlehem dominated after the restart, with second-five Nicolas Adams showing plenty of strength to score.

From the kick-off, barnstorming No8 Diardu Terblanche threw an excellent pass to Dylan Downs-Hetet on his own 10 metre line, and the winger cut through the Thames defence all the way to the goal line for a memorable try.

Terblanche then crashed over after picking up the ball from a scrum win, before a messy fracas reduced the visitors to 14 and they simply gave up.

Bethlehem are off to a fine start to the season but face their biggest challenge yet when they travel to Pukekohe High School on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Tauranga Boys' College got off to a winning start in the Chiefs Cup, beating St Peter's College in Cambridge 26-8, and this Saturday host St Paul's Collegiate.

Otumoetai College First XV defeated Tauranga Boys' College Second XV by 10-5 in the opening round of the 2014 Bay of Plenty division one competition, with first-five Jack May scoring all the points.

Bethlehem College 53 (Nicholas Bartlett, Sam Waddell, Nicolas Adams, Dylan Downs-Hetet, Diardu Terblanche, Jarrad Hawes, Sam Leppard tries; Leppard 6 cons, 2 pens) Thames High School 7