Gisborne HSOB centenary marked with big pre-season win over Ngātapa

High School Old Boys' Bryan Howard sends the ball on in front of George Halley in a Poverty Bay Premier club rugby game last year. Halley and Howard were in action for the blue and whites in their club centenary celebrations match against Ngātapa on Saturday, Howard scoring three tries in a 43-0 win. Photo / Paul Rickard

It wasn’t quite one-way traffic at the weekend though it reads that way.

Earthworks Solutions High School Old Boys were superb in a 43-0 win over Larsawn Ngātapa in the Gisborne High School Old Boys centenary match at the Oval on Saturday.

On a pleasant day, before a crowd of several hundred and with young referee Joel Pearse behind the whistle, Ngātapa captain and lock Jack Twigley won the toss and his team kicked off into a southeasterly breeze.

The Wayne Ensor-coached Blues made a quick start, had the better field position and the greater share of possession in a match played in quarters in 20C heat.

The home team scored seven tries – a hat-trick to left wing Bryan Howard, and one each to openside flanker Ryan Jones, vice-captain and No 8 Siosiua Moala, first five Cohen Loffler and reserve right wing/halfback Liam Beattie. Howard kicked three conversions and fullback Matthew Proffit one.

Moala opened the try-scoring in the sixth minute. His side led 12-0 at the first quarter break, 26-0 at halftime and 33-0 at the third-quarter interval.

Ngātapa never lacked for effort, including centre Fasi Lauti’s chargedown of pivot Loffler’s attempted clearing kick late in the first half and left wing Joseph Hamm’s gutsy try-saving tackle on Proffit shortly after.

The last try of the game, which proved a solid workout for both teams before this weekend’s Tiny White Opening Day for club rugby, came in the 77th minute.

“I’m really proud of our boys today,” HSOB skipper George Halley said.

“We had some promising young guys come in on a great occasion for the club, learn our patterns and everyone played their roles like Jack Willock and Ollie Keepa-Fitzsimons, who both played at lock off the bench, and Xayvier Tuapawa, who started at centre.

“Our old boys turned out in numbers to watch us and the team’s pleased that we put on a good show for them.”

Twigley, whose Ngātapa posse included lively young Americans, acknowledged the occasion.

“It’s a pretty big thing for our club to be invited to play in a game like this. We’ll build on it and be ready to go v Pirates on Tiny White Opening Day.”