YOUTH SPORT: Te Rarawa v WBHS in U-18 final

Whangarei Boys' High School can thank their good fortunes and a string of 50-50 refereeing decisions going the hometown way for their Northland-wide rugby semifinal 10-3 win over a gallant and unbowed Moerewa.
It was a gut-wrenching end for the boys in black who have made the semifinals in their debut season, and were heavy underdogs going into the game at Whangarei Boys' High.
WBHS will now play another Far North side, Te Rarawa, in Thursday week's final in Whangarei after they downed last year's fairytale side, Ngaru Roa Stallions, 22-7 at Ahipara.
Moerewa, however, could just as easily have triumphed in their game but were desperately unlucky not to have been awarded a try late in the first half when it appeared they had scored in the left hand corner when they were trailing 10-3.
``The linesman ruled out the try far too quickly for our liking, but that's the rub of the green and we've had calls like that go against us all season,' said manager Simon Pirini.
``If we'd played this game at Simson Park back in Moerewa we probably would have got some of the 50-50 calls and the penalty count (19-4) probably wouldn't have been so one-sided.
``Full credit to WBHS though, they deserved their win and our boys walked away knowing they are capable of winning this competition next year.'
Both teams traded early penalties until WBHS were rewarded midway through the first half when their forwards barged over from a ruck close to the line for the converted try.
``We're urging all the teams and players north of Kawakawa to go down to Whangarei next Thursday and tai toko (support) Te Rarawa who were on our side of the draw,' says Mr Pirini.
Meanwhile, his 17-year-old son Korey, a Northland Under-18 and Auckland Blues development forward, was watched closely by a rugby league scout from Cronulla.
``Dunno who the guy was but he asked about Korey after the game and I just told him, `nah Korey wants to play rugby, he's got black-jersey dreams bro'.'
Ponsonby have already expressed interest in the remarkable teenager who played at blindside flanker on defensive scrums, No.8 on attacking scrums and was just as impressive at tighthead prop on attacking scrums close to the line.
He caught the eye of Auckland Blues development coaches last year when he propped on both sides of the scrum and then slotted into hooker with just as much ease against players far bigger than him.