Rotorua Boys' High School celebrate their win over St Kentigern College in the National Top 4 semifinal rugby match played in Rotorua. Photo/Stephen Parker
Rotorua Boys' High School celebrate their win over St Kentigern College in the National Top 4 semifinal rugby match played in Rotorua. Photo/Stephen Parker
Rotorua Boys' High School and Scots College from Wellington will battle it out for a national title this weekend.
The National Top 4 semifinals, reserved for the best four rugby schools in the country, were played at Rotorua Boys' High School yesterday afternoon.
Rotorua supporters stormed the field after their team defeated Auckland's St Kentigern 7-5 to qualify for their first national final since 2003.
Scots will also feature in the final tomorrow afternoon after defeating Otago Boys' High School 35-27 yesterday. A big home crowd is likely to turn out to watch the final, being held at Rotorua Boys' at 2.55pm tomorrow.
It wasn't the prettiest game yesterday, but Rotorua did enough to hold off a resilient and injury-hit St Kentigern side.
The home team scored the only try of the first half when No 8 Kaydis Hona picked the ball up from the back of the ruck and stormed over close to the line.
Rotorua led 7-0 at halftime before St Kentigern came out strongest early in the second half.
St Kentigern eventually made the most of their good field possession when sneaky halfback Henry Saker found a small gap in the defence and scored.
Action from the Rotorua Boys' High School v St Kentigern College, National Top 4 semifinal rugby match in Rotorua. Photo/Stephen Parker
A missed conversion kept the scores at 7-5 and that was the way it stayed. Rotorua did well to keep St Kentigern deep in their own half for much of the last 20 minutes.
Rotorua coach Ngarimu Simpkins said the difference was probably the home support.
"We were lucky enough to have that home advantage and we used it to full effect and I think they got us over the line in that last 15 minutes," he said.
"Take nothing away from St Kentigern, they are a quality side. To win the [Auckland] competition is no easy feat.
"They're a brilliant side and it's just really awesome to see young talent running around the rugby field."
He said to make the 1st XV national final was a massive achievement for the school.
"We can't be more proud of our boys. We're in the top two schools in the country and, no matter what the result is tomorrow, we're one of the best rugby schools in New Zealand, and that was our goal."
Meanwhile, St Andrew's College (Christchurch) and Cambridge High School will meet in the final of the 1st XV national co-ed final tomorrow at 1.10pm, also held at Rotorua Boys'.
There will be plenty of sore bodies today but the teams will just have to dust themselves off and prepare for tomorrow's battle.
- Rotorua Boys' High School 7 (Kaydis Hona try; Kaleb Trask con) St Kentigern College 5 (Henry Saker) HT: 7-0.
