Rugby: Rotorua Boys look Bay's best

Rotorua Boys' High School defeated rivals Tauranga Boys' College yesterday. Pictured is Rotorua player Viliame Tosi. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua Boys' High School have flexed their muscles as the top rugby school in the Bay of Plenty - defeating rivals Tauranga Boys' College 43-5.

The Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV team are undefeated this year and have a promising season ahead.

They bet the Tauranga Boys' College 1st XV team yesterday afternoon in wet conditions during the opening round of the Super 8 competition in Rotorua.

The victory follows another big result two weeks ago when Rotorua Boys' convincingly won the Chiefs Cup final against Wesley College.

Most spectators watching from the sidelines yesterday would have noticed Rotorua's slight size advantage over their opponents.

The home side had the three biggest players on the paddock with forwards Viliami Tosi, Ratu Uluiviti and Lacey Betham causing all kinds of problems for the visitors.

Despite the size difference, Tauranga Boys' College were the first team to score yesterday.

Tauranga had all the possession in the first few minutes and turned it into points when Brad Armstrong made a great run through the Rotorua defence. Prop Afa Papali'i scored a few plays later when he picked the ball up from the back of the ruck and charged over the try line.

However, the rest of the match would be all Rotorua.

The home side's first try came when, after peppering the Tauranga try line, halfback Te Ra Whata snuck through to score under the posts.

Flanker Jade Honeycombe - who had a brilliant game - charged over for his team's next try.

Hayze Perham scored Rotorua's third and final try of the half after nice link-up play with captain Issac Te Aute.

The captain would show his class on a couple of occasions during the second half as his team ran in another four tries through Perham, Whata, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black and substitute Matangireia Yates-Francis.

The Super 8 competition will run until early August and features the best all-boy rugby schools from the central North Island.

Te Aute said Rotorua's goal was to take out the Super 8 title this year. He said they had a good squad and were working very hard.

"There is a lot of excitment [about this season] but it all comes down to our boys, we are all putting in the hard work," he said.

"Across the board it is a pretty talented side, forwards and backs, we have got the lot pretty much."

He said to beat Tauranga was always special.

"It's always nice to get one over Tauranga. We're battling it off for the best in the Bay, I guess, and it's pretty good to get on top of them."

Rotorua Boys' High School travel away to play Gisborne Boys' High School next weekend during the second round of the Super 8 competition.

The Rotorua Boys' 2nd XV team also triumphed over the Tauranga Boys' 2nd XV team 38-18 yesterday, with both schools playing each other across a range of sports.

•Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV 43 (Te Ra Whata 2, Hayze Perham 2, Jade Honeycombe, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Matangireia Yates-Francis tries; Kaleb Trask 4 con) Tauranga Boys' College 1st XV 5 (Afa Papali'i try)