New Zealand teams have continued their fine form at the World Schools Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi with confident overnight wins.
Kelston Boys' High registered a comprehensive 52-3 victory over Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Steelers to top their group on goal difference after two rounds.
And defending champions Westlake Boys' High beat Welsh champions Llandovery College 21-5, after leading 14-5 at halftime, to also retain a perfect record in their group.
It took just over two minutes for an athletic and mobile Kelston team to breach the Steelers line, with loosehead prop Solo Baleinaikasakasa showing the footwork of a back as he charged 25m to score.
Though Zambezi replied with an early penalty, from the base of a Kelston scrum under pressure, No.8 Aio Keith peeled off, split the defence and ran 40m to score an even better second try.
Kelston secured a bonus point before halftime, with more fluent play creating further tries to Paula Lu’au (2), and Tianau Letoa, and Tyson Parsons making three conversions for a 26-3 lead.
It was more of the same in the second spell, with tries to lock Nathan Auld, halfback Sam Toko and flanker Joseph Paiali’i.
Kelston will now face England’s Millfield School on Thursday night (NZ time) in a showdown for top spot in their group. Millfield came from behind to beat Zambezi 29-10 on Sunday and South Africa’s EG Jensen 29-5 overnight.
Meanwhile Westlake face South Africa’s Paul Roos Gimnasium on Thursday in what will be another group decider.
Paul Roos were 15-12 winners over England’s Harrow overnight, and earlier this month the nextgenerationxv.com website ranked them as the top Southern Hemisphere rugby school for 2024 (with Westlake ranked 20th).
