Whanganui Collegiate played with pride and passion in their best season in decades during 2019.
Whanganui Collegiate played with pride and passion in their best season in decades during 2019.
Despite their 26-14 loss in the Central North Island final in Hamilton on Saturday, the Whanganui Collegiate 1st XV can still look back with pride on their best season in decades.
Saturday's defeat was the college rugby swansong for around 16 of the 23 members in the match-day squad, afterhead coach Steve Simpson and assistant Mark Godrey first cultivated them as younger players from the previous two seasons.
Playing in their first CNI final against a home side whose school has now won five of the last six titles, Collegiate looked a little slow coming out of the gate, heading into the wind.
St Paul's scored in the opening exchanges and backed it up immediately to lead 12-0 in the first 10 minutes, which became 19-0 by halftime with their third try.
But in the second half, the Collegiate forwards led by hooker Ben Strang began to claw their way back from their signature pick-and-go attack, which led to second-five Te Atawhai Mason scorching over the line and then converting.
Trying to halt the momentum, St Paul's gave away repeated infringements until a player was sinbinned, and then Collegiate attacked again with their blindside flanker and captain Henry Kilmister dotting down, Mason again converting for 19-14.
However, with only three minutes left after the restart, St Paul's kicked long and looked to trap Collegiate in their own 22m.
Needing to chance their arm, the visitors made the costly turnover and St Paul's controlled the ball for two phases to bash over for the match-winner right on fulltime to lift both the trophy and the Rick T Francis Memorial Shield again.
Nonetheless, Collegiate have enjoyed an outstanding season, making the CNI playoffs for the first time with a 7-2 record, which included beating St Paul's 26-19 in pool play on June 5
Only narrow last-minute away losses to Wesley College (31-28, May 18) and Feilding High (13-8, August 8) prevented Collegiate from finishing as top qualifier, as a potential home final could have made the difference against St Paul's.
Taranaki contender Francis Douglas Memorial College were beaten twice, 19-12 in New Plymouth on June 2, and then 26-12 in the semifinal the previous Saturday.
The June win followed up from arguably Collegiate's greatest achievement – defeating Super 8 First XV power school New Plymouth Boys High 32-26 in their own Gully during preseason.
In the annual Quadrangular Tournament in Wellington, Collegiate came as close as they have to winning the title since 1991, after beating hosts Wellington College 32-5 but just losing the final against another top nationally-ranked school in Nelson College, 13-7.
Of the current crop of players, a number of them appear to have a solid rugby pathway ahead of them.
Strang and Mason went to the Hurricanes Age Grade Camp in July, with Strang then selected for the Hurricanes Under 18's to play the Blues U18's.
In his sole year with Collegiate, centre Sione Osamu was the season's MVP for CNI, finishing two points clear of the runnerup, while big No 8 Semi Vodosese appears to have a massive future in either sevens rugby or XV's.
As captain, Kilmister led from the front all year and proved an inspiration to a squad that always endeavoured to play positive, team-orientated rugby.
It will not be easy living up to this higher standard as Collegiate rebuild their lineup from the next generation of players, although there is still some strong talent returning, like first-five Harry Godfrey, for 2020.
Whanganui Collegiate 1st XV results
Preseason Beat New Plymouth Boys High 32-26 Beat Hato Paora 38-19
CNI Tournament Lost to Wesley College 31-28 Beat St John's Hamilton 59-14 Beat Francis Douglas Memorial College 19-12 Beat St Paul's Collegiate 26-19 Beat Rathkeale College 43-3 Beat St John's Hastings 69-0 Beat Lindisfarne College 46-26 Beat St Peter's Cambridge 39–19 Lost to Feilding High School 13-8 Semifinal: Beat Francis Douglas 26-12 Final: Lost to St Paul's Collegiate 26-14
Quadrangular Tournament Beat Wellington College 32-5 Final: Lost to Nelson College 13-7
Traditionals Fixture Beat Whanganui High School 96-0
