Collegiate prop and captain Hayden O'Leary on the charge in his team's upset win over Nelson College in the Quadrangular tournament yesterday afternoon.
Collegiate prop and captain Hayden O'Leary on the charge in his team's upset win over Nelson College in the Quadrangular tournament yesterday afternoon.
The old adage in rugby is win games with backs and seasons with forwards, but the Wanganui Collegiate 1st XV had it the other way around after their seismic 19-13 upset over defending champions Nelson College in the 92nd annual Quadrangular yesterday afternoon.
Down 13-0 with the clock ticking away on the No1 field, the Collegiate pack got the traction to work forward on a series of strong rolling mauls to bring their team into Nelson's 22m.
They then showed composure to control and recyle, leading to three tries inside the final 15 minutes to send themselves into tomorrow's final with Canterbury's Christ's College, who hammered Wellington College 49-19 in the early afternoon match.
You would have to go back to 2015 to the last time Collegiate did not lose a Quadrangular match, securing a draw in the minor playoff, while they now have a chance at their first title since 1991, the game being screened live on Sky TV's Rugby Channel.
"A good, gutsy effort," said team manager Guy Lennox.
"We just got down there and got away with it, for once."
Although predominantly a Year 12 squad with several of their 2017 champions having left school, Nelson College unveiled a strong kicking game in the first half, along with a couple of tall forwards who took some stopping in the cold conditions.
A solid break led to a penalty in front for fullback Levi Carew to boot them into the lead. Collegiate flanker Daniel Truss wasn't shirking the hitups and there was a sense that if No8 Semi Vodosese could get going then the home side had a chance, although they were struggling to get out of their own half.
A hard run by captain and prop Hayden O'Leary led to a Nelson turnover at the maul, while a couple of other spills eased the pressure off.
First-five Ben Kelt tried chip kicks and short range bombs to break up Nelson's defensive line, but unfortunately the spotlight fell on winger Jolame Vunisa, who fumbled a couple of Nelson's missed-directed kicks to let the visitors back up field.
Getting a 5m scrum, Nelson worked to the left side and then the right with captain and No8 Andton Segner finding a big overlap on the third phase to dive over for 8-0 at halftime.
Collegiate flanker Fergus Hughes takes the lineout throw during the first half.
It seemed Nelson had sealed it midway through the second half as good hands from the backs saw winger Connor Johnston pull the in-and-away to dive across in the corner.
But instead of fading, Collegiate immediately ramped up the urgency as they attacked and got the penalty, taking a lineout close to the line and the pack rumbled hard to put prop Wareti Cooper over for 13-5.
Fullback Hadleigh O'Leary tested his opposite Carew with a probing grubber kick as Collegiate began to hound Nelson's clearences, before driving the the tryline again from another lineout.
Kelt backed himself and was stopped short, before the ball went wide and only Nelson prop Josh McIntyre's tackle prevented the try in the corner.
But Nelson were stretched and Kelt fired the pass back to the right and centre Pati Leo couldn't believe his luck as he ran into a wide open gap to score.
Winger Logan Henry added the extras and the Collegiate students on the sideline were in full voice at 13-12.
A partial charge-down on Carew was snatched up by Collegiate and another grubber kick for Henry's wing just went out before he got there.
But Nelson were feeling the pressure and with the lineout throw not straight, Collegiate tapped the ball and the pack rumbled to the chalk again.
After a series of close rucks with excellent ball control, Vodosese steamed through two defenders to score, with home students giving Henry the "magic fingers" to add the extras.
Nelson weren't done as cleverly they did not contest a Collegiate lineout drive near halfway to get the penalty for a truck-and-trailer offside, and then they swept sideline to sideline with Segner, Johnston, and big reserve forward Isaiah Malaulau nearly breaking free.
But Collegiate's loose forwards forced the turnover and halfback Mason Lund timed the countdown from the ruck to boot the ball into oblivion.
Collegiate 1st XV 19 (Hayden O'Leary, Pati Leo, Semi Vodosese tries; Logan Henry 2 con) bt Nelson College 13 (Anton Segner, Connor Johnston tries; Levi Carew pen). HT: 8-0 Nelson College.
