Whanganui Collegiate win Feilding Sevens competition

WCS team (not in order): Judah Saumaisue, Harvey Meyer, Hunter Gibson, Monty Sherriff, Pita Manamanaivalu, William Johnston, Josh Brunger, Jack McCarthy, Jack Robertson, Ian Morton, Josh Allpress, Declan Guinea, Ratunui Latus, Max Thornton.

The Whanganui Collegiate sevens squad has won a regional competition after beating schools from Feilding, Palmerston North and Wellington.

The Feilding Sevens Tournament on Saturday was final preparation for WCS before the Condor Sevens national competition.

A tough day was expected with the top two Wellington teams of St Pats Silverstream and Scots College as well as the top two Manawatū teams of Palmerston North Boys High School and hosts Feilding to play.

WCS started with Feilding to whom they had heavily lost to at the Sir Gordon Tietjens Sevens a few weeks earlier.

Two tries from Feilding were answered by tries from Josh Brunger and Monty Sherriff but a missed conversion had WCS down 12–14 at half-time.

A try from William Johnston converted by Pita Manamanaivalu was matched by Feilding and with time nearly up and behind by two points Judah Saumaisue crashed over in the corner to seal a 24–21 victory.

Next up was St Pats Silverstream and WCS took control early with another strong run from Johnston giving him his second try, quickly followed by another from Sherriff and a third by Manamanaivalu, two of which were converted, to be leading 19–0 at half time.

St Pats hit back with a couple of tries in the second half but WCS held on to win 19–12.

The third game was against the Sir Gordon Tietjens Sevens champions Palmerston North Boys’ High School. Josh Brunger ran strongly and beat several tacklers to score two first-half tries, both converted by Manamanaivalu, but Boys’ High were equally good on attack and scored three tries with only one converted to lead 14–17 at half-time. In the second half a try to Saumaisue and a third to Brunger both converted by Manamanaivalu were answered by two to PNBHS with only one converted, meaning the narrowest of losses by 28–29.

To make the final, WCS had to beat Scots College. In a fantastic start, Johnston went straight through the middle off the first possession to score under the posts. Then a try from hardworking Harvey Meyer was followed by tries to Manamanaivalu and Sherriff, with three converted by Manamanaivalu to lead 26 – 0 at half time. In a much more even second half, Brunger went in for another try and Ratunui Latus, in breakaway 60m run, scored as well. Scots crossed for a couple themselves, but the damage had been done in the first half. Final score: 38–12.

This meant a final against PNBHS. WCS again started well and scored three tries in the first half, two to Manamanaivalu and one to Johnston with PNBHS getting over once.

At half-time the score was 17–5. Brunger added another in the second half, but PNBHS came back strongly to score three of their own with two converted, to be leading 22–24.

With time nearly up, Johnston, with one of his classic powerful runs, burst through and raced away to score under the posts and seal a tremendous 29–24 victory - a great result and a great lead-in to the Condor Sevens at Kings College, Auckland on Saturday and Sunday December 3-4.