NZRL NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS TOURNAMENT – DAY 2
A number of schools flexed their muscle on day two of the NZRL National Secondary Schools Tournament on Tuesday, clocking up big victories under the Auckland sun at Pulman Park.
Perhaps most emphatic was the statement made by Rotorua Boys’ High School, who led by a five-try haul from rangy centre Selesitino Ravutaumada, and 18 points via the accurate boot of halfback Ceiza James, ran in more than a point a minute to beat Whangarei Boys’ High School 58-0.
Mt Albert Grammar were also convincing winners, getting up 44-0 over fellow Aucklanders Westlake Boys’ High School, with the win establishing them as outright leaders of Pool D, while St Thomas of Canterbury beat James Cook High School 40-20 in the group’s other game.
Otahuhu College edged out a valuable 18-16 victory over Wesley College to go clear at the top of Pool C, with centre Keenan Joe’s perfect converting the difference in a game where both sides scored three tries.
Manurewa raced out to an early 24-0 lead over Tokoroa, and despite the Waikato school hitting back with a pair of tries to winger Leevon Uili, Manurewa held on to pick up their first win of the campaign 36-10.
Southern Cross Campus showed a marked improvement on their day one effort, which finished in a 28-6 loss to Manukura, to secure a valuable 22-all draw against Auckland champions Kelston Boys’ High School.
Both halfbacks were standouts for their sides, with Konrad Tu’ua scoring 14 of Kelston’s points and Southern Cross’s William Fakatoumafi crossing for a try and kicking three goals.
After trailing St Paul’s 16-0 at the break, Manukura staged a brave second-half comeback, scoring three tries but ultimately falling just short in a 24-18 loss, with the victory leaving St Paul’s as the only undefeated team in Pool A.
In the Development Grade, a big second half from Papakura saw them overcome Manawatu College 44-14, after leading by just six at the break.
Whangaparoa College picked up their second win, downing Haeata Community Campus 30-16, with Whangaparoa halfback Notana Snowden extending his impressive goalkicking streak to a perfect nine from nine over the opening two games.
Goalkicking proved the difference in the third Development Grade game of the day as well, with Howick and Onehunga both scoring three tries, but the latter getting home for a 16-12 victory thanks to a pair of successful conversions.
A three-try showing from centre Rayden Fotu got Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate the win against a determined Naenae College, 26-16.
NZRL NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS TOURNAMENT DAY 2
Bruce Pulman Park, Papakura
Tuesday, September 4
Premiership
Wesley College 16 Otahuhu 18, Rotorua Boys’ High School 58 Whangarei Boys’ High School 0, Tokoroa High School 10 Manurewa High School 36, Mt Albert Grammar School 44 Westlake Boys’ High School 0, St Thomas of Canterbury College 40 James Cook High School 20, Kelston Boys’ High School 22 Southern Cross Campus 22, St Paul’s College 24 Manukura 18
Development
Papakura High School 44 Manawatu College 14, Haeata Community Campus 16 Whangaparoa College 30, Onehunga High School 16 Howick College 12, Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate 26 Naenae College 16
