Both schools secured top seeds in their respective maroon and blue pools with impressive wins today.
They are set to face off in a playoff game in Ranfurly on Saturday, the only game scheduled for the schools competition next weekend.
St Kevin’s claimed the top seed in the blue pool after a hard-fought 26-14 victory over Central Southland College in Oamaru amidst chilly conditions. Coach Justin Fowler expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance.
“We are thrilled with the result. It was our goal to compete in the top six, and the boys have delivered. We have had some tough wins in recent weeks, and I am proud of our resilience,” Fowler said.
Despite challenging weather conditions, St Kevin’s dominated the second half of the game to secure their win.
“We were strong in terms of territory and ball possession, especially in the second half. Our set piece was a bit shaky, but our ruck ball and counter attacks were on point. We managed to score three long-range tries in the second half,” Fowler added.
The victory was a team effort, with standout performances from first five Lachlan Neal, center Kenton Tokai, and blindside Liasiate Hausia.
In other results from the blue pool, Waitaki Boys’ had a commanding 59-10 win against Maruawai/Menzies, while South Otago secured a 63-0 victory over John McGlashan College 2nds.
Mount Aspiring also had a strong showing, defeating Taieri College 50-10 in the maroon pool.
Looking ahead, the competition will be split into division one, two, and three for the second round after next weekend’s playoff game.
Division one will feature Southland Boys’ 1sts and 2nds, Otago Boys’ 1sts, King’s 1sts, John McGlashan 1sts, and the winner of the playoff game. Dunstan will move to division two, joining Waitaki Boys’, Wakatipu, South Otago, Otago Boys’ 2nds, and the playoff runner-up.
Division three will consist of South Otago, King’s 2nds, John McGlashan 2nds, Cromwell, Maruawai/Menzies, and Taieri.
