The superior strength and running speed of Massey High School saw them secure an overwhelming 54-5 win this week over opposition Takapuna Grammar. Despite the score, each team gained great experience in the 11th round of the XV competition, played as the curtain raiser to the Blues vs Brumbies game at Eden Park.
Massey’s second-five Mac Pisi opened the scoring early, stepping and swerving through Takapuna to score under the posts. Massey continued their attack through the running strength of standout players No.6 Christian Lio-Willie, Mac Pisi and fullback Alex Tavita. Despite Massey’s relentless offense, Takapuna exhibited a solid line of defence, forcing Massey turnovers. However, the work of Lio-Willie and company meant Massey was able to penetrate the team’s line, thundering through their defence from twenty metres out and scoring to the left of the posts. After this, Massey’s right winger Dave Puleila showcased blistering speed down the right hand side of the field, starting from sixty metres out and scoring in the right hand corner. Takapuna managed to gain momentum in the latter part of the half, with No.10 Oscar Koller kicking for the corners and securing greater field position. Takapuna eventually reached Massey’s 22 for the first time, 20 minutes in to the game, when the team managed to convert upon the rare opportunity. Fullback Jasper Edgar took a brilliant inside pass from centre Iverson Chan-Tung, to score the team’s first and only try of the game. Although Takapuna attempted to maintain their position within Massey’s half, the powerful tackling of Massey’s No.7 Nathan Vaatausili saw the team unwillingly sent back into their own territory. Under the relentless pressure of Massey’s offense, Takapuna were forced to field many clearance kicks. One of these kicks was collected by Massey’s left wing Sam Samu at halfway and carried through Takapuna’s line to the five metre line, where an offload saw No.10 Nikau Drage secure his first of two tries in the match and Massey with a 26-5 lead headed into half time.
Massey continued their dominance in the second half with Lio-Willie once again sprinting away from the Takapuna back line, running sixty metres and dotting down. Other Massey try scorers from the 2nd half also include No. 7 Nathan Vaatausili and Tavita. Any field position Takapuna was able to make was quickly lost, due to the strong tackling and skilful ruck of Massey. The TMO, a special feature to Blues and Eden Park curtain raisers, was used four times to question tries, three being disallowed as a result. But nothing could halt Massey’s eventual domination and skilful play.
In the other 1A fixtures, Rosmini put away Rangitoto 58-0 on Friday afternoon and Westlake defeated Whangarei at Kensington Oval 22-6. The other match was a thriller with Birkenhead in the lead 14-13 at Orewa with 5 minutes to go and looking like taking a well deserved win for the first time in the season. BC was ahead at the break 14-5 through a good work rate and the help of a strong south-westerley. Orewa cranked it up in the second half scoring a try and kicking a penalty to come back to 14-13. Birkenhead held out the Orewa attackers several times and gained possession then kept it tight but the ball went wide to be ripped away in a tackle by the newly subbed reserve winger Thomas Taula who scampered to score under the posts taking the score to 20-14 and carried the day for Orewa in front of a jubilant crowd.
The competition takes a break 16 July for school holidays but three deferred mid-week games will be played 23 July – Birkenhead v Rangitoto, Rosmini v Massey and Whangarei v Takapuna. A postponed mid-week game, Orewa v Westlake is yet to be scheduled. The 1A competition will then resume for the final two rounds of pool fixtures 30 July and 6 August. All other secondary school grades resume 30 July.
1A Points: Westlake 49, Rosmini 48, Massey 44, Whangarei 24, Rangitoto 23, Takapuna 13, Orewa 12 and Birkenhead 2.
By Trey Tupu-South, Westlake Boys’ High School
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