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- By Steven White & Andy McArthur.
Wellington College beat Rongotai College 60-0 in their First XV traditional and third round Wellington First XV Premiership match at Wellington College this afternoon and St Pat’s Silverstream defeated New Plymouth Boys’ High School 35-17 on the road. Silverstream trailed 5-10 at halftime at the famous Gully ground, and moved ahead in the second half.
Elsewhere, Mana College defeated visiting Feilding school Hato Paora College 18-13 in their traditonal at their school grounds in Elsden (photo below) while St Pat’s Town’s slow start to 2023 continued by missing out 22-17 to St John’s College, Hastings.
Some content from the Wellington College – Rongotai College game follows.
Wellington College overwhelm Rongotai College in traditional
Wellington College regained the Heron Trophy and Scarf in as convincing fashion as the scoreline suggests.
Wellington College won 10 tries to nil, scoring six tries in the first half and four in the second. The match was played in sunny conditions but on a very heavy field that cut up as the game progressed.
Wellington College had the advantage of a moderate wind in the first half, playing towards the Bruce Farland end, and made the most of it.
Wellington College’s forwards were quickly into their work and scored three tries inside the first 20 minutes to lead 17-0, all three a result of building phases and retaining possession. Two of their first three tries were scored by their locks, Harry Law and Joe McGuinness, and the other by No. 8 Ele Lupo.
The game was effectively over in the 25th minute when Wellington College scored their bonus point try with big prop Israel Time barging over. It went from bad to worse for Rongotai in the 29th minute when Wellington College counter-attacked from a scrum 70 metres out, which brought play up into the opposing 22 and blindside flanker Finn O’Sullivan scored the subsequent try.
From the re-start, Wellington College first five Archie Sims made a clean break, leading to their next try to left wing Sam Braddock under the posts to make it 38-0 at halftime.
Any hopes of a Rongotai fightback were extinguished immediately after halftime when Wellington College scored their seventh try from the kick-off with a break by fullback Carisma Faitala, and right wing and captain Jacob Kennedy scored in front of the non-operational scoreboard in his corner. Sims kicked the sideline conversion, and it was now 45-0.
The next period of play was scrappy as the muddy conditions and the substitutes made by both sides slowed down Wellington College’s scoring rate. Besides, Rongotai simply couldn’t get their hands on the ball to do anything with it for any meaningful period of time, and they also continued to give away a high number of penalties which blunted any such momentum.
Wellington College finished off the game in style over the last few minutes, with replacement loosehead prop Sam Wood crossing to bring up the half century, followed by two late tries from a kick ahead and another runaway following a re-start.
Wellington College v Rongotai College – last 5 matches
- 2023: Wellington College 62 – Rongotai College 0
- 2022: Rongotai College 25 – Wellington College 24
- 2021: Wellington College 34 – Rongotai College 0
- 2020: Rongotai College 27 – Wellington College 20
- 2019: Rongotai College 23 – Wellington College 20
Wellington Premiership third round draw:
All the tries below:
Hi there,
A slight correction to the article covering the Traditionals, WC’s win against Rongotai today – the WC loosehead prop who crossed the line to bring up the 50 was Sam Wood, who came on at half time.