Midweek wins for St Pat’s Town, St Pat’s Silverstream and Wellington College

• By Adam Julian
• Photos by Andy McArthur

St Pat’s Town (Tuesday), St Pat’s Silverstream (Wednesday) and Wellington College (Thursday) enjoyed wins this week. Accounts of these games below, starting with the Quadrangular Tournament on Thursday.

The 100th Quadrangular (Quad) final on Saturday will be contested between the most prolific winners of the competition, Wellington College and Nelson College, after both schools nearly raised a collective ton in their day one victories.

In chilly conditions that echoed the Crowded House classic Four Seasons in One Day, defending champions Nelson pulled clear of a gallant Christ’s College 48-29. Wellington overpowered hosts Whanganui Collegiate 50-10.

On the embankment side, the whole school was out in force. A temporary grandstand erected parallel to the cricket pavilion was packed with parents and old boys reminiscing fondly of glory days while gorging on sideline delicacies that included Beef Brisket, Bacon Butty, Spring Rolls, and Sausage in Bread, washed down with Coke or coffee. In the nearby cricket pavilion and gymnasium, vivid and thoughtful photo montages of yesteryear could be viewed.

Wellington College Too Powerful For Whanganui Collegiate

Despite plenty of endeavour and a lion-hearted shift from captain and openside James Olds, Whanganui Collegiate was soundly beaten 50-10 by Wellington College.

Wellington bossed the breakdown with three jackal turnovers, defusing promising Whanganui attacks and directly leading to tries at the opposite end of the paddock. Entering a tackle or ruck near Z’Kdeus “Fritz” Schwalger meant venturing into the “Fritz Locker.” The No.8 was a cast anchor over the ball, while centre Liam Phelps smuggled a steal when Wellington was cooked out wide.

Wellington opened the scoring with a simple, strong, direct approach that reaped rich dividends. Openside Isaac Davey-Tiotito stretched out among a cluster of bodies.

Whanganui winger Lachie Stark snatched an intercept and dashed 75 metres, thrilling the locals. But Whanganui was largely stifled by the heavier visiting pack.

Hooker Noah Sipeli rumbled over twice from lineout drives. Winger Taysian Davey-Tiotito fended off three tacklers disdainfully while replacement prop Tupe Valu and Phelps benefited from arrow-straight running.

The most exciting Wellington try was their fourth late in the first half when first-five Joe Barry (or was it MacKenzie Barry) transformed defence into attack by artfully dribbling the ball downfield. Jockey-sized halfback Ben Willocks followed in close pursuit and finished a try that looked like something from the Jeff Wilson era.

Wellington cleared their bench as some of their earlier sting disappeared. Whanganui never stopped trying with strapping No.8 Seremia Waganisau, a workhorse. Replacement Charlie Devane has his grit rewarded with a late try.

Wellington has won 38 of their 63 clashes with Whanganui at Quad.

The referee was former Club Rugby contributor Will Johnston, in his 20th season of refereeing. ]hE recently officiated his 150th Taranaki senior rugby game.

Wellington College: 50 (Isaac Davey-Tiotio, Taysian Davey-Tiotio, Noah Sipeli 2, Ben Willocks, Harry Baddington, Tupe Valu, Liam Phelps tries; Joe Barry 4, Cooper Werkhoven cons) Whanganui Collegiate: 10 (Lachie Stark, Charlie Devane tries)

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Nelson College Finalists again 

In the buoyant, convivial atmosphere, Nelson scored the first try a tick after midday when vice-captain and prop Coby Davis barged following four minutes of repeated, rigorous phases.

The Black and White hoops responded immediately when Year 12 winger Henry Brotherway veered off his right foot past three defenders, stumbling just short of the paint. In the next phase, the destructive centre, Hoanu Kahukiwa, ploughed through. Brotherway repeated his trickery off the left foot, leading to a try by No.8 Max Osmers, who carried with fervour. First-five Jackson Grace added variety as a playmaker.

Down 12-Down 12-10, aptly named Nelson opposite Bronco MacDonald made a searing break with a “backdoor” decoy move that exposed Christ’s left-side defence and allowed lock Ryan Quinn to stride into the space created. The tactic often paid off.

Nelson effectively settled the outcome with two tries in the first five minutes of the second half to fullback Liam Soper and hooker Jackson Faine to advance the score from 17-12 to 31-12. It threatened to become a blowout when winger Alex Drury crossed in the 48th minute.

In addition to six conversions slotted in tricky wind, Soper was both incisive and elusive.

Yoshi Matsunami was similarly lively for Christ’s, and his long-range try in the 51st minute was the cherry on top of a lively display.

Christ’s bench offered late impact, but Vili Holani and Mone Pouli were a potent pair in midfield, and No.8 Copper Bruning was a handful.

Nelson has won 36 of their 64 previous matches against Christ’s at Quad. The referee was Chloe Sampson from Taranaki. She recently officiated at the Bordeaux Sevens.

Nelson College: 48 Coby Davis, Ryan Quinn,  Liam Soper, Jackson Fraine, Alex Drury, Cooper Bruning; Soper 6 cons, pen) Christ’s College: 29 (Honai Kahukiwa, Max Osmers, Yoshi Matsunami, Gus McKenzie, Luke Mostert tries; Jackson Grace, George Wood cons) HT: 17-12

Photos of this match are here: https://clubrugby.smugmug.com/2026/2026-School-and-First-XV-Rugby/18-June-Quad-Nelson-College-48-v-Christs-College-29

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Town Wins Catch-Up

In a Premiership catch-up fixture on Tuesday night at Hataitai Park, St Pat’s Town overcame a hearty Wairarapa College 45-23 after leading only 26-23 at halftime.

Wairarapa stunned the Catholics by jumping to a 10-0 lead in as many minutes. It remained tit for tat for the first 35 minutes, both schools showing honourable intent to play expansively in Ruahine Street mist and dew.

Town tightened their approach in the second spell, employing their bigger forwards to puncture and fatigue the Blue and Gold defence. Six of Town’s seven tries were scored by forwards. Xavier Ikin-Manulevu, Donnie McNamara-Taele, Gia Johnston, Maka Vaihola, Anesi Taliau, Ralph Mettrick and Olu Siohane-Hune crossed the strip, with Johnston adding five conversions. Wairarapa’s points came from tries by Jack Anderson, Lucas White and Josh Fairbrother, who added two conversions and a penalty.

After their narrow 31-26 loss to leaders Wellington College in the first round, Town have won three on the bounce and are comfortably tracking third. Despite a brave showing, Wairarapa have dropped to one win and three defeats.

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Silverstream ease past Rongotai

Defending champions St Patrick’s College, Silverstream, bounced back from their first defeat in 21 Premiership games with a record 109-0 romp of Rongotai College.

Silverstream was irritated by their 26-17 defeat to Wellington last Wednesday, during which they committed an unusually high number of mistakes. For winless Rongotai, what was already a tall order became a humiliation against a motivated, rampant Silverstream.

It was 47-0 at halftime and, as if things couldn’t get worse, the visitors conceded a penalty try and a yellow card for a no-arms tackle on Silverstream winger Troy Waldrom as he dived over the line in the 44th minute. While undermanned, Silverstream rushed in five tries, three straight from the kickoff. At 79-0, first-five Fletcher Cooper didn’t even bother to summon the tee for a shot straight out in front. Inevitably the scrums became contested.

Silverstream scored 16 tries, with a dozen different individual scorers. Captain and blindside Ryder Thompson celebrated a hat-trick. Waldrom sped in twice as did Oakley Time.

Jaxon Ropitini, swapping from fullback to halfback and hooker Javhan Hunt were among the chief destroyers and each scored tries, while Atonio Tupou added insult to injury with an explosive cameo from the bench.

Cooper finished with 27 points from 11 conversions and a try. That passes the record of 24 points (six four-point tries) scored by John Leslie in Silverstream’s previous record win against Rongotai College of 74-6 in 1988.

Rongotai have won only one of their last 14 Premiership matches in an alarming slide for a side that has been semi-finalists four times since 2016 and famously won the Premiership three times consecutively from 1996 to 1998 and again in 2003. Ma’a Nonu, Julian Savea and Ardie Savea are Wellington’s greatest All Blacks so far this millennium. All three attended Rongotai. What is going on?