Raphael Roars Loudest in Right Royal Town Win

St Pat’s Town openside flanker Raphael Mettrick crosses for the winning try that was converted on fulltime for the win. 

• By Steven White & Adam Julian
• Photos by Andy McArthur

The First XV Premiership resumed with a flourish this afternoon at Evans Bay Park with St Pat’s Town pipping St Pat’s Silverstream 38-36 in a biblical epic to win the Old Boys Cup for just the fourth time since 1997 and the first time since 2022.

The colossal contest produced a dozen tries, six lead changes, and was tied twice in the second half at 24-24 and 31-31.

It was the highest scoring game in 94 matches between the schools since 1931. Silverstream had only once scored more points in a losing traditional fixture, 37 against St Bede’s College in 2021. Town’s highest score previously against Silverstream was 27 in 1996.

In Tobit 12:15, Raphael reveals to Tobit and his son Tobias that he is one of the seven angels. In Jersey Seven, Raphael Mettrick was Town’s angel. Down 36-31, the tenacious openside wriggled through congestion to score a try under the posts at the end; late Budgie would have been hoarse. Second-five Gia Johnston calmly knocked over the conversion, triggering a euphoric crowd invasion. Mettrick’s 23rd game and fifth try in Town colours will live in legend.

Remarkably, the try was scored with Town a player down. Blockbusting No. 8 Nelsson Tiumalu (128kg) was in the sin-bin for a deliberate slap down during a vigorous attack by Silverstream in Town territory.

That prolonged assault finished in a try for Silverstream’s replacement back Payton Gleeson after an audacious penalty tap from fullback-come-halfback Jaxon Ropitini. The diminutive, hot-steeper slalomed past several defenders before delivering an improbable offload. Cooper couldn’t quite land the conversion from a wide angle, 36-31.

It was part of the catalogue of “What if” moments. Cooper missed a relatively straightforward penalty. Both schools were held up over the chalk multiple times. In the words of Mason Malagamaali, “Could of, Should of, Would of.”

The most fatal mistake was Silverstream failing to secure the last restart. It was shallow, teasing, dangling just beyond the ten-meter mark. The champions’ locks went missing as the locals soared.

Earlier, Town produced back-to-back tries to lightning left wing Zack “Zoom Kimmins” to lead 10-0. Both resulted from Town searching for expansion on the left edge, and Kimmins in space wasn’t going to be caught.  Tiumalu delivered the final pass to Kimmins for his first 40-metre runaway. Then, First five Decodah Silva delivered a lovely switch in play and a skip pass from near halfway out to Kimmins for the second. Kimmins has scored 32 tries in 41 games.

Silverstream rallied with back-to-back tries in the 20th and 24th minutes – both converted by Cooper. Tighthead prop Vaitupu Vaitupu battered clear for the first try before a lovely attacking passage up the left flank saw lock Bronson Martin deftly deliver to hooker Jahveen Hunt, 14-10.

Town regrouped with 126kg loosehead prop Donncha McNamara-Taele possessed in his 36th match. Except for a Silverstream penalty under their posts and a runaway that, if the last pass had stuck, would have been a try, Town scored before halftime through bruising blindside Darius Mareko, 17-14.

Town leapt ahead 22-14 early in the second half when Mettrick, forewarned of his impact. He burst onto a pass from Tom Bracewell, not dissimilar from that of Martin.

Silverstream’s first-five and talisman went on a tear, scoring two tries, kicking two conversions, including one from the sideline, and nailing a dropped goal out of nowhere to lay on 17 points that put Silverstream up 31-24.

After being held up over the line twice, Cooper scored the first of these tries by running on to an inside pass into clean air by second five Oakley Time.

A massive tighthead scrum by Silverstream’s forwards almost saw them score another try, but Town resisted. Like he did last week against St Bede’s College, year 12 fullback Maka Vaihola (7 games, 70kg) made a couple of try-saving interventions. One of them was here as Stream was kept out. Nonplussed, Cooper slotted a drop goal from in front on a subsequent play.

Last year’s Hurricanes U16 Player of the Tournament, Cooper, then produced a stab kick in general play, which centre Shae Taitua blasted on to and passed to the left winger in support, who stumbled just short. Cooper carried the play on and touched down inside the right-hand corner flag in front of most of the Wellington College First XV, wagging period five.

Town squandered a huge lead in May to lose to Wellington College. Better fitness, discipline, and execution got the job done. The two teams are likely to meet again in the semi-finals. The last time Town won this fixture in 2022, they lost the final to a resurgent Silverstream.

The Old Boys Cup tally now stands at Town 21 wins and Silverstream’s 68, with the last of five draws a comparable 1986 classic that ended 20-20.

This match concludes this winter of midweek matches amongst the four ‘traditional’ schools in Wellington, Silverstream, St Pat’s Town, Wellington College and Rongotai College.

There are two rounds to play, this coming Saturday 25 July and Saturday 1 August, before the semi-finals on Saturday 8 August and the Final on the weekend of 15/16 August (date and venue to be advised).

Meanwhile, the fourth and final round match of the Beard Trophy challenge series concluded at Porirua Park this evening.

Aotea College defended the Beard Trophy for the second time with a 60-5 win over Porirua Park. They have thus locked the Beard Trophy away for the summer and will start next year as the defenders.

Kapiti College defeated Paraparaumu College 24-22 in their annual traditional fixture on Tuesday afternoon.

Wellington Premiership First XV competition standings after today’s match with the remaining matches of the seventh and penultimate round to be played on Saturday (points in brackets):

1st: Wellington College (29)

2nd: St Pat’s Town (29)

3rd: St Pat’s Silverstream (28)

4th: Rathkeale College (24)

5th: Scots College (17)

6th: HIBS (15)

7th: St Bernard’s College (12)

8th: Wairarapa College (6)

9th: Rongotai College (6)

10th: Mana College (0)

This Saturday’s draw is:

• Scots College v Rathkeale College, Scots 1, 12.00pm
• Wairarapa College v St Bernard’s College, Wai Coll, 12.00pm
• Rongotai College v Mana College, RC 1, 2.30pm

Wellington College v HIBS, WC 1, 2.30pm