Northern A loses school rugby crown

Press, 11 July 1988, Page 26

Northern A loses school rugby crown

For the first time since the Trust Bank New Zealand ! secondary schools rugby ! tournament was introduced in 1985 it has been won by a ' team other than Northern A. 1 Central beat Northern A 1 21-14, in the final at Rugby I Park yesterday. ’ The size and strength of the two teams was surprising, 1 considering their ages. ’ Both sides had a strong 1 Polynesian membership and <

it was these players that showed, in some cases, superb skills. Central opened its title bid with a sixth-minute try to flanker, Tohanga Raumati, scored after he charged through on a loose ball from a lineout. Two minutes later Gavin Porima, the Central hooker, was in the midst of a strong forward drive which had him claiming the first of his two

tries. His second try came five minutes later when he finished off a move that had begun with the Central backs inside their own 22 metre line. In the nineteenth minute Andre Bell added a penalty goal; 15-0 must have seemed a long way back for the tiring Northern side. However, the second half was a complete turn-round,

Northern turning on the power in its effort to retain the championship. [ In the seventh minute, ; Northern’s excellent second five-eighths, Waisake Sotutu, set up a try for Andrew i Fairgray. ’ Three minutes later NorthI ern scored again, a Joe Ed- ■ wards try coming after a field-length run by the backs. f A comeback by Northern , looked on the cards but all

the extra pressure took its toll and its defence lapsed, the Central wing, Fola Fata, scoring an easy try. Scorers.—Central 21 (Tohanga Raumati, Gavin Porima, two, Fola Fata, tries; Andre Bell penalty goal, conversion), beat Northern A 14 (Andrew Fairgray, Joe Edwards, Steven Vile, tries, Steven Vile conversion). In the curtain-raiser, the play-off for third and fourth

; places, Southern came back , in thrilling style from 18-0 , down at half-time to beat Northern B 29-22. [ Scorers. —Southern 29 - (Clint Ford, Chris O’Reilly, ; Scott Kennedy, Chris Flannery, tries; Glen Davis three I penalty goals, two conversions) beat Northern B 22 , (Falanasi Manukia, Simon Phillips, two, Folau Taimalie- » tana, tries; Corey Chesney i three conversions).