Hawkes Bay Schoolboy Rugby

[Stargazer]

@Higgins I assume you mean that the Wellington's qualifier in the Hurricanes girls comp is a closed shop? Manukura can field a full team and they had to beat Feilding HS Girls (43 - 7) and Hastings GHS (38 - 15) to reach the final.

Manukura is the Whanganui/Manawatu qualifying team; Hastings Girls the East Coast/Poverty Bay/Hawkes Bay qualifying team. I don't know whether Hastings Girls played a game against any East Coast/PB team to progress, for example, Gisborned Girls. The HBRU is terrible in giving info about rep teams, but even worse about school teams, even worse than worse about girls school teams.

Initially, St Mary's as the Wellington qualifying team was supposed to play a semi-final against a qualifying team from Wairarapa-Bush or Horowhenua-Kapiti, but I guess no team put their hand up to take on St Mary's.

.
By the way, the Hawke's Bay Girls U18 School competition had 6 teams for the first time, this year, with 2 combined teams IIRC. Hastings Girls had their own, full squad. In previous years, there were only 4 teams from girls' schools, one of which often was Gisborne GHS.

There was also for the first time, a Hawke's Bay U15 Girls School competition with 4 teams (1 combined team?).

So the girls' game is clearly growing, but change takes time. Manukura is a school with a specialised sports programme, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them dominate girls rugby for the next few years in the Hurricanes region, but I'd expect a school like Hastings Girls to become more competitive as well.

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae I think they made an exception for the Hurricanes Boys Final last year, because both teams in the final were Hawke's Bay schools, so it made sense for the game to be played in Napier (McLean Park). But I don't think that this year's final taking place in Palmy has anything to do with where the Super 8 game was played, as all Hurricanes Finals will be played in Poo city.

[Higgins]

@Stargazer Can you post the link so we can watch the Hurricanes boys open final thanks?

[Stargazer]

Hurricanes Boys Final:

Palmerston North Boys v Hastings Boys
2.40pm? - Massey Sport and Rec Centre, Palmerston North

LIVE on Sky Sport 8 (ch 58) from 2.30pm

Hastings Boys 1st XV:
I will add the squad here, as soon as it has been published somewhere.

.

Hurricanes Boys Development Final:

Hutt International Boys v Lindisfarne
12.30pm - CET Arena, Field 4, Palmerston North

Not livestreamed or televised

Lindisfarne 1st XV:
1 Ben Thomassen, 2. Sam Horsefield, 3. Georges Vea, 4. Steve Black, 5. Kurtis Arlidge, 6. Kings Tupuola, 7. Zinny Ropitini, 8. Tino Savea, 9. George Charteris, 10. George Twigley (C), 11. James Buckeridge, 12. Charlie Dods, 13. Jordy Douglas (VC), 14. Moeki Sokotaua, 15. Harry Mowat
Reserves: 16. Felix Paul, 17. Jono Kilsby, 18. Lanson Randell, 19. Fred Mowat, 20. Ben Gibbs, 21. Grayson Hesketh,

[Stargazer]

Hastings Boys 1st XV to play Palmy Boys:

15 Mercedes Hodge, 14 Joeli Rauca, 13 Andrew Hayward, 12 Jordan Thompson-Dunn (co-captain), 11 Mefi Tupou, 10 Latrell Ah Kiong, 9 Phillip King-Panapa, 8 Cooper Flanders, 7 Daemon Brough, 6 Connor Wadley (co-captain), 5 Julian Goerke, 4 Emil Crichton, 3 Mosese Fineanganofo, 2 Jacob Dorward, 1 Tini Nu'u.

Substitutes: Forwards, 16 Manahi Goulton, 17 Josh Folau, 18 Jeremiah Tuiatua, 19 Fraser Taurima-Heperi, 20 Donovan Godinet. Backs, 21 Charlie Varcoe, 22 Elijah Mataira.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=12263509

[Higgins]

Just for you Nepia HBHS have just hit the lead with a very nice try to one of your locks after about ten minutes

PNBHS 03 - 07 HBHS

[Higgins]

@Nepia The Wanganui ref caning the crap out of HBHS fifteen minutes gone
PNBHS 09 - 07 HBHS

[Stargazer]

@Higgins That didn't last long. Giving away too many kickable penalties. 7 - 9 to Palmy Boys

If they can be a bit more disciplined, they can dominate though.

[Higgins]

@Stargazer She's hard going with live rugby on channels 51, 53, 55 and 58 all at the same time!

[Stargazer]

Try Mefi Tupou. 12 - 9 Hastings

[Stargazer]

Injury break for Hastings halfback Phillip King-Panapa. Did go down after challenging for the ball in the air against a much bigger player from PN.

[Stargazer]

Must be a very serious injury. Play still hasn't resumed. I think I saw him go down cold. Not looking good for the lad.

[Higgins]

Looks like it as still no resumption in play. Must be waiting for an ambulance to arrive. In other results Nelson have won away at Otago and Hamilton have won at home to Tauranga. Hamilton to play the winner of HBHS v PNBHS.

[Higgins]

Play underway again and the home side have hgoofed over another penalty to tie the scores up at twelve all

[Higgins]

But not for long as HBHS score their third try in the left hand corner with a nice forceful dart from Tupou. The conversion missed. PNBHS 12 - 17 HBHS

[Stargazer]

Another try to Mefi Tupou in the corner. Not converted.

17 - 12 to Hastings, but they give away another penalty. Palmy Boys can't score tries, but they're staying in the game because of all those penalty goals from their fullback.

17 - 15 Hastings

[Stargazer]

This ref is doing my head in. All calls are going against them now. Yes, Hastings have been ill-disciplined, but some of the calls are just plain wrong. Another penalty for Palmy Boys. Finally, the fullback misses.

17 - 15 Hastings

[Stargazer]

Half time: Palmy Boys 15 (5 penalties) - 17 (3 tries, one con) Hastings

One of the Hastings' locks went down injured at the end of the half, too.

Hastings is clearly the better team, but their ill-discipline and the ref are keeping Palmy in the game. Very frustrating.

[Stargazer]

Interesting to hear from the commentators that Mefi Tupou is only year 11. Cooper Flanders is year 11, too. Great for next year.

[Stargazer]

Some of the wrong calls from the ref come from the AR.

Hastings lock (no 4) given the blue card (head knock).

Thankfully, the Palmy fullback misses his penalty kick.