CNI rugby kicks off against Lindisfarne

On Saturday 13 May, the St Paul’s Collegiate 1st XV Rugby team played their opening CNI competition against a long-standing traditional rival from Hastings, Lindisfarne College.

Past St Paul’s and Lindisfarne Headmaster Grant Lander began the interschool competition between these two schools. Last year’s fixture was a very close contest with St Paul’s getting the victory with an intercept try and a few handy converted penalty kicks.

This year's game was played at home, in bluebird conditions.

While St Paul’s had the majority of possession and territory for the first fifteen minutes of the game, they struggled to gain momentum due to a lack of flow and connection between the players. Too often, mis-passes were hurried and at other times, St Paul’s was guilty of cramping their backline in phase-play or not having timing right in the set piece.

Despite these misfires, St Paul’s was first to score, from a nice break down the left-hand flank by hooker Preston Sykes. Preston followed his break with a skillful kick that put Lindisfarne under pressure on their goal line. Midfielder Salesi Tauaika, scored to the right of the posts after several phases of St Paul’s attack.

Lindisfarne applied their own pressure; St Paul’s showed a lot of defensive nous and attitude to hold the attacking threats at bay. Shortly after these attacking threats, St Paul’s quickly made their way deep into Lindisfarne territory and centre Conrad Jackson came very close to scoring, albeit for a double movement under the posts.

The defensive efforts continued throughout the game. Prop Kingston Kahotea and the Year 12 loose forward trio of Ben Kilby, James Cunningham, and Will Hadley put in substantial defensive shifts.

St Paul’s scored two quick tries before the halftime whistle. Freddie Coxhead scored the first of these tries - impressively beating three defenders to finish in the right-hand corner after receiving the pill from a great run from captain Michael Robinson. The next try resulted from a great interplay of passes from a midfield scrum move between forwards James Cunningham, Jack Ruske and Preston Skyes who effectively put halfback Max Makeham into score just before the halftime whistle with the score 19 - 0.

In the second half, St Paul’s Conrad Jackson continued to be an attacking threat, making half-breaks and carrying with strength and speed. Replacement halfback, Ben Brown produced a beautiful pass to Conrad in space to score a well-taken try.

Lindisfarne finally broke the accurate and impressive defensive wall that proved so effective in the former half. The first of their scores resulted from some individual skill and brilliance from their fullback - penetrating through our cover defences. Freddie Coxhead scored his second try for St Paul’s with another well-taken pass from 30 metres out. The rapid scoring passage of play continued with Lindisfarne immediately scoring their second and final try off a charge down in the St Paul’s 22. Keaton Leong, again, the recipient of a beautiful pass from Ben Brown, finished the day's try-scoring with a fantastic, incising and elusive run through the Lindisfarne defensive from some distance out.

Final score 41 to 14 - a bonus point win to St Paul’s Collegiate.

Other results:

6 May: Tauranga Boys' High School 35 - 12 win
20 May: Rathkeale College 28 - 20 win