The Otago Boys’ High School first five kicked a last-minute drop goal to seal a 26-24 win over Southland Boys’ High School in the Otago premier schools final at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.
Words fail, really. But outrageous seemed the best fit.
He skimmed it over the bar from more than 40m out, on the angle and under pressure to clinch the Otago Daily Times Cup.
You could wait years to see a drop goal in person but Hurley nailed two in the game.
Staggering, really.
"What a way to close out a game," Otago Boys’ coach Regan Turoa said.
"Finn took a bit of a knock to the head and to come back out and do something like that was pretty special."
He looked every bit like Bert Sutcliffe out there with his head in a bandage.
But spare a thought for the vanquished.
Southland Boys’ rallied in the second half and led going into the final five minutes.
The visiting side played well enough to emerge victorious but was to be denied by a piece of individual brilliance.
"It could have gone either way, that one.
"They are a quality team and we struggled to get that continuity going in the second half.
"But they were awesome."
Early on, it was all Otago Boys’.
Hurley had chipped ahead, chased hard and trapped a Southland Boys’ player behind the tryline to force a 5m scrum.
From there, Otago Boys’ battered away, often through powerful No8 Semisi Tupou Taeiloa. Eventually, a small gap appeared and halfback Reuben Bouman dived over.
The home side doubled the lead when Ronan Dynes got in the boot of an impressive lineout drive that had rolled forward 20m.
Southland Boys’ had looked promising on the counterattack with scraps of possession.
But most possession was all too quickly surrendered.
Hurley’s kicking game nearly came up trumps again. He put in a flat cross-kick to left winger Hopoate Finau jun and he did his very best to muscle over in a nice covering tackle.
Hurley had to settle for a penalty instead to stretch the lead to 17-0.
Southland Boys’ responded with a try to lock Billy Andrew in a rare foray into the Otago Boys’ 22m. Jackson Bevin got the assist with a skilful offload.
Hurley underlined his class with a 38m drop goal to open the scoring after the break.
Those points were desperately needed as well because moments later centre Caleb Williams barged over from close range.
Southland Boys’ had been battling but the momentum had most definitely shifted.
They had Otago Boys’ pinned and kept squeezing, and squeezing, and squeezing.
The defence eventually cracked. Filipo Opetaia-Tovio fumbled an up and under, and winger Richie Kursea swooped.
He picked up the loose ball, beat a tackler and got the pass off to hooker Jack Taylor who scampered to the line.
Nikora-Balloch’s conversion got his side in front for the first time.
The teams traded late penalties before Hurley pounced with his stunning drop goal.
Otago Boys’ advances to play the winner of the Crusaders competition in the South Island final in Dunedin in two weeks.
In the other finals, Waitaki Boys’ High School edged St Kevin’s College 26-23 in the middle four in Oamaru, while Dunstan High School beat Wakatipu High School 24-12 in the bottom four in Alexandra.
- The Dunedin Mako claimed the premier colts title with a 16-3 win over the Kaikorai Devils at finals day at the stadium on Saturday.
The Undertakers beat the Cobras 47-22 in the Kaikorai derby in the junior colts final.
The Carisbrook Bush Pigs beat the Lincoln Short-Finned Eels 30-24 in the South Island final of the national under-85kg competition.
First XV final
The scores
Otago Boys’ HS 26
Reuben Bouman, Ronan Dynes tries; Finn Hurley 2 con, 2 pen, 2 drop goals
Southland Boys’ HS 24
Billy Andrew, Caleb Williams, Jack Taylor tries; Kaea Nikora-Balloch 3 con, pen
Halftime: Otago Boys’ 17-7.
