Hamilton Boys’ High School registered a convincing 48-14 win. Its defence was sublime and the North Island school was a lot more potent on attack.
Fullback Payton Spencer — son of former All Black Carlos Spencer — scored 23 points in a quality display. He was threatening every time he carried and deadly with the boot
Hamilton Boys’ controlled the opening stages of the game. Spencer drilled a penalty and a break from first five Rangiwai Lunjevich ended with centre Aki Tuivailala scoring to make it 10-0.
Johnnies responded with a driving maul. Blindside Ben Joseph peeled off and charged towards the line.
He was stopped short but halfback Henry Scott scooped it up and barged over.
The balance tipped in Hamilton Boys’ favour when impressive second five Hiraki Waitai-Haenga brushed off a couple of tacklers, got the ball to Lunjevich, who put in a grubber.
Halfback Mac Russ grounded it just before it went dead. Spencer added a second penalty to stretch the margin to 13 points.
But the killer blow came when winger Caelys Putoko used some slick footwork to beat a couple of defenders and ran 95m to score. Ouch.
Johnnies had been threatening to score themselves and suddenly found themselves trailing 27-7 at the break.
Johnnies needed to score next but Brodie Robinson finished a nice move on the outside.
That young man Spencer made a no-look pass. No-one in his family has ever done that before, right?
The game was lost for Johnnies, but they battled on and kept running hard at some steely defence.
In the early match, Napier Boys’ eased to a 40-17 win against Westlake Boys’ to clinch the other spot in tomorrow’s final.
Johnnies will play Westlake Boys in the playoff for third.
NZ First XV Top 4
The scores
Hamilton Boys’ 48
Aki Tuivailala, Mac Russ, Caelys Putoko, Brodie Robinson, Payton Spencer, Mitchell Swann tries; Spencer 6 con, 2 pen\
John McGlashan 14
Henry Scott, Keegan Ferguson tries; Max Hore 2 con
Halftime: Hamilton Boys’ 27-7.
