Malo plays starring role as St Kevin’s clinch trophy

St Kevin’s wing Isoa Malo (left) gets past his Waitaki Boys’ opposite Simione Toganivalu to run in his second of a four-try haul. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH

Isoa Malo was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

The St Kevin’s College wing’s infectious smile only grew bigger as he talked about scoring four tries to help his side run away with a 32-28 victory against Waitaki Boys’ High School in Oamaru yesterday.

"I feel happy," Malo told the Otago Daily Times as pupils stampeded Whitestone Contracting Stadium around him.

"I feel excited, but that’s not for me — it’s for the boys."

The fleet-footed back was the star of the show in his first interschool encounter, igniting exuberant cheers from the St Kevin’s supporters each time he touched the ball.

"I [was] a little bit nervous when I came to the ground, but I was 100% sure that we were going to win."

And win they did, lifting the Leo O’Malley Trophy for the first time since 2020.

But it was rivals Waitaki Boys’ which put first points on the board through wing Jack Nicol.

Halfback Alex Wilson converted and the boys in black led 7-0 within three minutes.

St Kevin’s replied when Malo ran in his first try under the posts to level the scores.

Waitaki Boys’ had the better of the first quarter though, stringing together good phases and quickly recycling the ball.

Wilson picked the ball out of the back of a ruck 15m out and sprinted under the posts to regain the lead, 14-7.

St Kevin’s then came in to its own, kicking a penalty before Malo shimmied down the sideline, beat two defenders and scored in the corner to give St Kevin’s a 15-14 lead at the break.

They continued that momentum into the second half, with Malo scoring his third under the sticks five minutes in to the half.

Waitaki did well to keep the ball tight and worked it up the field through pick-and-go phases, before a big shunt from flanker Lochie Mavor helped No 8 Sione Pouha barrel over to reduce the deficit to one.

It became a tight tussle between the two sides, with each team taking their opportunities when it mattered.

Malo scored his final try to push the lead out to 27-21, but Wilson scored his second for Waitaki soon after.

Second five Hotili Asi scored late in the game and St Kevin’s secured a penalty over the ball in the final moments to win the peanut.