A dominant forward performance paved the way for Otago Boys' High School to win the Highlanders First XV final at Littlebourne on Saturday.
The win, over a gallant but ultimately outgunned Waitaki Boys' High School side, puts Otago Boys' into the South Island final next Saturday against Christchurch Boys' High School in Christchurch.
The 41-3 win came through seven tries, six of them to a forward pack which was too big and strong for Waitaki Boys'.
The home forwards had great body position and scored acouple of tries through lineout drives which could not be stopped.
Waitaki Boys' gave it everything and played a possession game, refusing to kick the ball away. The Oamaru school had plenty of ball in the second half but could not find a way through the tight home defence.
Otago Boys' coach Ryan Martin said the ability to keep Waitaki Boys' tryless was something of which to be proud.
"We spoke at the start of this finals stage that we wanted to go through without conceding any tries and that is what we managed to do today," he said.
"They denied us the ball for long periods of that second half but we managed to make the most of a couple of chances we got.
"Our forwards are pretty good and brutal at times.
"When they hang on to the ball it can be hard to get it off them."
Martin said at the start of the year the goal was to get to the South Island final but now that Otago Boys' was there, it wanted to win the contest.
The team will head to Christchurch on Friday with a place in the national top-four competition at stake.
Martin said Waitaki played well and did not let Otago Boys' get much ball in the second half.
The ground was muddy and many players lost their footing.
It was hard for the backs to make breaks as they could not change direction with any speed.
Martin said the surface impacted on the contest. Otago Boys' tried to get the ball wide but the conditions made it difficult at times.
Waitaki Boys' scored its only points two minutes into the game, when No 8 Marc Fox knocked over a handy penalty as the visiting side made a great start.
Otago Boys' replied immediately and prop Ryan Williams scored a try out wide. He then scored another, after 12 minutes, following a strong drive for the line.
Big lock Shay Kerry was part of a strong rumble up field and he dotted down. It looked then as though Otago Boys' might run away with the game.
Replacement flanker Troy Callander scored to put the home side 24-3 up at the break.
Waitaki Boys' started the second half strongly but could not get over and, on the quarter-hour mark, Otago Boys' drove a lineout to the line and replacement prop Ben Hendry scored.
Another five-pointer for Otago Boys' came from winger Josh Casey, while big hooker Sekonaia Pole scored near the end.
Best for Otago Boys' were halfback Josh Renton, prop Williams and big lock Brendan Murdoch.
Aleki Morris ran hard in the midfield.
The visiting team's midfield of Levi Fogarty and Anthony Wetere-Sweet never stopped and prop Tui Katoa got through plenty of work.
In the middle-four final, Gore High School beat St Kevin's College 32-18 in Oamaru, after leading 12-6 at the break.
Gore first five-eighth Jarvis Wallace scored two tries, while No 8 Stefan Blakeborough had a strong game.
In the bottom-four final, John McGlashan College beat Menzies College 18-7 at Bishopscourt, after leading 10-0 at halftime.
Centre Marckis Schaaf scored two tries for John McGlashan. No 8 Cameron Ward and winger Nick Kyle had sound games for McGlashan.
First XV final
The scores
OBHS 41
Ryan Williams 2, Shay Kerry, Troy Callander, Ben Hendry, Josh Casey, Sekonaia Pole tries; Sam Ellis 2 con, Sio Tomkinson con
WBHS 3
Marc Fox pen
Halftime: Otago Boys' 24-3
