King's High School has firmed as favourite to win the Otago premier school competition after recording a second win against John McGlashan College on Saturday.
King's edged the defending champion 22-15 in a game that was for most of the marbles, with the Lion Foundation Shield and the Trust Bank Cup - the symbol of South Island secondary school rugby supremacy - on the line.
Earlier in the season, King's beat McGlashan 25-22, so there is very little between the two sides.
Neither team could be reached for comment.
South Otago High School shapes as the team most likely to push the two frontrunners. It had a 27-20 win against Otago Boys' High School Second XV to consolidate third place.
Waitaki Boys' High School kept its semifinal prospects alive with a 38-7 win against Mount Aspiring College in Oamaru.
It was an impressive performance, considering the team played the previous day in the traditional match against St Kevin's College.
Mount Aspiring, which is too far back to make the semifinals now, had some challenges as well. It only had a squad of 16 players but scored first and showed glimpses of its
potential.
But while Waitaki showed signs of fatigue, it dominated the second spell and exploited some gaps out wide.
The final score could have been much higher but the home side blew two or three tries.
Utility back Ikenasio Taefu, who started on the wing but moved into halfback, showed electric pace to score a brace of tries. Second five-eighth Mason Kinzett was both composed and creative in the midfield, while captain Patrick Henwood got through an enormous workload at lock.
Henwood is one of two Waitaki players picked for the Highlanders regional camp, which starts today.