Two-try Filipo sinks Wellington College

St Patrick's College Silverstream has retained the Ken Gray Memorial Trophy after defeating Wellington College 24-12 in tricky conditions at Silverstream today.

A greasy surface combined with a harsh northerly caused havoc for both teams. The difference in the game was two brilliant individual tries by Silverstream centre Losi Filipo.

With five minutes left, Silverstream was ahead ?17-12, but Wellington was pressing hard. However ?Filipo received the ball 40-metres out and skipped past two defenders to score the match winner.

Earlier Silverstream had the asset of the northerly and scored instantly when a fumble by Wellington in their own in-goal area was pounced upon by winger Salesi Rayasi. Lock Vern Sosefo converted and it was 7-0.

Both teams struggled with the conditions and the first half was littered with errors. Silverstream kicked poorly and Wellington attacked with little success as the game became a stalemate.

Filipo brought it to life five minutes before the break when he retrieved a clearance that held up in the breeze. Filipo powered past three defenders and scored in the corner. It was 12-0 to Silverstream at halftime.

Silverstream could have put Wellington College away early in the second half when they won a turnover deep inside their own territory and counterattacked up the shortside, but replacement halfback Nick Mannix spilled the ball forward near the corner flag.

The home side finally broke through again after a concerted period of phase play and a break up into the 22 by second five-eighth Jarrod Adams. The ball was recycled quickly and that man Filipo was on hand to set up a try in the left hand corner to replacement left wing Tovio Nasalio to make it 17-0.

However, Wellington College weren't done, coming back with two tries in as many minutes to close the deficit to 12-17.

Wellington College drove into the corner and first five-eighth Piri Parone dashed over to score untouched under the bar.

Openside flanker Lennox McMahon then scored a dynamic individual try. From broken play on halfway, McMahon dribbled the ball ahead into open space, hacked ahead again and re-gathered to score in the corner.

Fittingly, the game's best player Filipo had the last say dashing clear to score the match winner with just a few minutes remaining.

The win was Silverstream's second consecutive victory over Wellington in this midweek Traditional match, after winning at Wellington College last year.

Wellington College's task over the next couple of weeks, a match against unbeaten Christchurch Boys' High School College followed by second placed Scots College.

Silverstream's next challenge is St Bede's next Tuesday.

Standouts for Silverstream were Filipo ?lock Lui Luamanu ,number eight Joe Apikotoa and hooker Asafo Aumua.All carried strongly and frequently in the tough condtions and dished out some somepunnishment on defence.

For Wellington prop Tristan Fuli was rock solid while openside Lennox McMahon and first-five Piri Parone were livewires.