St Pat’s Silverstream beat NPBHS in eight-try win at the Gully

St Pat’s Silverstream have beaten New Plymouth Boys’ High School 46-17 at the Gully in New Plymouth this afternoon.

Silverstream’s 46-17 win equals the 46 that Silverstream scored in 2013. It is their biggest win at the Gully ever and their first there since 2011, and it is the third biggest win over NPBHS in terms of margin after winning 35-0 in 2010 and 46-13 in 2014.

Silverstream scored four tries in each half ahead of their Wellington WelTec Premiership opener against newcomers Kapiti College this coming Saturday.

Silverstream went on to the attack early. Harrison Boyle chipped forward into the in-goal area and the ball took a wicked bounce, resulting in Keenan Higgins being on hand to collect the first try.

Centre Albert Polu, who was a dominant presence throughout much of the match, then broke from an overthrown lineout on halfback by NPBHS and put Chris Aumua in the corner for Silverstream’s second try.

Boyle had a kick charged down on halfway which was collected by the NBHS loosehead prop Taini Taylor-Tupaea, who scampered 40 metres to touch down under the posts. The conversion by second five-eighth Hanley Setu made it 10-7.

NPBHS had a try overruled when centre Zane Firth passed to left wing Maika Rova. Then Silverstream fullback Todd Svenson scored a terrific try from an offload by Higgins close to the line. Higgins was wrapped up in a two-man tackle but squirted the ball out the back to Svenson. Silverstream’s last try in the first half was scored by hooker Freddy Sunia, from constant pressure on the line, making it 22-10 at halftime.

Silverstream spilled a lineout on halfway and NPBHS right wing Indiha Saotui-Huta scored a try, which was converted, closing the gap up to 17-22.

Then Silverstream wing Chris Aumua, from his own 10-metre line, threw a wayward pass, which rebounded off a NBHS defender back into his own hands and he rushed down field and was caught short of the line. A Higgins banana kick out to Albert Polu extended the lead again.

Reserve fullback Riley Forbes scored a try to make it 34-17, before reserve wing Demitri Perez made a 30-metre break and offloaded to Polu who scored his second try. The last try was scored by Perez himself.

For Silverstream, Polu dominated the NPBHS inside channels, openside flanker Josh Southall was lively and Higgins was sound on defence and creative on attack. Collectively, the forwards put in some good pick and go work in general play.

Standouts for NPBHS included No. 8 Parris Faaplu who never stopped trying and lock Elijah Jordan toiled had.

This win will give Silverstream much confidence heading into the start of the WelTec Premiership this weekend when they host Kapiti College in their first game.

Whilst the traditional big guns have been playing other Hurricanes region Super 8 schools over the past three weeks Silverstream has been lightly raced. They were defaulted to two Saturdays ago and had a bye from the final round of grading games on Saturday, having already qualified.

The loss is a setback for NPBHS, who had previously beaten cross-town rivals Francis Douglas Memorial College, Palmerston North’s Manukura and Hamilton’s St Paul’s Collegiate already this year, but also lost to Auckland Grammar School 0-28 at home last week.

NPBHS will hope to bounce back fast as they play Hamilton Boys’ High School in round one of the Super 8 competition in a fortnight.