WHS demolish Freyberg U21 for semis spot - July 2015
HOME AND HOSED: Wanganui High School's Brad Elgar flies in for one of his team's 10 tries to two against Freyberg on Saturday.
STAR TURN: Sheldon Pakinga (with ball) stamped his selection to the lower North Island U18 Maori squad with three tries for Wanganui High School against Freyberg on Saturday.
THE clinical demolition of Freyberg U21 by the Wanganui High School 1st XV at home on Saturday has cemented a spot in the semifinals in the McDonald's Manawatu Colts rugby competition.
Fielding a team without several of its stars, WHS carved up Freyberg 64-17 and places the team in third spot on the leader board with 34 points. Massey White lead the competition with 40 points, Dannevirke is second on 36 and Linton fourth with 33 points.
WHS has just one more game to play against cellar dwellers Te Kawau this weekend before the semifinals kick in the following week.
On Saturday several WHS players were unavailable through injury including Hurricanes U18 squad member Daniel Kauika and captain Laurie Webber.
However, younger replacement players still got the job done in clinical fashion on Saturday scoring 10 tries to two with Harerangi Meihana and Mitchell Millar adding the extra points with their boots.
A star of the show was one of the younger brigade, Sheldon Pakinga, who has been named in the lower North Island U18 Maori squad.
Pakinga scored three tries.
WHS showed they were there to play within the first two minutes with Mitchell Millar finding a gap and taking it at pace. Pakinga backed up and finished the move off with his first try. Meihana converted successfully.
WHS received a penalty and got the ball out wide where Poutama Hamahona-Taiaroa showed great heart and determination to score while five players were all over him. Meihana again converted.
Another great run two minutes later from Hamahona-Taiaroa down the sideline allowed Brad Elgar to call for the ball and run 20m to score. Another successful conversion from Meihana.
A penalty against WHS saw Freyberg get a successful shot at goal to bring the score to 21-3 to WHS.
A nice play by the back line created a gap for Pakinga to slice through and score his second. The conversion was slotted again by Meihana.
Great team work from WHS allowed Pakinga to score again in the corner to bring the score to 33-3 after a rare miss by Meihana's boot.
A good run from Braydon Maua and awesome backing up from Corbin Warren ended with a try in the corner. The conversion was unsuccessful.
Freyberg showed they were not ready to give up and scored a great try next to the post. The successful conversion took the score to 38-10.
A yellow card to Braydon Maua forced WHS to play with 14 for the next 10 minutes during which time Tom Gibson saw the ball pop out of a ruck, grab it and run 20m to score. Up stepped Mitchell Millar to convert and increase the margin to 45-10.
More good work from WHS allowed Blair Osborne to score in the corner and Millar to convert. Great work from the whole team then allowed Warren to grind hard as he did all game and score next to the post. Millar was again successful.
Freyberg showed they wouldn't go down without a fight and scored in the corner late in the game. The conversion brought the scoreline to 59-17.
With the final whistle looming a good break through from Chris Breuer allowed him to score next to the post. The kick was unsuccessful, but the damage had been done with WHS winning 64-17.
On current points WHS would play Dannevirke in the semifinals.