Nelson College is through to its fourth Miles Toyota Premiership final in five years after an impressive 31-19 win over St Bede's today.
Nelson came flying out of the gates to take a quick 17-0 lead thanks to two tries from powerful blindside flanker Saumaki Saumaki and the boot of Jimmy West.
Nelson were dominate with the ball and without, gaining easy metres around the ruck with ball-in-hand and heavy tackles forcing the visitors behind the advantage line when they were on defence.
But St Bede's stuck at it, thanks in part to Nelson’s ill-discipline, allowing St Bede's to play in the right areas of the field. That territory-pressure finally paid off when captain and number 8 Ioane crashed over not long before half time.
While it took St Bede's 35 minutes to register their first points they didn’t have to wait as long for their next. An intercept try by impressive left winger Ben Trillo saw the teams go into the half time break with Nelson holding a slender 17-14 lead.
St Bede's were obviously buoyed by their swing in momentum and started the second half how they left the first. Again it was Trillio who showed good strength to crash over in the left hand corner giving St Bede's the lead for the first time in the game, but he couldn’t kick his third conversion of the day, leaving the visitors with just a 19-17 lead.
From then on it was all Nelson, a try to prop Sione Mafi and another to winger Mikey Morrison, after a break from Harrison Inch, saw Nelson build a comfortable 31-19 lead mid-way through the second half which they managed to hold on to and secure their place in next weekend’s final.
Nelson College coach Jono Phillips says he was thrilled with the win.
“We were confident going in, the boys are peaking at the right time. We’ve built really well throughout the week and we got the start we wanted.”
He says the team stuck to the game plan and the systems they’ve created. “They are a great group of boys to work with and while we have some fantastic individuals it is the belief in the systems we play which is important, they trust our system.”
Nelson College will host Christchurch Boys High School the Miles Toyota 1st XV final next Saturday after Christchurch progressed with a 27-17 win over St Thomas.
Scores: Nelson College 31 (Saumaki (2), Mafi, Morrison tries). West 4 con, 1 pen). St Bede's 19 (Ioane, Trillio 2 tries; Trillio 2 con).
Other Tasman teams also advance:
Waimea Combined and Marlborough Boys College will also play for silverware this coming Saturday after both recorded wins in respective semi finals today.
Waimea beat Christ's College 2nd XV 27-12 in a Championship Plate semi-final at Waimea College. They will travel to Christchurch on Saturday to face St Bede's 2nd XV in the final.
Meanwhile Marlborough Boys’ College First XV did just enough to get the better of a tough rival and book a place in next week’s Miles Toyota premiership Plate final in Blenheim today.
The Falcons overcame Christ’s College 26-20 in an entertaining encounter, scoring late then having to repel a lengthy period of attack as the Christchurch side strung together multiple phases with time up.
Next week MBC will head south for their final hit-out of the season, taking on St Andrew’s, who beat Selwyn 28-27 today, in the Plate final.
