On and off the field the tour was a success, no injuries thankfully and the boys had fun. They also stated that the Pies in New Zealand are WAAAAAY better than Australian Pies, Felise admitted this too.
Playing 3 games in the space of 8 days was always going to be a tough ask for our boys, but they were up for the challenge and ready to represent. I know for a fact that no school in NZ gave us a chance to get a win or score a few points, especially boys from Melbourne, the AFL capital. So, we had nothing to lose and everything to gain and were always seen as the underdogs.
Our first game was against a South Auckland Powerhouse school Tangaroa College (My last school I taught at before I came to NWS P12). Full circle moment returning to my old school and was good to be back, but nevertheless our focus was the game. Playing at a school like Tangaroa they bring a very physical game. and they matched us in size too, so this was going to be a bit of an arm wrestle. After 70 minutes of playing, boys putting on a performance and putting their bodies on the line we came with the win 35 – 7 to us.
Our forward pack really took it them in the raining conditions, and the backs put us in the right areas of the field, and defense was clinical. This was a massive moment for our boys, and they were very proud of the victory.
Using this momentum we than moved onto versing the 3rd best Rugby School in NEW ZEALAND. That’s right, we played the 3rd best, and again no one gave us a chance. This school is called Westlake Boys High School, and they are a very prestigious rugby school in Auckland. In the first 10minutes they scored and their crowd erupted and thought they had the game in the bag.
By the 55th minute the score was locked in at 12 all with 15 minutes to go, unfortunately we let a couple of tries in and we scored one just before full time. This ended up being 29-19 to Westlake, This was a tough loss for the boys and yes a few of our boys were in tears after the game because they put everything in the jersey they wear, our school logo on their chest and most importantly for their families. Was tough to see the boys in their emotions, but it showed how much the love, care and passion they have for each other, our school, and all their loved ones in Melbourne.
To take the 3rd best school right to the final whistle was massive and as their coach couldn’t be more proud of their efforts.
On our last game against Mount Albert Grammar another prestigious school in Auckland. The boys were still feeling sore and tired from the Westlake, and this was evident in our gameplay against MAGS. If we had a bigger squad and maybe another day of rest and recovery, things may have changed, but it is what it is. We went down 55-15 against a well-structed team and we took our learnings from this game. Nevertheless, I am really proud of the boys’ efforts and the experience they gained by playing these 3 schools is something they will never forget.
Big thankyou to Lachlan and the leadership team for allowing these opportunities to happen for our Rugby Academy and thank you to you all for all the love, support and encouraging messages
On to the next for us.
