Whanganui Collegiate stunning upset in CNI semifinal
By Jared Smith
Centre Josh Brunger (below) was the hero for the underdog Whanganui Collegiate 1st XV as they made their second CNI Final in three years with a 19-17 upset of St Peter’s Cambridge on Saturday.
Getting revenge for their current and departed 2020 schoolmates, who lost last year’s semifinal to St Peter’s 27-24 after a try near fulltime, the 2021 line-up had seemed unlikely to tip the home side, who had a perfect 9-0 campaign to that point.
Collegiate have had trouble starting well on the road, but after absorbing early pressure and getting a penalty to clear their tryline, the visitors attacked through the midfield and Brunger busted through the defenders.
A series of strong carries and quick recycles inside St Peter’s 22m, and Brunger set again to beat his man and carry the last tackler over the line for a great 5-0 start in the fourth minute.
However, co-champions St Peter’s were used to pressure and produced a series of sweet offloads to reach Collegiate’s line, and then a quick recycle and long halfback pass saw winger Maraekaiti Nepia cross out wide to tie the scores in the 12th minute.
A good clearing kick by St Peter’s captain Dawson Smith, followed by lineout pressure and a penalty, saw the favourites work into the corner pocket, and although Collegiate’s pack pushed them back off their tryline, second-five Cody Vai took the ruck pass on an angled blindside run to put his team in front in the 17th minute.
It seemed Collegiate had dug a hole they would not climb from after spilling possession and conceding another penalty let St Peter’s go back to the attacking lineout, and after being just stopped short, their No8 Kaleb Tapara took the next drive to score, Smith converting for 17-5 approaching halftime.
But as the weather packed in for the second stanza, the visitor’s produced their signature resolve – as they attacked from a lineout and exercised great ball control, before first-five and skipper Shaun O’Leary fired a long pass out for fullback Monty Sherriff to dive across out wide, with O’Leary raising the flags from near the chalk.
St Peter’s responded when Vai ripped into open pasture and bumped off the last tackler – seemingly destined to score until desperate winger Jack Evans dived to get a hold of his waist and Brunger cannoned into his midsection to force Vai out right at the corner flag.
Collegiate were still trapped inside their 15m, but the forwards repaid the second-chance their outside backs had given them by forcing a tighthead scrum and getting a penalty for O’Leary to boot them clear.
Then came the moment – after Collegiate fumbled a clearing St Peter’s kick, the hosts attacked from the midfield scrum but a mistimed wrap around saw the ball left behind.
Brunger charged through to hack it ahead, and with defenders converging on both sides he claimed the bounce and held on to slam the pill down for the equaliser, before O’Leary slotted another pressure kick to make the unlikely seem a reality with around six minutes left.
With the pressure all on the hosts, they faltered, as despite working into Collegiate’s 22m they made a series of errors at the ruck and lineout, with O’Leary producing a fantastic clearance from his 22m right into St Peter’s corner pocket, from which they could not escape before the fulltime whistle.
Lifting the Rick T Francis Memorial Shield, Collegiate will now see if they can produce two upsets in the space of a week, when they meet the other 2020 co-champion St Paul’s Collegiate in the final at Taupo’s Owen Delany Park.
HAPPENINGS:
EXPATS: Several former Whanganui players gave star turns on the opening weekend of Bunnings NPC. On Friday night, Cullinane College old boy and 1-test All Black Brett Cameron scored 29 points from a try, three conversions and six penalties for his new Manawatu side as they beat Counties 39-21. On Saturday, Vereniki Tikoisolomone had a memorable debut off the bench to score a 50m winning try as Taranaki upset Hawke’s Bay 33-19, with fellow former Whanganui rep Stephen Perofeta contributing three conversions and four penalties.
SCHOOLBOYS: Whanganui High School 1st XV keeps leading the MRU Premier 2 grade after a 39-26 home win over Palmerston North Boys High 3rd XV on Saturday. City College were scheduled to face Dannevirke away. In Premier 3a, Whanganui Collegiate 2nd XV lost 50-19 to QEC 1st XV.
UNDER 20: The Whanganui Under 20’s were going into Sunday’s Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council tournament finale against Poverty Bay U20 hoping to avoid a clean sweep of defeats after being beaten 41-21 by Wairarapa-Bush U20 in Palmerston North on Saturday.
