King’s rule in final quarter to beat Wakatipu 2514

THE King’s First XV produced a dominant final quarter to start their season off on the right foot. They beat Wakatipu 2514 at home in their division one game of the Southern Schools Rugby Championship on Saturday. Wakatipu got on the board first when halfback Charlie Rule sneaked through in the opening five minutes and Xavier Small added the extras. King’s hit back in the 16th minute through first five Jake Hill, but still trailed 75.

They took the lead when hooker Bodhi Clarkson bustled over and Lafaele Tofiga converted to make it 127 at halftime. Wakatipu had the better of the start of the second half, scoring in the opening five minutes through replacement frontrower Akariva Junior and regaining a narrow 1412 lead. Tofiga slotted a penalty to take back a onepoint lead for King’s before replacement right winger Zane RaketeGray scored twice in the final quarter to seal the victory.

No 8 Montell Penese, who later shifted to flanker, put in a big shift for the Dunedin school.

King’s coach Dean Moeahu was pleased with how his players tried to stick to their game plan and worked hard in the final quarter.

‘‘They just sort of stuck to their guns, which was really, really good,’’ Moeahu said.

‘‘Wakatipu . . . they’re actually a pretty good unit and put us under a lot of pressure.’’

In the other division one game, the Otago Boys’ First XV thumped their secondstringers 650.

In division two (blue pool), Cromwell beat Menzies 327, South Otago beat the King’s 2nds 2412, and St Kevin’s recorded a 355 win over Taieri. In the other pool, Dunstan beat Central Southland 457 and Waitaki Boys’ edged Mount Aspiring 1810.