Rugby: SBHS ends OBHS 1st XV's winning streak

Otago Boys' High School second five-eighth George Thomas is tackled by Southland Boys' High...
Otago Boys' High School second five-eighth George Thomas is tackled by Southland Boys' High School first five-eighth Mitch Taylor at Littlebourne yesterday. Photos by Peter McIntosh.
Otago Boys' High School defender Max Chu, with a face mask on, looks to move the ball forward...
Otago Boys' High School defender Max Chu, with a face mask on, looks to move the ball forward while Southland Boys' High School's Moto Naniki tries to close him down at the Oval yesterday.

Southland Boys' High School achieved a points victory against rival Otago Boys' High School during the annual interschool battle yesterday.

But the most prized victory came in the first XV rugby when the visiting side ended Otago Boys' 60-game winning streak in the Highlanders region with a 32-19 win.

Talented fullback Kaleb Talamahina scored a memorable try in what proved to be a turning point shortly before halftime.

He fielded a kick and ran in a superb solo try from about 30m out to give Southland Boys' a 14-7 lead at the break.

The home side's poor discipline proved costly and the mounting penalty count ensured there was to be no heroic comeback.

Southland Boys' won the series 5-4. The hockey was drawn 2-2 but the Southlanders dominated the squash, the senior and junior badminton and smallbore shooting.

Otago Boys' won the basketball, debating and the 2nd XV rugby. It also won the historic football match.

Otago Boys' first XI football coach Mike McGarry decided to do some research on the sport at the school. He discovered some boys had met in a shed in 1904 to discuss getting a football team going but staff were not supportive.

A year later, a staff member helped the boys and in 1906 the first interschool match was played against Southland High School.

Now, 110 years later, the match between the two school teams yesterday ended in a thrilling 4-3 win to Otago Boys'.

The Alan Coldicott Memorial Trophy was up for grabs. Named after a former teacher at Otago Boys', the trophy used to be contested in cross-country but, with that sport no longer contested, football, which Coldicott supported, was chosen for the trophy.

Otago Boys' striker Luke Mitchell toe poked a ball into the net to clinch the dramatic win.

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