Rugby: McGlashan make statement against WBHS

If there were any doubts remaining over the strength of the John McGlashan College First XV they were surely quashed today.

In a top of the table clash, John McGlashan claimed a resounding 52-5 win over Waitaki Boys' High School in the Otago Secondary Schools First XV competition.

It was Waitaki Boys' first competition loss since being beaten 27-13 by John McGlashan in the second round.

John McGlashan team director Mike Idour said the game was won up front, with their tight and loose forwards complementing each other well. They provided the go-forward on attack, setting a platform to score off, while their aggression on defence made it hard for Waitaki Boys' to make progress.

"They [Waitaki Boys'] never gave up, they tackled their hearts out and we just had enough numbers often enough to score 52 points," Idour said.

It is a formula that has brought success and never was that more evident than in today's result. John McGlashan ran in seven tries, converting four of them, and kicked three penalties, against what Idour said was "probably the second best team in the competition".

Yet it is the players that are carrying out that formula that have made this team so dominant.

"You've got to have the cattle and we've got the players," he said.

"We've had these players for five years in the school. We've got one that's been there for just this year, but he comes relatively locally."

He said it was a class that always had potential and despite winning last year's competition by upsetting South Otago High School in the final, it was this year they were eyeing up.

"As they matured I always felt that it was going to be this year. Last year was a bonus really," he said.

"They had a very good Under 15 team a few years ago. The two big locks [Woody Kirkwood and Sam Moir-Grace], Rory Ferguson in the loose and some of the guys in the front row were always going to be hard to handle.

"Rory is only two games away from 50 games and Woody Kirkwood, it's probably going to be a bridge to far, he's about six games away from 50.

"There's an awful lot of others that have got their caps for playing 15.

"So they're doing what we expected they would, although maybe the margins are a lot bigger than we thought, I would have never expected these sorts of margins."

Despite their dominance they are not resting on their laurels.

"One thing at a time," Idour said.

"The expectation is that we are hoping to have a home final, but we don't take anything for granted, we have to go out and do the work."

Both teams had been secured a semifinal spot prior to the game, although the other two top six games had more writing on them.

Otago Boys' High School 2nd XV beat Dunstan High School 24-13 to solidify themselves in third spot, while King's High School overtook South Otago High School in fourth with a 31-5 win.

In the bottom six St Kevin's College beat Kavanagh College 52-22, Otago Boys' High School 3rd XV beat South Otago High School 2nd XV 57-5 and Mount Aspiring College beat Taieri College 20-5.

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