Waitaki Boys' High School put on its best performance of the season in beating South Otago High School 27-18 in Balclutha on Saturday in the Highlanders First XV competition.
The Oamaru school had high hopes for its rugby programme this year after a disappointing performance last year.
But it had lost its past two games and seemed to be up against it on Saturday, taking on South Otago, which had yet to be beaten.
But the Waitaki Boys' side came out firing and after being up 15-10 at the break, had too much ball in the second half and ran out a comfortable winner.
Waitaki had plenty of ball to play with in the whole game and its speedy backs found plenty of holes in the home team's defence.
Halfback Kieran McClea had a standout game for the winner, finding his outsides well and also linking well with the forwards.
South Otago could not mount any pressure. Lock Damien Wilson tried hard and won some good lineout ball but the home team could not put it to any use.
Waitaki will take on John McGlashan College this Saturday and that looms as a crunch game.
McGlashan had a comfortable 41-6 win over Menzies College in Dunedin.
St Kevin's College had a 59-8 win over Gore High School in Oamaru. It led 23-8 at the break and then pulled away.
Fullback Alex Collier scored a brace of tries and was lively. But it was the work of first five-eighth Brodie Flannery and loose forwards Jacob Coughlan and Cole Ryan which paved the way to victory.
In Dunedin, King's High School had a 51-8 victory over Dunstan High School. Ahead 25-3 at the break, King's found some room in the Dunstan defence to score some nice tries in the second half.
Blindside flanker Logan Garforth had a fine game along with lock Taylor Cumberland while second five-eighth PJ Tili worked hard all day.
Mount Aspiring College had its second win in a row with a hard-fought 19-7 win over James Hargest College in Invercargill. The side led 19-0 at the break and then held on as James Hargest College tried hard in the second half.
Captain Elliott Mason scored a try, blindside flanker Bailey Nolet had a top game, capping it off with a try, while second five-eighth George Gilchrist finished it off with a try and two conversions.
In the other game played on Saturday, St Peter's College beat Central Southland College 48-10 in Gore.
Otago Boys' beat Southland Boys' 23-15 in the traditional interschool match last week.
