It took a while to come, but the combined schools co-education team chalked up its first win of the season on Saturday.
The side, which is a new concept this year to keep the sport strong in co-educational schools in Dunedin, had a 30-24 win over Waitaki Boys' High School.
It was a mighty victory from the combined team at Montecillo, and there was plenty of emotion shown at the end of the game.
The two main contributing schools to the team - Taieri College and Kavanagh College - had a game against each other on Thursday, and then many of the players in that game came together on Saturday to take on Waitaki Boys' High School. Kavanagh had won the game on Thursday.
The combined team had lost to John McGlashan College last week by more than 90 points, so the side had room to improve.
That it did, with the forwards working hard and getting stuck in around the breakdown. It made metres with the ball in hand and defended bravely.
Inside backs Trey Russell and Finn McDonald-Page kept the ball in front of the forwards and drove the team around the park. McDonald-Page knocked over the penalties to keep his side in front. The team led 21-12 at the break and held on at the end as Waitaki pressed to find a try. The combined side had lost a player to a red card halfway through the second half for punching. Tighthead prop Finn Lillis worked hard all game.
Waitaki was backing up from a game on Wednesday against John McGlashan, so was into its third game in eight days.
The win lifts the combined team off the bottom of the table with three rounds left in the first phase of the competition.
In other results, the Otago Boys' HS first XV beat Wakatipu 73-0 in Queenstown, while Dunstan beat South Otago 33-19 in Alexandra.
Mount Aspiring College beat Otago Boys' HS second XV 33-7 in Wanaka, putting the Boys' High side out of the top four.
John McGlashan College beat St Kevin's College 39-15 in Oamaru. King's and Southland Boys will clash on Wednesday.