John McGlashan College achieved an historic 17-15 victory over Otago Boys High School in their top-four playoff match at Bishopscourt this afternoon.
McGlashan led 10-0 at the break and extended its lead to 17-0 early in the second spell when first five-eighth Luke Jarvie ran 80m to score.
Otago Boys closed the gap with two tries and scored again in injury time. But fullback Burns Mills missed the conversion, handing McGlashan what is understood to be the school's first win against the OBHS First XV.
Earlier, McGlashan prop Reon Lowery scored a try 18 minutes in to the game, and although McGlashan was forced to defend a lot, the team showed a lot of passion too.
Otago Boys scored 15 unanswered points in the second half, but missed a conversion in injury time that would have seen them progress to the final.
McGlashan breezed through the Otago Premier School competition, with 14 consecutive wins, but had not played the Otago Boys' 1st XV, as the South Island’s leading school side elected to compete in the premier colts grade instead.
McGlashan will play Southland Boys’ High School in the Highlanders area final, which will be staged in Invercargill on August 20.