Mount Aspiring College has made a bright start to the Otago Premier Schools competition.
It kept Otago Boys’ Second XV scoreless and battled to a 19-0 win in Wanaka on Saturday.
Second five-eighth Lachy Moore starred with two tries and a conversion in the second spell to extend the lead.
The home team had opened the scoring through a penalty try.
The Otago Boys’ side had conceded a series of penalties and the referee finally lost his patience when a high tackle was made.
He deemed a try would have been scored.
Neither side had been able to crack each other’s defence in the opening 25 minutes.
Mount Aspiring coach Hamish Crosbie felt his side held on to its structure better than its opponent in the second spell and that proved decisive.
‘‘We were able to keep that going and score a couple of nice tries,’’ he said.
‘‘When they got behind their structure disintegrated a little bit. But it was a really even game right throughout.
‘‘It was a good game of footy. Plenty of running rugby and a lot of opportunities created.’’
Moore was player of the day. He ran hard and defended even harder.
No 8 Otis Harry made a significant contribution on defence as well, while winger Zach Smith made some important tackles out wide and some nice clearances.
In the other two championship games, South Otago beat Otago Combined schools 55-8 in Mosgiel and Waitaki was too strong for Wakatipu, winning 59-12 in Oamaru.
In the premiership, Otago Boys’ dispatched Dunstan 66-0 and King’s defeated St Kevin’s 41-13. Both games were in Dunedin.
John McGlashan upset Southland Boys’ 25-21 midweek.
