College Nelson beat St Bedes 20-18 in an enthralling encounter in the UC Championship on Saturday. Photo: Barry Whitnall/Shuttersport
College claim dramatic victory over St Bede’s
By Jonty Dine [Nelson App]
A gutsy Nelson College side survived a St Bede's onslaught in the dying moments to hold on for a famous 20-18 win at weekend.
A late Luca Inch try sealed the dramatic UC Championship victory as Nelson spent the final minutes camped on its own line in a tenacious display of defence.
Both sides made a sloppy start with errors and penalties plaguing the hosts.
Nelson eventually cracked St Bedes through man of the match Daniel Dixon who made a storming line-break but Ben Faingaanuku couldn't finish the movement.
Faingaanuku would make up for his error moments later however with a superb offload to send Daniel Rogers screaming down the flank for the opening try.
College would continue to be on the wrong side of the whistle and St Bedes eventually took advantage after a missed tackle from replacement winger Connor Wilkins sent big hooker Flynt Preston away. Wilkins made amends with tenacious tackling thereafter.
Nico Barton had the chance to reclaim the lead before the break but pushed his attempt wide with Bedes flyhalf Kynan Stower-Smith making no such mistake as the visitors took a 10-7 lead at halftime.
Dixon would make a menace of himself at lineout time, claiming three opposition throws and crucial possession for his side.
The ranging lock then helped Nelson get back infront following a deft offload to Connor Johnson.
St Bedes hit back immediately through the boot of Stower-Smith before Barton nailed his first penalty to make it 15-13.
Another string of penalties against Nelson lead to a sustained attack from St Bedes in which it would finally profit through flanker Dominic Gardnier.
Down by three with less than five to play, Nelson would need a special play and that's exactly what it got through skipper Anton Segnar.
A reasonably quiet outing to date by the flanker’s high standards, Segnar broke the St Bedes line before finding his blind-side Fergus Hughes.
In a moment of magical interplay, Hughes then found Inch looming on the inside and the burly prop dove over for what proved the match winner.
St Bedes would hammer away in the final moments, but Nelson proved impenetrable with scenes of utter jubilation unfolding following the final whistle.
Nelson College 20 (Rogers, Johnson, Inch tries, Barton 1 con 1 pen) St Bede's College 18 (Preston, Gardiner tries, Stower-Smith 1 con, 2 pen 1).
St Andrew's too strong for Waimea Combined
[By Samuel Johnson - WCS]
Waimea Combined Schools had a tough first trip down to Christchurch on Saturday where they lost heavily to St Andrew's College 58 - 3.
After conceding two quick tries in the first 10 minutes of the game, Waimea kept up with St Andrew's for the remainder of the first half, threatening to score on numerous occasions but unable to crack the last line of defence.
Aston Inwood continually made half breaks but lack of support stopped the forward momentum, while Tobi Kirkwood Thorpe had a high work rate on the right wing.
St Andrew's went into the break 12 - 3 up, but when the whistle sounded for the start of the second half the floodgates opened, with St Andrew's piling on 46 unanswered points to close out the game.
Next week Waimea Combined host Roncalli Combined at Waimea College.