Auckland Grammar School opened the scoring in the third minute when poor ruck defence allowed them the go forward they needed to then pass wide and score. Shell-shocked, King's worked their way back into the game. The King's forwards played well with lineouts and scrums going our way. The backs saw little ball in the first half but defended well.
Late in the first half, a missed penalty from Grammar had us thinking we'd gotten away with it, only for the 22 restart to be caught by their fullback. A giant hole opened up in the King's defence and Grammar crossed the line relatively untouched. The score at half-time was 3-10.
King's turned with the wind in the second half and played the territory game well, keeping Grammar in their own half for much of it. A penalty to Ciarahn Matoe brought us closer and then a converted try to Awanuiarangi Morris saw King's take the lead 13-10.
The King's team managed the game well for a long period of time, until 'that try'. The Grammar forwards, who had been relatively quiet throughout the match, came alive and did an outstanding job of retaining the ball and rumbling King's to within a metre of the line. A knock on from Grammar looked like it may have saved the King's side. Just a scrum and to clear the ball to win. With a scrum that was under pressure, a messy ball was cleaned up but the Grammar halfback wanted to finish on a high. He got his hands on the ball and dove over the line, and that was all she wrote.
Final score 13-15.
