Monday 4 August 2025
First XV 80 vs 3 Botany Downs Secondary College
On Saturday afternoon, our First XV produced a commanding performance to defeat Botany Downs Secondary College 80–3, securing a home semi-final clash against traditional rivals Auckland Grammar School next weekend.
Botany opened strongly, capitalising on early penalties to take a 3–0 lead inside the opening minutes. King’s took time to settle, but once the forward pack established dominance, momentum shifted. A powerful lineout drive from the 22-metre line saw Evile Tuumatavai (Year 13, Major) crash over for his first try of the season. Joseph Fatuvalu (Year 13, Averill) then showcased his pace down the left wing to extend the lead before TJ Anae-Paila (Year 13, School) intercepted a Botany pass and sprinted 60 metres to score. Ricoh Wilson (Year 11, Greenbank) crossed shortly after – his first try of the season – to give King’s a 24–3 advantage at halftime.
The second half was one-way traffic. Marco Miln (Year 13, Selwyn) marked his 50th appearance with back-to-back tries in quick succession, while Hemana Connew (Year 13, St John's) and Spencer Capper (Year 13, Parnell) also crossed as King’s forwards continued to dominate. Anae-Paila grabbed his second, Charlie Burn (Year 13, School) powered over from a scrum, and a brilliant break from Miln set up Finn Thompson (Year 11, School) for another. Christopher Hatch (Year 12, Major) finished proceedings with a late try, rounding off a complete team performance.
After the final whistle, the squad honoured Miln’s 50th cap milestone with a powerful haka, a fitting tribute for a key player who has been instrumental throughout the season.
Congratulations also go to Zion Heiloa-Savaka (Year 13, Peart) and Christopher Hatch on reaching 30 games for the First XV.
Head coach Ian Robinson praised his team’s composure and focus:
“We talked about ‘boring excellence’ – doing the simple things well, even when it might feel mundane – and the boys delivered. For 15 to 20 minutes we were under real pressure, but once we settled, we executed brilliantly. We’ve had 33 players feature this season, including a debut today, and to celebrate Marco’s 50th cap with that performance is something special.”
Looking ahead to next weekend’s semi-final against Auckland Grammar School (2:30pm kick-off at King’s), Robinson is relishing the challenge:
“You want the biggest games, and King’s v Grammar in a home semi is as big as it gets. We’ve been planning for this scenario for weeks. To have a chance to beat Grammar home and away in the same season is a rare opportunity and our boys can’t wait. We’re injury-free, we’re prepared, and we’re ready to do something special.”
Second XV 24 vs 12 De La Salle College
Tamaki Makaurau delivered a stunning day for rugby as the King's Second XV faced off against De La Salle College in a hard-fought contest. The pitch added its own challenges, with King's playing 'downhill' in the first half. Both forward packs were evenly matched, trading physical carries and defensive sets in a tight arm-wrestle that saw King's edge ahead by half-time.
De La Salle came out firing in the second half, lifting their intensity at the breakdown and gaining valuable momentum. An unexpected twist came when the referee was forced off with an injury - possibly a casualty of the uneven ground.
Both teams showed great resilience, applying pressure and fighting for every inch. In the end, it was King's tactical edge that made the difference, with smart kicking and intelligent use of width by the backs securing a well-earned win with a bonus point.
A gritty team performance and a deserved result heading into the next challenge with Mount Albert Grammar School at our home ground.
Tries: Leo Kirkland (Year 12, Selwyn) (2), Josiah Fifita (Year 11, Averill), Ben Galloway (Year 12, Selwyn)
Conversions: Ruka Smythe (Year 12, Parnell), James Shaw (Year 12, School)
Colts WBD vs One Tree Hill College
Colts win by default.
1R Gold 10 vs 49 Selwyn College
On Saturday, the 1R Gold team played Selwyn College at Selwyn.
Tough day for Gold this week, where the boys went down 49-10 against a bigger & heavier opposition.
After 15 minutes, the game was scoreless with Gold holding their own against the bigger team, but a number of mistakes in our own half allowed Selwyn to race to a 19-0 lead before Jake Peacocke (Year 11, Selwyn) got Gold on the scoreboard.
Just before half-time, a foul play incident saw a Selwyn player sinbinned for his actions.
The second half started and Gold couldn't quite make the sin bin advantage work with phase after phase of attack and penalties only to knock the ball on or drop the last pass.
We scored a try to Ollie Sinclair (Year 11, Greenbank) late in the second half, but as per the theme of the day, Gold let in another five tries with their poor defence and lack of commitment in one-on-one tackling.
The team had some great parts of the game, but poor execution really let them down this week...
Plenty of effort but too many mistakes this week. We look forward to our last game of the season and hope to finish strong.
Tries: Jake Peacocke, Ollie Sinclair
5A 5 vs 27 Sacred Heart College
Groundhog Day for 5A: As Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow:
As Mark Twain wrote: 'There are lies, dammed lies and statistics.' Five tries to one. King’s won the game but lost the scoreboard. To provide context, four of Sacred Heart's (SHC) tries came from errors King’s made while on attack in the SHC half, with the final try also coming from a King’s error. But Phil's shadow is becoming fainter and the win will come. Soon, Punxsutawney Phil will not see his shadow.
This was as good a display from these young men as all season. Liam Parker (Year 11, Parnell) had the ride of his life behind a pack delivering clean, quick ball. Will Hargrave (Year 12, Major) and Karter Harris (Year 10, Peart) were running with abandon on the volume of ball. Archie 'The Beast' McInness (Year 12, St John’s) and Lucas Kidd (Year 12, Selwyn) were imperious at lineout time; while Josh McEniery (Year 10, School) and Zavier Linstrom (Year 12, Greenbank) provided the aggressive hardnosed jackals and runs that made the opposition sit up and realise that they were in a game. Shaw Hewett (Year 12, Major) and Harvey Kitt Reeve (Year 11, St John's) made strong runs and good tackles.
The more 'analytical' amongst the readership will conclude that if the All Blacks have made their living over turnover ball, this must have been SHC's winning weapon. And you would be correct. SHC's first two tries were a carbon copy. King’s on attack, takes the ball into contact near the opposition 22 and the opposition runs 70 meters and scores a try. Their third try also started in their half and after gaining possession from a King's error, a cross kick exposed a weakness and the winger ran in from halfway.
HT: King’s 0–15
The team again started well and after a good passage of play following a lineout, Kidd went over for a try. At 5–15, the boys were in the game. However, in possession and control of the SHC 10-meter line, the ball was lost and the opposition capitalised on the turnover ball and scored.
The game then lost some of its intensity, but King’s played well and the substitutes performed well, especially George Walken (Year 11, Selwyn) in the forwards and Alex Sonn (Year 10, Major) at half back and Ed Small (Year 11, Averill) at wing. However, with the game gone, King’s tried some adventurous play from inside their own 22 and when it did not come off, the SHC player went over for the final try.
This is a team that is playing well and is just lacking the ability to score and have some belief. Thank you to Mr Martin Linstrom for stepping in this Saturday. We look forward to our final next Saturday against St Peter’s College. Let's hope for no shadows.
Try: Lucas Kidd
6A 10 vs 11 Saint Kentigern College
The 6A team faced a heartbreaking end to their season, falling to rivals Saint Kentigern College in a closely contested match over the weekend.
Despite a dominant performance and scoring more tries, King's was ultimately edged out by Saint Kentigern's precision kicking game. The final score was 11-10.
The match, held on the King's grounds, was an intense affair from the outset. King's established early pressure, which paid off 18 minutes into the game when Harry Driscoll (Year 10, Selwyn) crossed the line for the opening try. The conversion was missed, putting King's ahead 5-0.
Saint Kentigern responded with an unconverted try of their own, levelling the score at 5-5. While King's controlled much of the possession and territory, Saint Kentigern capitalised on opportunities, successfully converting two crucial penalty kicks. These six points proved to be the decisive factor in the match.
In a dramatic final push, with the clock winding down at 11:40, Marc Hocken Cubi (Year 10, Major), man of the game, scored a brilliant try for King's, igniting hope for a last-minute victory. However, with the subsequent conversion unsuccessful, King's remained one point adrift.
Despite the loss, the team demonstrated immense skill and determination. The fact that King's outscored their opponents two tries to one is a testament to their dominance in open play. The commendable efforts of the entire team, and particularly the Year 10 try-scorers, marked a valiant end to their 2025 season.
Tries: Harry Driscoll, Marc Hocken Cubi
U15A 33 vs 5 De La Salle College
The annual battle of the southern train line pitted the King's U15 express against a De La Salle College train, bound for nowhere.
The frost played havoc in the warm-up with more balls dropped than a blind folded juggler; however, with bright blue skies and a positive attitude, these would be the only real errors the team would make at the crisp Aorere Park.
From the opening kickoff, constant pressure and a series of charges by the King’s forward pack, the King's team gained great field position, then, reminiscent of a great King’s oak tree crashing down in Cyclone Gabrielle, Patrick Sandlant (Year 10, School) crossed the line for King’s first points after just six minutes. Try unconverted.
A further 15 minutes of unrelenting attack led to a scrum 5m out from the De La Salle try line. A loose ball bobbled out and Josh Leighton (Year 11, School) scooped the ball up, then, like an acorn from previously said oak trees, bouncing off an expensive parent's bonnet, he would avoid a number of would-be tacklers and score a very good try. Try converted by Manaariki Kea-Cameron (Year 10, Selwyn)
Successful modern warfare requires control of the air through the support of its lifters. Nikau Henwood (Year 11, St John's) was able to both steal and disrupt a number of opposition lineouts and rob them of any chance to attack, leading to him being named man of the match. On the stroke of half-time, one such sortie combined with some slick inter-passing between Ben Leith (Year 11, St John's) and eventual try scorer Mathias Petelo (Year 10, Marsden) led to a well-finished try. Converted Kea-Cameron.
HT: King's 19-0
The second half started well with a dynamic run from Donell Collins (Year 10, Averill), who cut through the De La Salle line and put our attack well into their territory. King’s could not convert for another 10 minutes until Robert Tahi (Year 10, St John's) got a ball from a turnover deep in our own half and was able to outflank a tiring De La Salle defence to score under the posts. Converted Kea-Cameron.
In true La Sallian spirit, the opposition did not give up, and they were rewarded with a try after some sloppy King’s defence; this was the only point they would score in the match.
Then, before the final whistle, Kea-Cameron and Tahi combined for some slick inter-passing, showing their class in a counter-attack which produced a try for Kea-Cameron, which he duly converted.
Tries: Patrick Sandlant, Mattais Petelo, Josh Leighton, Robert Tahi, Manaaki Kea-Cameron
Conversions: Manaaki Kea-Cameron (4).
U15R 20 vs 19 Sacred Heart College
In our penultimate game of the season, the U15R team travelled to Sacred Heart for a later-than-usual 11:45 kickoff. From the outset, both teams were hungry for victory. Sacred Heart pressed early, but strong tackles from Ollie Knight (Year 9, Major) and Nico Fleming (Year 9, Greenbank), followed by a superb clearance from Hugo Neville-White (Year 9, Averill), pushed play back upfield.
After 15 minutes, King's conceded a penalty try, but Fleming hit back with our first score. The contest remained fierce, with Tommo Edgar (Year 9, School) making some electric runs, yet Sacred Heart crossed again just before half-time, taking a 12–5 lead.
With our semi-final hopes on the line, the boys knew exactly what was required. Jack Rutherford (Year 9, School) powered over seven minutes into the second half, but Sacred Heart responded to extend their lead to 19–10. Refusing to give in, King's rallied — James Auva (Year 9, Peart) scored in the 50th minute before Daniel Parker (Year 9, Parnell) delivered the decisive try in the 57th, edging us ahead 20–19.
The closing minutes were tense, with Parker making one final surging run to keep the pressure on until the whistle and sealing the victory for us.
We look forward to seeing you at King's next Saturday at 10:30 for our final game before the play-offs.
Tries: Nico Flemming, Jack Rutherford, James Auva, Daniel Parker
U14A14 vs 32 De La Salle College
Another steady and structured performance for the young men of the U14 open team.
Against a spirited and physical De La Salle College team we conceded four first half tries to be 22-0 down at half-time, however we won the second half 14-10 with good individual tries to Leo Waide (Year 9, School) and Trey Williams (Year 9, Selwyn) and Daniel Parker (Year 9, Parnell) converting both.
Tries: Leo Waide, Trey Williams
Conversion: Daniel Parker (2)