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29 August, 2024
Still got it! Westlake machine rolls on
Weekend of wins for rampant Westlake Boys High
Familiar feeling… Westlake’s ongoing dominance of North Harbour secondary schools rugby was celebrated by supporters and player Jacob Ludlow after the final at North Harbour Stadium last Sunday, two days after the school’s footballers continued their own title streak.
Friday frenzy… Westlake’s footballers celebrate after downing Mount Albert Grammar 2-0 at Albany to grab a second consecutive Auckland secondary schools title.
Sunday success… Westlake first XV captain Blake Lidgard (left) hoists the North Harbour 1A trophy and vice-captain Travis Findlay the Woodhouse Shield as the team parade in victory at North Harbour Stadium, where their 41-27 schools final win against Rosmini College provided the curtain raiser for a North Harbour NPC victory over Waikato. Game report and team’s next challenge, further down.
Westlake Boys High School secured its second Auckland football premier league title in a row last Friday night, and grabbed more silverware when the school’s first XV won another North Harbour rugby title against old foe Rosmini College on Sunday. Westlake has won every Harbour rugby final played since 2019. Rosmini, the only side to beat Westlake in the regular rugby season, endured another disappointing final result after a strong season when its top basketball side was pipped by Mount Albert Grammar for the Auckland title on Friday night.
Raucous supporters show true colours
PHOTO CREDIT: SIMON HARMER PHOTOGRAPHY
Old rivals… The Westlake and Rosmini teams are led onto the field ahead of the North Harbour secondary schools rugby final.
Topless Rosmini fans brave the winter temperatures.
While some Westlake supporters looked uncannily alike and others got into festive mood for the occasion.
Flanker Solomone Tuitupou leaps high to embrace teammates after a try to half-back Levi Leith.
Winning lineup… Westlake first XV squad comprised: Alex Vaaia, Jack Mahan, Kaiva Tulimanu, Hugo Pieterse, Harry Cornelius, Solomone Tuitupou, Arlo Leith, Travis Findlay, Levi Leith, Blake Lidgard, JD Van der Westhuizen, Jarlon Lesatele, Ashton Falloon, Thomas Rawiri, Brody Good, Jeremiah Samoa, Sarel Peens, Jacob Ludlow, Alec Oelofse, Oliver Davies, Niko Jelas, Renier Van Staden and Lee Hanru Greyvensteyn. Coaches and support staff: Rob Mildenhall, Che Muller, Luke McAlister, Shane Young, Brad Sherwood, Jamie Williamson, Ryo Ozaki and Lance Dunne.
WBHS relish Harbour title and chance to go further
PHOTO CREDIT: SIMON HARMER PHOTOGRAPHY
In the action… Westlake winger Thomas Rawiri on the burst (above) and scoring (below)
Rosmini’s Josh O’Sullivan and Westlake’s Harry Cornelius contest a lineout
Westlake was bruising on defence
Westlake Boys High School’s first XV will look to qualify for their third national top-four tournament in a row this weekend after claiming the North Harbour title last Sunday.
Westlake started strong in the match at North Harbour Stadium last Sunday, pressuring Rosmini to defend on their own line for large periods of the first half.
First-half tries from centre Jarlon Lesatele, lock Hugo Pieterse and winger Thomas Rawiri gave Westlake an eight-point lead going into the sheds.
Rosmini put up a fight in the second half, tightening the margin, but Westlake halfback Levi Leith and number eight Travis Findlay crossed the line to secure the comfortable 41-27 victory for Westlake.
Westlake coach Rob Mildenhall said it was obvious to anyone watching that the deserved man of the match was first five-eighth Blake Lidgard. His complete skill set had helped Westlake keep control of the game.
“He can kick well, run well and pass well,” Mildenhall said. “He’s a very talented young man.”
He paid tribute to a “big, physical and skilled” Rosmini side, which was competitive all season, and in June handed Westlake their first loss in 37 Harbour competition matches.
Westlake play Auckland 1A champions Kelston Boys’ High School this Saturday in the Blues area final at Westlake at midday, with the winner going to the National Top Four Competition. The team Westlake lost to Southland Boys’ 32-29 in last year’s national final.
The side has won 21 North Harbour titles since the competition began in 1985.
Two-goal hero heads Westlake first XI to Auckand two-peat
PHOTO CREDIT: Carla NEWMAN /Jermacsz
Double duty… Carlos Takayama rises high for the second of his title-winning goals.
Winning team… Front row (from left): Westlake first XI players Yassin Ayoub, Hamish Strong, Finn Carpenter, Troy Putt (vice captain), Jack Young (captain), Ray Ishihara, Jayden Kim, Carlos Takayama, Damion Kim and Karter MacKenzie. Back row: Georgie Carroll (physio) Nick Dale (assistant coach), players Cam Deamer, Matt Rodrigues, Charlie Taylor, Nikola Stoychev, James Lee, Conall McLean, Kai Barratt, Charlie Farac, Bill Cui and Levi Hil, with Logan Douglas (manager) and Dave Wright (head coach).
Two first-half goals by forward Carlos Takayama took Westlake Boys High School’s first XI footballers to a second consecutive victory in the top Auckland secondary school league.
Westlake needed a victory against Mount Albert Grammar last Friday – the last day of the competition – to secure the title.
They got off to an “electric” start, said coach Dave Wright, overwhelming Mt Albert due to their transitional attack and speed of their forwards.
Takayama showed quick footwork in the box to fool a defender, then he finished at the near post for his first. His second goal was a header after a cross from Troy Putt.
Such was Westlake’s dominance, Wright believed the lead could have been greater at the break. “We should’ve been up three or four at halftime”, he said
Mount Albert came out stronger in the second half but some robust defending and composed game management from Westlake secured the 2-0 victory and their first-ever back-to-back league win.
Wright said taking successive Auckland titles was an “immense” achievement in a demanding season, with the side often playing twice a week to catch up on matches missed due to time away to compete in the ISF Schools World Cup in China.
The team will play around 37 matches by the end of the season compared with the 30 they played last year.
The players now switch focus to the national secondary schools tournament, from 2-6 September, where they’ll aim to defend their title, followed by the Auckland Knockout Cup final on 13 September.
Westlake lost seven players from last year’s side which won all four trophies available to them, including national titles. To show consistency and win the league again topped last year’s league win, said Wright.
Mascot helps keep Rosmini spirits up despite defeats
Beak performance… New Rosmini College mascot Tony the Eagle, at the North Harbour rugby semi-final,when Rosmini defeated Whangarei Boys High School at home
In the school gym with student board representative Oliver Simpson and head boy Yilin Lin and banners from past basketball national titles
The eagle mascot in action at the North Harbour schools rugby final
New Rosmini College mascot Tony the Eagle still created a flap last weekend, even though the school’s top basketball and rugby sides lost their big finals.
Having urged the teams to success in their respective semi-finals, Tony was a colourful presence at the basketball on Friday night and the rugby on Saturday, urging on Rosmini’s passionate supporters.
The idea of head boy Yilin Lin, Tony is a representation of the eagle on the coat of arms of Trento, Italy, in the home region of Antonio Rosmini, who founded the Rosminian order.
Yilin said he had wanted a way of inspiring school spirit, which seemed to have waned after Covid struck. His thoughts of creating a mascot were given impetus by a visiting motivational speaker who backed the idea.
Yilin took the idea to the school’s prefects, who ran a survey, narrowing down the options to an eagle, a pelican or a knight. The knight option was dropped due to potential sensitivities around a link to the Crusades.
“We didn’t really want to recreate that and be on the New Zealand Herald [website]for Rosmini creating the new Crusades,” Yilin said.
When the eagle option was chosen, the student representative on Rosmini’s board of trustees, Oliver Simpson, secured from the board the $800 needed to buy a costume.
The role of Tony is being shared among three senior students who have taken turns donning the costume to urge on supporters at recent basketball and rugby matches.
Yilin said the crowd energy stirred by the mascot had helped both the rugby first XV and the top basketball team reach their finals. He had lifted spirits since his arrival and would be used for other school activities.
“With the mascot, I think the boys have definitely shown a bit more energy and a sense of togetherness.”
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