Tama Bartlett winning a lineout for Wairarapa College. PHOTOS/JAMES CRAWLEY
COLLEGE SPORT
JAKE BELESKI
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The Wairarapa College First XV will enjoy the school holidays a little bit more after Friday’s emphatic win over Porirua College.
Waicol proved far too strong for the only winless team in the College Sport Wellington premiership grade, winning 41-0 at home.
The result means Waicol are in fifth place and only five points outside the top four, but there are only two rounds left to play until the semifinals.
Waicol’s final two matches – after the school holidays – will be against Hutt International Boys’ School [home] and Scots College [away].
They will most likely have to win both to have any hope of sneaking into the semifinals, but that will be no easy task.
They will be confident of getting the job done against Hutt International Boys’ School, who are sitting in ninth place with two wins from their seven matches.
But Scots College away from home is a tough task at the best of times, and this year they are in second place with six wins from their seven matches.
Wellington College are in fourth spot and they are the only team Waicol can overtake with two rounds left to play, but they will need them to slip up against an unfancied opponent to have any chance.
Wellington College will take on Porirua College and Rongotai College in the final two rounds, with both teams sitting below them on the points table.
If Waicol do narrowly miss out on the top four, they will look back at a couple of key matches in the season which could have made all the difference to the final standings.
Their 24-22 loss to Rongotai in round one is one they would love to have over again.
They also pushed Wellington College to the limit in a 7-15 loss but were unable to capitalise on the opportunities they created.
Meanwhile, Waicol’s First XI football team endured another tough outing against Wellington College on Saturday, eventually going down 5-0.
They are stuck at the bottom of the premiership table with one win from their five matches to date and have two matches to come – against Tawa College and Hutt International Boys’ School – before the competition splits into top four and bottom four.
