Ba Methodist High School’s under-18 side used home advantage to see off a touring New Zealand school, beating Mount Maunganui College 29-12 in Ba yesterday in a physical contest played in hot conditions.
The visitors pushed hard and remained competitive throughout, but Ba Methodist’s forwards and home familiarity proved decisive as the hosts built a comfortable margin. Both teams, despite the heat, displayed strong spirit and sportsmanship, with the match ending in good spirits as players from both sides exchanged respects and forged friendships through rugby.
Mount Maunganui head coach Dwarne Farley was full of praise for the contest and his players’ effort. “Great battle! Our boys left nothing out there, worked so hard in a very physical contest,” Farley said. He thanked Ba Methodist for hosting the fixture and said the week in Fiji had been valuable for his squad’s pre-season bonding despite challenging weather. “We’re so grateful to Ba Methodist for being such great hosts and facilitating this match. It’s the end of a great week in Fiji despite the weather. One goal was to bond well in this pre-season time and they achieved that,” he added.
Ba Methodist head coach Thomas Vuli acknowledged the quality of the opposition and explained his side’s limited preparation. “We thank our New Zealand friends from Mount Maunganui College for coming all this way to give us such a fantastic game,” Vuli said. He noted Ba Methodist had managed only one training session ahead of the fixture because many of his players have been involved in rugby league and because of disruptions caused by a recent cyclone. “But the game was a good warm-up for our Under 18s as they begin to get ready for the Dean’s,” Vuli added.
The fixture served as a timely tune-up for Ba Methodist ahead of the Dean’s Tournament, one of Fiji’s most important school rugby competitions, giving coaches a chance to assess combinations and match temperament under pressure. For Mount Maunganui College, the trip provided the sort of cross-border exposure and team-bonding Farley highlighted as crucial during pre-season tours.
Yesterday’s match continues a steady flow of inter-school and international warm-ups in the region as schools prepare for the mid-year school rugby calendar. Both teams departed the field with their preparations sharpened and relationships strengthened, leaving Ba with confidence as they head into the Dean’s build-up and Mount Maunganui having wrapped up what Farley called a successful week in Fiji.
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