The Tauranga Boys’ College dream of winning the national title in 2024 is over.

In a typically rugged tussle, befitting two staunch rugby rivals, it was Rotorua Boys’ who prevailed after scoring the first try in a pulsating 20-20 draw at Nicholson Field on Saturday, August 17.

The rules surrounding secondary school rugby do not allow for any golden point or extra time to be played, so that opening try proved to be the deciding moment in the game.

Rotorua will now go on to most likely represent Bay of Plenty against Hamilton Boys’ for the opportunity to represent the Chiefs at the National First XV Championships, known as the Top Four playoffs, next month.

It was always going to be hard for Tauranga to follow up that extraordinary 37-0 thrashing of Hamilton in the Super 8 final seven days earlier, especially as they faced a fired-up Rotorua side determined to reverse their humiliating 57-14 defeat to Tauranga back in June.

Tauranga actually had the better of the opening stages of the game and went close to scoring without managing to cross the line - which would later prove decisive.

Rotorua defended with gusto and when an opportunity came to break out from their own half, they made no mistake to score a well-taken try.

Rotorua then kicked a penalty to increase the lead to 8-0 and looked to dominate as they laid siege on the Tauranga goal line.

The powerful front row of Solomone Mailulu, Bronson van der Heyden and Cody Renata were a real handful for the Tauranga defence that was again ably led by the impressive loose forward trio of flankers Jay McQuoid, Ketai Zinyowera and No 8 Aidan Spratley.

That inspired defence kept Tauranga in the game before a moment of magic involving wing Dylan Henderson and fullback Aaron Riley saw Dylan score an opportunist try against the run of play.

Tauranga had one other rare attack into the Rotorua 22 metre zone just before the halftime break and they made it pay, with livewire hooker Tyi Sinkinson crashing over from a well-worked lineout move.

Mason Verster hit the post with his wide-angled conversion to leave the game evenly poised at the break with the home team just ahead 10-8.

The Nicholson Field home supporters have enjoyed a feast of running rugby in 2024 with a record points-scoring spree in the Super 8, but Rotorua’s defence was easily the toughest that Tauranga encountered.

Tauranga’s locks Tom Dyer and Leo Keaney have been among the quiet achievers this season, dominating the lineouts at will, and lively around the park.

Midway through the second half, Tom Dyer won a Rotorua throw to set up a sparkling attack featuring multiple phases that looked certain to finish with a rumble over the Rotorua line.

However, one of the Rotorua forwards illegally pulled the maul down to stop that happening, giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty try.

Now leading 17-8, Tauranga needed to stay focused and eliminate mistakes, but a lack of concentration gifted Rotorua field position and a try soon followed to close the gap to 17-13.

With rain threatening and the game down to the final 15 minutes, the action became frenetic as both teams looked for a chance to seal the match.

Tauranga thought they had done that with a superb 45 metre penalty struck with purpose by Mason Verster to stretch the lead to 20-13 but a succession of uncharacteristic mistakes proved to be Tauranga’s undoing in the final stages.

Rotorua used their heavier forward pack to great advantage to set up multiple phases in the final play of the match that ended with a try beside the Tauranga posts.

The conversion meant a rare draw at the final whistle, but the players knew the rules, so Rotorua began their celebrations to keep their hopes alive of another national title and to signal the end of Tauranga’s memorable season.

As the spectators began to shuffle off in the rain to the warmth of their waiting cars, a mother of one of the Tauranga players was heard to say, “I am so proud of how the boys have played this season”.

Amen to that.

Tauranga Boys’ 20 (Dylan Henderson, Tyi Sinkinson tries; penalty try; Mason Verster penalty) Rotorua Boys’ 20.