The cheers from the hilltops of Ba echoed around 4R Stadium, Govind Park in Ba as hometown heroes Ba Methodist High School stood tall to claim the Vodafone Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby League U17 title with a hard fought 18-16 win over Sigatoka Methodist College yesterday.
Backed by the vanua, old scholars, families and passionate supporters dressed in maroon, Ba Methodist delivered under pressure in front of their home crowd in a thrilling final that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
The hosts started strongly, feeding off the loud support from the grandstands and sidelines. Their aggressive attack and disciplined play saw them take control early in the first half.
Joji Banuve crossed for the opening try before Maciu Waqaira added another as Ba Methodist built momentum. Reliable kicker Taniela Kunarara kept the scoreboard ticking with a conversion and two penalties as the side made smart use of opportunities to stretch their lead to 14-4 at halftime.
Sigatoka Methodist refused to back down, with Josateki Vetawa scoring their lone first half try to keep hopes alive.
The second spell turned into a tense battle as both sides lifted intensity. Ba Methodist struck again through Isoa Nukunidreke to extend the lead, but Sigatoka Methodist came storming back with determined attacking rugby.
Inoke Tagiteci powered over for a crucial try while Vetawa grabbed his second of the afternoon. Tagiteci also added a penalty and Manasa Telawa converted as the Sigatoka side narrowed the gap to just two points.
With the match hanging in the balance, Ba Methodist defended bravely in the closing stages, refusing to surrender their advantage as supporters erupted in celebration after the final whistle.
Coach David Wise praised the players for believing in themselves throughout the season.
“Believe in themselves, think of their parents and guardians, our school and families. These people have been behind us since the start of the season,” Wise said.
“We knew Sigatoka Methodist would bounce back in the second half, but we were prepared.”
