A 44-3 victory by Nasinu Secondary School was handed to Natabua High School in the first semi-final of the Vodafone Deans competition in Suva yesterday.
Nasinu started off strong and drew first blood and Natabua was unable to counter their opponent’s tough wall of defence with the exception of a successful penalty kick that added to Natabua’s side of the score sheet.
Nasinu Secondary’s assistant team coach Taniela Vakamoce was grateful for the result attained yesterday.
“Firstly, we would like to thank the Lord for his support throughout our journey and the only thing we told the boys was that we only had two more games left,” Vakamoce said.
“On our way in, we believed in the journey we were undertaking and we believed that the work put in by the players would help them execute the objectives set.”
He added while the points margin depicted a vast difference between the two teams, he said the main goal for them was to ensure that they executed every phase of play in a proper manner.
Nasinu ventured into the semi-final yesterday after a 20-20 defeat of Queen Victoria School in the quarter-finals held at Churchill Park in Lautoka on Saturday, August 9.
They had won the match according to competition regulations that stated the match would be awarded to the team that scored first if it ever ended in a draw.
Natabua came through with a 20-17 win over Marist Brothers in the quarter-final before that, made possible with a last-minute penalty kick that saw the Flagstaff brigade bow out effectively.
Meanwhile, in the second semi-final, Ratu Kadavulevu School won 48-28 over Suva Grammar School, in a thrilling match of shifting dominance that ended in favour of the young men from Delanakaikai.
Nasinu will meet RKS in the final of the under-18 grade this Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium.