Published in The Fiji Times on Monday, August 22, 1988.
John Senikarawa led a determined Ratu Kadavulevu School under-19 side to retain the prestigious secondary schools Deans Trophy, when they pipped Nasinu Secondary 18-17 at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Senikarawa, 18, a member of the Fiji Secondary Schools rugby team tour of Australia, led his players going throughout the match despite trailing most of the time.
Their victory has earned Ratu Kadavulevu the honours to hold the trophy for the 16th time in the 60 years of school rugby.
Neighbours Queen Victoria School have held the trophy 15 times and Lelean Memorial 11.
Saturdays final was an exciting encounter from start to finish; the more than 3000 spectators were treated to good discipline rugby from both teams.
Nasinu Secondary were unfortunate to lose as they toiled hard and pressured Ratu Kadavulevu.
Josateki Sauvou kicked a penalty five minutes from the start to give Ratu Kadavulevu an early 3-0 lead.
Sauvou, 18, also a member of the national secondary schools’ team, relieved pressure for his side with his good clearing kicks.
He managed to kick four of the eight penalties awarded to his team, Nasinu halfback equalised with a penalty from a kickable position.
Nasinu continued to pressure Ratu Kadavulevu with their forward thrusts and gave flanker Peniasi Seru the opportunity to score their first try bringing the halftime score to 7-3 in their favour.
Nasinu again put the pressure on from kick-off, their forwards matched the bigger RKS pack in the scrums as they pushed forward.
From a line-out, Solomoni Vakacoko tapped to Utuvou, the ball flowed and centre Sefanaia Tabua took his aim for a drop goal increasing their lead 10-3.
Nasinu again shot ahead with a well-deserved try from second five-eight Akuila Momo.
The move started from the scrum as Nacanieli Seru and Area Toasi led the forwards to push RKS back.
The fast Nasinu backline moved the ball, and Momo found the gap to tough down, at this stage, RKS got their act together and were hitting Nasinu hard in the forwards and also committed to continuous rucking.
They played deep into Nasinu territory and camped there for a while before they were awarded a scrum.
The forwards heaved Naisnu back with their eight-man shove right up to the score line for Lasato Vuniwaiwai to record their first pushover try.
Sauvou converted to give them at 15-14 lead, but Nasinu came back strongly with their backline running the ball well and their forwards kept moving forward with their superb rucks and mauls.
An RKS player was penalised for not releasing and Utuvou kicked another penalty to change the lead 17-15 in their favour.
As the game dragged on towards the end, both teams worked tirelessly, and the match became more exciting.
Bit it was a penalty in the final minutes that cost Nasinu the match, Sauvou made no mistakes and brought the final score to 18-17.
RKS supporters ran on to the field as referee Sakaraia Vuki blew the final whistle, they carried Sauvou and Senikarawa on their shoulders in their excitement.
RKS students also carried their flag and walked around the stadium track in a victory las as the crowd cheered from the pavilion and the embankment.
It was a fitting end to another exciting and top-level secondary schools’ rugby.