MELVILLE High School rugby league teams will take on the best in Northern NSW as they bid for a place in the All Schools Country Cup state finals.
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The South Kempsey school’s opens squad will board a bus, with the under-15s, heading for Coffs Harbour to contest the Country Cup state semi-finals.
The opens booked their berth last week, after coming from behind to beat Port Macquarie’s Newman College by 32 points to 12.
Melville led 4-0 after the first half, thanks to a try by centre Bailey Brown.
Hooker Aaron Sutherland extended the lead in the second half, but Newman scored two quick tries to take a two-point lead.
Teacher and regular coach David Jacobs said the side knew it had to score next to keep its hopes alive.
“We did that, then the floodgates opened,” he said.
Reece McPhillips, playing at five-eighth, restored Melville’s lead.
Second-rower Tyrone Waind continued the onslaught with the next try, capitalising on a breakaway move.
Josh Kirin, playing as centre, and fullback Owen Blair (two tries) completed the runaway victory.
Jacobs - who had passed over coaching duties to a parent, while he acted as team manager – said he told the players at half-time this would be the last time they represented the school, if they lost.
“We knew we could win, but we had to play disciplined football,” he said.
Halfback Jarryd Ritchie was named man of the match.
The opens will face regional winners Inverell High School (Greater Northern); McKillop Catholic College, Warnervale (Hunter); and St John’s College, Woodlawn (Northern Rivers), at Coffs Harbour today.
The winner of the round-robin event will progress to the state finals.
The under-15s, who qualified after winning the North Coast regional final at Port Macquarie last month, will take on Farrer Agricultural High School (Greater Northern); Saint Pius, Adamstown (Hunter); and Grafton High School (Northern Rivers).