Another win is in the books.
Old Boys University overcame Marist St Pat’s 35-26 at a soggy Nairnville Park today to maintain their perfect Jubilee Cup start.
Scoring five tries in the process, the Billy Goats gained their second straight bonus point win though they were made to work hard by the Red Machine who got off to the better start.
Fullback Andrew Wells pounced on a loose OBU pass to score the game’s first try after eight minutes though MSP’s good work was undone shortly after when wing Rez Tasele was sin-binned for an intentional knock-down when OBU had an overlap.
Sam Reid then opened OBU’s account with a try after some patient play worked OBU up the field, seeing Agustin Escalona make a break before finding Reid to finish.
MSP hit back almost immediately though, charging down an attempted OBU clearance to go up 14-5.
A pair of Dale Sabbagh penalty goals got OBU back to within three but MSP again didn’t take long to respond as the previously yellow-carded Tasele ran 50 metres to score after snatching up a loose OBU offload.
The first half action didn’t stop there – a delightful lineout set play saw Jared Verney stroll over the line just a minute from the break, before another OBU try, this time to Daven Candy, gave the Goats a 23-19 half-time lead.
Proceedings slowed as the second forty got underway but it was the hosts who next crossed the whitewash with Sam Coventry burrowing his way over for a try and a 30-19 lead.
Te Wehi Wright was the recipient of a lovely Sam Reid pass to score OBU’s fourth consecutive try and although MSP scored just minutes later to make it 35-26, the game was done and dusted.
A special mention to Will Mangos. The usual loose forward today played 80 minutes at second five-eighth amidst a midfield injury crisis and seldom looked out of place. Mangos directly set up a try and had a hand in others with a couple of bustling runs.
The win sees OBU finish the round in second on the Jubilee Cup ladder with a game in hand on current leaders Oriental-Rongotai who the Billy Goats take on next Saturday. That game’s at Nairnville Park at 2.45pm – be sure to get on down.