Ratu Kadavulevu School has won the Fiji Secondary Schools Deans Under 16 trophy after dethroning defending champions Queen Victoria School 19-13 in a spectacular final at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva on Saturday.
The neighboring rivals kept the fans on the edge of their seat while QVS entered the match with the fan favorites’ tag and RKS showed a lot of determination and optimism to win the match.
Both sides tussled hard for the opening few minutes of the match but due to several errors by RKS in the scrimmage, QVS was awarded a penalty which fly-half Nathan Jeremiah Stephens took and kicked in between the uprights for a 3-nil lead in the eight minute.
10 minutes later, RKS regrouped and gave a huge response to QVS with a try from lanky captain Lekima Senikau Ravukivuki as he burst from the opponent’s tackle and pushed his way through to score.
Ravukivuki converted to put RKS ahead with a 7-3 lead.
Errors again by RKS at scrimmage rewarded another penalty to QVS which Isikeli Bari took this time and slotted it in to merge the gap at 6-7 at the break.
Early in the second spell, QVS hooker Sireli Temo was taken off the field after he sustained a severe head injury and Emosi Nabure took the field in place of him.
RKS brought the crowd to its feet when they were awarded a penalty try following an intentional foul by QVS fly half Josua Kotoisuva on RKS winger Vilisoni Cakacaka, RKS led by 14-6.
It was tight head prop Ilai Nabati who brought some hope for the QVS side in the match as he bulldozed through the RKS defence and scored while Stephens converted to narrow the gap at 13-14.
Both teams fought hard in the final five minutes of the match but it was Cakacaka who grabbed the infield play from Anare Sovu and dived in the left corner to score to give them the winner.
