Mount Albert Grammar has claimed the coveted National Top Four crown with a nail-biting 14-13 victory over Hastings Boys’ High School in Palmerston North yesterday.

The Top Four series saw Mount Albert claim a comfortable 41-0 win over Southland Boys’ in Friday’s semifinal before meeting Hastings yesterday.

Mount Albert Grammar coach Geoff Moon said it was a great way to end a long season.

“It was an awesome trip,” said Moon.

“We stayed calm and took it one game at a time. On Friday we were clinical against Southland, it was dry conditions and we played a different way. Then in the final, down came the rain, and we changed our game, we’ve been able to do that all year.”

Moon said much credit must go to the team’s leadership group.

“Because we have a good leadership group we have been able to control the game on the field and stay calm. When they go to a dark place, they can get through it and that’s been the key to our team. We’ve had a culture that has been unbreakable and has been our focus.”

A team trip to see the Richie McCaw movie Chasing Great was also used as a motivator for the team.

“We took the team to see the Richie movie and one of the key things from that was he signed off his last game with the Rugby World Cup, all our boys that were leaving; they tried to embrace that,” said Moon.

While the school season wraps up there is more rugby to be played.

“We have achieved everything we wanted and beyond and the biggest success is the growth in the young players. 
“The NZ teams get named soon and we are hoping for a strong representation there.”

Mount Albert Grammar can begin to prepare their title defence in 2017, knowing 20 players will return to the 1st XV squad and that their 2A team also claimed the Auckland title this season.

Top Four Semi Final
Mount Albert Grammar 41 (W Reidlinger-Kapa 2, J Latu, T Barlow, N Longopoa, I Papali'i, K Boyd tries, Longopoa 1 pen, O Shepherd 1 pen)
Southland BHS 0

Top Four Final
Mount Albert Grammar 14 (I Papali'i try, O Shepherd 3 pen)
Hastings BHS 13 (J Mau try, D Toala 2 pen, 1 con)