The Nasinu Secondary School XV lost their first two matches at the World Schools Festival 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
Their first match was against South Africa’s Paul Roos Gymnasium First XV, losing 17–3.
Paul Roos is no ordinary schoolboy side — it is a Springbok factory, having produced over 56 national players, more than any other school in South Africa.
Up against a pack stacked with tall, rangy forwards and multi-skilled backs, the Nasinu boys fronted up with heart, speed, and courage.
Despite the clear difference in body mass and international exposure, the boys matched them in attitude, tackling low, scrambling in defence, and refusing to be bullied at the breakdown.
The Nasinu backline showed their trademark nippiness and flair, probing when space opened up, while the forwards rolled up their sleeves and went to work in the trenches.
However, as the game wore on, the Paul Roos experience, physicality, and game management began to tell.
In their second match, Nasinu lost to England’s TSC XV side 12–7.
The TSC XV represents the elite 15-a-side outfit drawn from The Schools Championship in England, a relatively new competition launched in 2022.
The forwards traded collisions in the trenches, rucks were fiercely contested, and both teams played territorial chess, moving the ball up and down the park with mirrored attacking shapes and disciplined defensive lines.
It was proper schoolboy rugby at its best — high tempo, high contact, and high pride.
The TSC boys played strictly to the referee’s whistle, keeping their composure even when play flowed through moments of visible infringements.
On the other hand, Nasinu found themselves distracted by those same breakdown calls, losing focus at crucial moments.
Instead of unleashing their fast, long-striding backline into open space, Nasinu opted to play in heavy traffic, taking contact head-on and, at times, coughing up possession under pressure.
Nasinu will face Junior Sables XV at 10.15pm tomorrow.
Source: 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝗚𝘂𝗹𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮
