Beefy boys outweigh the All Blacks

Wesley College first XV front row (from left) Karl Tuinukuafe, Laiseni Kakato and Nepo Laulala. Photo / Greg Bowker

Meet the beefy secondary school front row who at a combined weight of 356kg outweigh the All Black-stacked Blues front row by 9kg.

Prop Nepo Laulala (115kg), the big little brother of ex-All Black and Crusaders centre Casey Laulala, hooker Laiseni Kakato (111kg) and loosehead prop Karl Tuinukuafe (130kg) are the front row in an 840kg Wesley College 1st XV pack - one of the school's smallest in recent years.

The trio - who tipped the pre-season scales at more than 380kg - outweigh All Blacks Tony Woodcock (118kg), John Afoa (123kg) and Keven Mealamu (106kg).

But the budding rugby players, who still have a few years left to grow and have not started serious weight training yet, say they will always be in awe of their heroes.

"Tony Woodcock is cool but John [Afoa] is the man ... He's good because he's Samoan too," said Nepo, who shed 11kg by mowing lawns and not eating too much bread or taro over the summer months.

"We love Keven too, he's a good player and a good man."

Karl, a Counties Manukau U16 representative with a 52cm neck, credits his immense proportions to "Wesley meals" although he had a bit of help from his mum's cooking over the summer when his weight got up to 137kg.

"It's just enough of a bit of everything but not too much carbs," said Karl, 17.

"For dinner I could have chicken, potatoes and custard ... Sometimes for breakfast I'll have fish cakes followed by lots of cornflakes, and schnitzel, corn and potatoes for lunch."

Hooker Laiseni is hoping for national honours this year with the New Zealand schoolboys rugby side, having made age grade sides with Counties Manukau and the Chiefs.

He said the five-days-a-week training was hard but his personal diet of crackers and tinned tuna was "easy".

"Still, I miss taro. I eat quite a bit of it when I'm at home."

Wesley College sports co-ordinator Mike Tod said the side did not have a strict weight-training regime and most of its training was aerobic.

He said this year's 1st XV was one of its smallest in recent years.

The school, whose most famous son, Jonah Lomu, became a worldwide rugby phenomenon just a few years after he left Wesley in the early 1990s, has had 1st XV sides weighing more than 900kg.

"We have certainly had bigger packs," said Mr Tod. "A couple of years ago, we had an even bigger front row and two locks who were 115kg plus. They were a much bigger side.

"We've also got an under-15 side that has a prop who is 6ft 4in [1.93m] and 160kg ... Their front row is heavier, to be fair. He's got a bit of weight to lose so he's out running most days," he said.

Later this year, the 1st XV are hoping to avenge last year's loss to national secondary schools champion Hamilton Boys High.

BIG BOYS

WESLEY COLLEGE 1ST XV
* Nepo Laulala, 18, 115kg
* Laiseni Kakato, 17, 111kg
* Karl Tuinukuafe, 16, 130kg

TOTAL: 356kg

THE BLUES
* John Afoa, 26, 123kg
* Keven Mealamu, 31, 106kg
* Tony Woodcock, 29, 118kg

TOTAL: 347kg