Xavier Tuapawa, run-on centre against Western Heights and reserve 13 against Lindisfarne, will make his second start this year on the right wing.
Head coach Duane Hihi has fielded the same forward pack — bar Reuben Whaitiri, run-on No.8 in the 41-0 win against Western Heights on March 19 — in three consecutive games. Heights is a proud rugby school, but for GBHS it was doubly important to beat Lindisfarne after the 44-6 loss at the college last year and beat them convincingly (36-8 on the Rectory ground).
Last Saturday’s performance was significant for this GBHS first 15.
In the wake of what should not be regarded as a five tries-to-one runabout, Hihi Snr said: “Kelston won’t need or get any help from us because they were the No.1-ranked team in the world in 2021. Sticking to our systems and controlling what we do well is our focus.
“They hammered us 71-6 last year. We’re under no illusions. Our game-plan is simple: minimise their opportunities and back our defensive systems. You can’t stop a juggernaut like Kelston completely, but if we win the small battles, that may have a flow-on effect.”
Only five members of the team that began the clash with Kelston on April 10, 2021, the first home game of Gisborne Boys’ High School’s toughest season in 112 years, will start at Shadbolt Park tomorrow. They are then-loosehead prop now lock Zeke Collier, captain and tighthead prop Nathaniel Hauiti, then-fetcher now No.6 Dylan Bronlund, current vice-captain and halfback Israel Fox and then-14, now second-five, Puna Hihi.
They are determined to perform.
Kelston, guided by second-year head coach and old boy Matt Howling, have already tasted success on the road: 48-0 against Whangarei BHS at Whangarei a fortnight ago, and 5-0 against Westlake BHS of Takapuna last Friday.
Kelston will be led tomorrow by their scrum anchor, Joel Lauvale.
Gisborne No.8 Luke Bidois scored a try in each half of the GBHS under-15s’ 32-22 loss to the visitors in 2021 but will have as his beefy opposite at Shadbolt Park the compact, 95-kilogram Jarrel Tuaimalo-Vaega. The hosts’ halfback Cole Benson, like his skipper, started on the reserves bench in the last meeting but is a third-year man.
Tomorrow in New Lynn is expected to be warm (23 degrees).
Kelston beat Westlake having fielded seven debutants, and have come together as a unit despite many disruptions and challenges, but KBHS director of rugby Howling remembers the last game between Gisborne and Kelston in Auckland, on April 12, 2019 — a 26-17 win to the Auckland powerhouse.
Covid-19 meant the traditional interschool fixture was cancelled in 2020.
“We’re young this year and we’ll be tested by Gisborne,” said Howling, a 2010 Condor 7s champion openside flanker.
“We expect them to be full of running.”
Kelston captain Josh Lauvale agrees.
“Gisborne always bring a lot of energy to these games, and they play a different style of rugby from Auckland schools,” he said.
“That’s why we always look forward to playing them.”
Hauiti, in the absence of his co-captain Carlos Hihi, will have a vice-captain in halfback Israel Fox. Hauiti’s priorities and focus have not changed.
“I want our forwards to be nice and tight on pick-and-go plays and be very talkative in the scrum and lineout drives etc,” he said.
“We want to hit together as a pack.”
• The referee for the first 15 clash between GBHS and Kelston BHS at the Suburbs RFC ground tomorrow will be former president of the Auckland Rugby Referees Association, 25-year veteran Rob Ah Kuoi.
• The second 15 fixture at 9.30am will be controlled by Floyd Ormsby, whose career highlight was being first assistant referee to Rugby World Cup final whistle-blower and rugby legend Nigel Owens, of Wales, in touring side Nippon Sports Science University’s 24-19 win against the St Peter’s School u15s at “The Cage” in 2017.
