Gisborne captain Nathaniel Hauiti is a good-natured but very powerful tighthead prop. With him as their anchor, GBHS have held their own at scrum-time against such as Kelston, Sacred Heart and St Paul’s.
The second-row, with Tyla Keelan-Phillips and vice-captain Max Briant, has been solid, and Nik Patumaka’s presence at No.8 is greatly appreciated by his skipper.
“Nik is — mentally and physically — one of the strongest players in our squad,” Hauiti said.
Against Feilding, Hauiti wants to see his side’s defensive line get up on their opposites quickly, and their ability to do that may be crucial.
Gisborne’s last game was a 40-12 loss to Kia Tu Camp hosts St Paul’s Collegiate; the visitors showed courage and fought back from being down 28-0 at the break. They pulled St Paul’s back to 28-12 during the second half.
Feilding head coach Justin Lock, in his fourth year with the team, has lost 16 players from 2020 and 11 of his 28-man squad were under 16 as of January 1 this year.
But they are capable. Feilding at home beat Wellington College 17-15 in Feilding’s season opener on March 27; their last outing was a 35-32 loss to New Plymouth BHS three weeks ago. Feilding were 32-14 up with 25 minutes to play in the clash with New Plymouth.
“We’ve got a young team, a good backline — although they’re raw, they have talent,” said Lock, whose side have suffered only one heavy loss, 38-7 to Hastings BHS on First 15 Day, April 11.
Feilding are led by a second-year man, hooker Vernon Bason. Behind him he has a good No.8 — AJ Malili-Malo-Lauano — who attended the New Zealand Barbarians Hurricanes age-grade camp at Napier Boys’ High last September, alongside two of Gisborne Boys’ High School’s best in then-skipper and No.7 Amos Roddick and first-five Nic Proffit.
The referee for tomorrow’s game will be Hawke’s Bay official Joshua Strong, five years a whistle-blower at premier grade club level.
