Gisborne not lacking motivation

ALL-OUT EFFORT: Gisborne Boys’ High School vice-captain and lock Max Briant tries to bust through the Rotorua Boys’ High School defence. Briant will be to the forefront of Gisborne Boys’ High efforts against Hamilton BHS tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

RUGBY

To win a home game in their second-to-last wearing of the colours would mean everything to them.

That is motivation aplenty for at least seven Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 rugby players who are set to take on four-time defending Super 8 champions Hamilton Boys’ High on Rectory ground No.1 at 12.30pm tomorrow.

Hamilton beat Gisborne 80-5 at Hamilton BHS on September 5 last year, their biggest win against GBHS at any venue. Their 103-5 win at second-15 level in 2020 was likewise a record, as was first five-eighth-cum-fullback Payton Spencer’s 48 points in that fixture.

Mighty tighthead prop Sione Mafileo was Gisborne Boys’ High School’s MVP (most valuable player) and sole try-scorer on that tough day; centre Freedom Lemaua cut the line for the seconds.

Uetaha Wanoa, who played at blindside flanker in the second-15 fixture last year, was their MVP then and has been bracketed with Puna Hihi at centre.

Wanoa — like lock Matiu Anderson and first 15 captain and scrum anchor Nathaniel Hauiti — may return in 2022, but this will be the last hurrah at home for vice-captain and lock Max Briant, No.8 Nik Patumaka, hooker Matariki Kaa, hooker Reweti Ropiha, lock-cum-blindside flanker Tyla Keelan-Phillips, tighthead prop Hayze Nepia, halfback Kyran Russell, right wing Siope Fakahokotau and second-five Josh Whyte.

Hauiti has remained positive during the course of a trying year: Gisborne Boys’ High School’s foray to Auckland last weekend saw St Peter’s first 15 beat GBHS 56-0 at The Cage, St Peter’s seconds prevail 55-0 and their u15s out-muscle Gisborne 52-0.

St Peter’s u14s won 30-20, having led 15-5 at the break. Right wing Jayden Tihore-Edwards (two), hooker Oakley Brown-Terekia and No.8 Logan Bruce were the Gisborne try-scorers.

None of the Gisborne teams kicked a goal but it is unlikely that the difference between them will be goal-kicking.

The Hamilton teams are very physical, as they have shown in their run-in to Game 6. They beat New Plymouth 36-29, Palmerston North 36-3, Rotorua 21-19 and Napier 32-7 before Tauranga Boys’ College beat them 13-12 at Nicholson Field. That defeat three weeks ago will have annoyed Hamilton, because TBC lost to Rotorua and New Plymouth before drawing 13-13 with Napier at home.

But this is small stuff to Hamilton under former New Zealand secondary schools’ head coach Nigel Hotham. He has a high regard for GBHS, remembering (as they do in the Waikato), Gisborne’s 12-5 win against HBHS in the 2007 Top 4.

“Our clashes with Gisborne are legendary,” said Hotham, whose side had only four players return this season.

“There have been many close encounters, in the Top 4 and the Super 8.

“We have great respect for GBHS as a school and a team, and for their coaches for all that they’ve achieved, and the pride they have in representing the area.”

Hamilton’s returning players are twins Sean (captain, hooker) and Dean (halfback) Ralph, first-five Taha Kemara — who in the 12th minute of the 2020 game scored the first of his team’s 14 tries — and loosehead prop Moses McGoon.

It’s been a decade since Hamilton last lost in Gisborne, 32-6 in Gisborne’s Super 8 championship-winning year of 2011. That was the last time Gisborne Boys’ High beat Hamilton, or held the Vesty Thomas Cup, as they lost it when Hamilton beat them 30-13 at Hamilton BHS in 2012.

Tomorrow Gisborne will be without star fullback King Maxwell due to injury; Carlos Hihi is to take his place.

GBHS head coach Ryan Tapsell’s fingers-crossed hope that No.8 Patumaka will play would seem at this stage like a prayer that has been answered. Gisborne are still looking for their first win.

Hauiti, as was the case with former skipper and openside flanker Amos Roddick last year before the 2020 side’s last home game (a come-from-behind, 18-17 win against New Plymouth), is as determined as a first-15 captain can be.

Hauiti said that Briant won four St Peter’s line-outs against the throw at the weekend, and that that would be Gisborne’s focus.

“We must at least win our own ball at set-piece and stick to our game-pattern.”

The Poverty Bay match officials for tomorrow’s fixtures are (1st 15, Rectory ground No.1, 12.30pm) referee Mark Green, with Royce Maynard as assistant referee No.1 and Isaac Hughes as AR2. Aaron Brown will blow the whistle on R1 at 11am.

Zeke Collier, Matariki Kaa, Nathaniel Hauiti, Matiu Anderson, Max Briant (vice-captain), Tyla Keelan-Phillips, Dylan Bronlund, Nik Patumaka, Kyran Russell, Israel Fox, Izaiah Fox, Josh Whyte, Puna Hihi/Uetaha Wanoa, Siope Fakahokotau, Carlos Hihi. Reserves: Reweti Ropiha, Braith Ingram, Charlie Mathias, Uetaha Wanoa/Puna Hihi, Karlos Howe, Paul Tovio, Paraina Davies, Hayze Nepia.

Moses McGoon, Sean Ralph (c), Gabe Robinson, Cole McClure, Tai Cribb, Taylor Wright, Oli Mathis, George Reeves, Dean Ralph, Taha Kemara, Brodie Robinson, Austin Anderson, Aki Tuivailala, Henry Palmer, Payton Spencer. R: William Martin, Keran Van Staden, Kieran Draper, Liam Sturm, Marley Murphy, Beau Peart, Caelys Putoko.

Lathaniel Niwa-Karakia, Paul Tovio, Tupuhi Gardner, Joe Kemp, Latrell Walker, Kerry Hohepa, Braith Ingram, Reuben Whaitiri, Kauri Christie, Te-Reimana Gray, Kaia Gate, Xavier Henare-Brown (c), Xavier Tuapawa, Dante Kirkpatrick, Silas Brown. R: Jimmy Moore, Nathaniel Niwa-Karakia, Ratu Nairoiroi, Kaiao Tangira, Jayerion Te Ahu.

Sunia Fukofuka, Inga Kokohu, Hoani Ham, Tama Hodgson, Josh Syme, Ben Russell, Liam Sturm, Liam Anderson (cc), Mac Russ (cc), Rangiwai Lunjevich, CJ Kaua, Renata Palmer, Zac Coffey, Kyan Trebes, Leo Scott. R: Iotia Teokotai, Manaia Williams, Tom McCarthy, Pouvalu Tupou, Christian MacEwan, Caylus Brighouse.