Kia Tu camp invaluable: Tapsell

FEEDING THE BACKS: GBHS head coach Ryan Tapsell says Carlos Hihi, pictured right, is improving every game, especially at halfback. Picture by Paul Rickard

RUGBY

Super 8 competition is the Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15’s main focus.

And just over a month out from their Round 1 clash with Palmerston North here, head coach Ryan Tapsell and his Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 spent an invaluable five days at the Kia Tu Rugby Excellence Camp in Hamilton.

“We’ve got a good core of nine or so players who are grinding at the level we need to be at,” Tapsell said.

“The younger, less experienced players are improving with each training and each game.

“We’ve turned the corner and we’re going to be ready for the Super 8.

“Our captain, loosehead prop Nathaniel Hauiti, carries hard and is a great scrummager, vice-captain lock Max Briant carries, rucks and tackles hard. Blindside flanker Dylan Bronlund is fit, goes all day, has line speed, is a menace on defence. Openside flanker Ben Phelps is very similar to Dylz. No.8 Nik Patumaka carries hard, gets us over the advantage line; fullback King Maxwell cleans up at the back — he’s a talent — with Von Huata at centre bringing heat on defence. Von also gets us over the gain-line. Left-wing Siope Fakahokotau is injured but he’s tough — runs, rucks, and hits hard.

“All of those boys are grinders who are totally focused. Hooker Matariki Kaa is close to where we want him to be and utility loose forward Charlie Mathias has been superb off the bench. Carlos Hihi’s improving game-by-game, especially at halfback, while his younger brother Puna is a talent for the future at second-five, as is young first-five Karlos Howe.

“The more game-time boys get, hopefully that will pay off when it counts.”

Gisborne took 27 players to the camp at St. Paul’s Collegiate, with the other five participating schools sending around 30.

Tapsell said: “The aim of going to — and the biggest thing we got out of — the camp, was that we were a lot tighter by the end of it. This Saturday we have a team challenge — Te Huarahi o te Toa Matekore (The Pathway where Courage Knows No Defeat) — at which we’ll bring all of the stuff that we did at the camp together and further grow our team culture.

“Te Huarahi o te Toa Matekore will start at 6.30am and end at 6.30pm. The boys will be challenged physically, mentally, emotionally — and pushed to their limits.”

GBHS lost the season opener 44-5 away to Lindisfarne College on April 1 and 71-6 to Kelston BHS in Gisborne on April 10. Lindisfarne were 32-0 up at half-time in Game 1. They lost to Sacred Heart College 69-5 and 40-12 to St Paul’s at the Kia Tu camp but — as with Amos Roddick’s crew last year — these boys are gluttons for hard work.

Next week will see the Nathaniel Hauiti-led first 15 train every day of the week, including work on scenarios with the Ngatapa premier side on Tuesday and the second 15 on Wednesday. Thursday will be a captain’s run and on Friday the team will play Feilding Agricultural School in Hastings.

Of the nine boys in this squad who consistently played at first 15 level in 2020, only five were first-choice starters in their respective positions. Puna Hihi and Karlos Howe are both 14 years of age but they are coming through a system that lives and breathes rugby on a daily basis.