Rugby: Milestone for former ball boy

WAY BACK: Matt Phillips remembers his days as a ball boy with the 2002 Havelock North premier rugby side. PHOTO/Duncan Brown

CHECK out the four ball boys in the photo of the 2002 Havelock North premier rugby team in the side's changing room at the club's Anderson Park headquarters.

Ihaia West went on to become a Maori All Black, New Zealand Barbarian, Blues Super player and Magpie after playing for the premiers; Daniel Bell went on to become an Olympic Games swimmer; Adam Blake went on to become a Hawke's Bay age-group rep and premier player for the Villagers before heading off-shore for a playing stint in Europe; and the fourth, Matt Phillips, will play his 50th game for Progressive Meats Havelock North in their home fourth-round Tui Nash Cup fixture against Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports today.

Hooker Phillips is in his fourth year as a premier player. Apart from his 12th grade year when he played for MAC, Phillips (22), has played for the Villagers every year since he was four and had two years in the colts before graduating to the premier grade.

His father, Mike Phillips, one of the better tacticians around at club level, has been involved either at management or coaching level with most of the teams Phillips has played for but is having a break this year.

He was the assistant manager of the 2002 premier team.

With just one win and five points deducted in the wake of last year's "Playergate" saga the Villagers are at the bottom of the points table after three rounds.

"We've made a slow start because we've got a lot of new guys. But we're picking it up and we'll go hard for the Maddison Trophy again," Phillips said referring to the Bay's most prestigious premier club rugby trophy which is contested after the Nash Cup.

A Karamu High School product, Phillips represented the Bay at under-16s level for two years and made the Hurricanes 16s tournament team after helping Hawke's Bay win the 2010 Canes tournament in Gisborne.

He also had two years in the Hawke's Bay under-20s team and against tasted Hurricanes title glory during one of those campaigns.

"I would like to play for the Magpies in the future if the opportunity comes up but at the moment I'm concentrating on club rugby and my busy work commitments," said the Unison line mechanic.

He ranked his forwards coach with both of those title-winning Bay teams, Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's current sponsorship manager Dan Somerville, and Havelock North's former forwards coach Simon "Cowboy" Halford as the best coaches he has played under. The 2014 Maddison Trophy winner's medal recipient ranked former Havelock player Luke Ottley as one of the best and toughest club players he has played with or against.

"Luke was such a good club man and he was there for such a long time. At international level All Black Dane Coles is the best ... I watch him and thrive off him," Phillips said.

He is rapt the team which beat the Villagers 19-16 in last year's Maddison Trophy final will be the Villagers' opponents today.

"I would love to get a win against Pirates. But at the same time we know they will be hurting after last week's loss to Napier Old Boys Marist and we know they will come out firing."

Expect the Pirate team to spoil Phillips' 50th and win by 11 points.

Tech Group of Companies Napier Technical No8 Levi Guildford will miss his side's Park Island encounter against leaders HBI Insurance Brokers Napier Old Boys Marist after receiving a two-match suspension for retaliation in the Texans' win against Tamatea last weekend. NOBM should win this match by 12.

One of the Tech coaches, Steve Lloyd, has received a one-game suspension from his club for the manner in which he reacted to the suspension.

Unbeaten K9 Petfoods Clive's Farndon Park match against MAC has the potential to be the closest of the round. Clive should win by seven.

Expect Carters Frame and Truss Taradale to return to the winning path with a 15-point home victory against Tamatea. Ansin & Monteith Hastings Rugby and Sports have the potential to beat Northfuels Central by 12 at Elwood Park.