LEAD STORY - RUGBY: Jones digs up talent

SHANE HURNDELL
As a horticulture teacher at Hastings Boys' High School, Karl Jones knows all about digging up plants.
This year he has one of the biggest challenges on the national rugby scene - digging up enough talent for the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby side to stop their Aussie counterparts from recording three consecutive ``test' wins against the New Zealanders.
``I'm excited about it and I'm confident there's enough talent to achieve it,' said Jones.
The Hastings father of three has been appointed New Zealand Secondary Schools coach for this year and next year. However his role will still be reviewed at the end of this year.
Considering the former Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union's development officer's success with the Hurricanes under-18 side in recent seasons, his appointment can be looked upon as a case of natural progression.
Jones coached the side for the past four years. They won the national tournament last year and in 2007 after finishing third the previous two years.
The Hurricanes beat the Australian Secondary Schools side last year and in 2006.
``That win in 2006 set the tone for the next two years,' said Jones.
He is the first Hawke's Bay coach to be in charge of the New Zealand Secondary Schools since former St John's College teacher Evan Crawford had his stint in the mid-1990s. This year's team will tour Australia in October.
Their first game is against Australia A on the Gold Coast on October 5 and their ``test' will be played in Brisbane on October 9.
``We're hoping the Samoan Schools side will come out here and play us before we go to Aussie but that hasn't been confirmed yet,' said Jones.
Contenders for the side have already began to be ranked by Jones and his team of selectors throughout the country.
``I'm pretty well tied up with the selection process every weekend and for most school holidays from now on ... this job wouldn't be possible without the tremendous support of my wife Lisa,' said Jones.
He agreed there was no shortage of contenders in Hawke's Bay and there was no reason why Hawke's Bay shouldn't have more than one representative like last year when Star Timu was the sole Bay rep and the previous year when Trent Boswell-Wakefield was.
The likes of Napier Boys' High School players Ihaia West, Ashton Tuck, Gareth Evans and Brad Weber, the Hastings Boys High School duo of Mua Sala and Ben Tamiafuna and Te Aute College's Billy Ropiha are names which are already being tossed about.
``The best advice I can give to Hawke's Bay players is to make the Hurricanes under-18s and perform well for the side. You do that and you've got a good chance,' said Jones.
``At the same time there's still a chance of making the team if you don't make the Hurricanes as was the case last year when a couple of players who didn't make our team made the New Zealand side.'
Jones has already seen some Hawke's Bay teams in action and will be at the annual Hawke's Bay College Day tournament on April 26.
``It's one thing to get selected for this role. It's more important to do the job well and the first crucial part is the selection process. We only have the players for a short period of time so it's crucial we get the right players first,' said Jones.