Isaac Te Aute, right, and the rest of the Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV will look to beat New Plymouth this weekend. Photo / Ben Fraser
Isaac Te Aute, right, and the rest of the Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV will look to beat New Plymouth this weekend. Photo / Ben Fraser
Only one hurdle remains for the Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV team as they look to gain a spot in the National Top 4 competition - for the first time since 2006.
Rotorua Boys' knocked over reigning 1st XV national champs Hamilton Boys' High School last weekend to progressto the final of the Chiefs region.
They will host New Plymouth Boys' High School tomorrow at noon and the winner of that match will earn a spot in the National Top 4, reserved for the best four schools in the country.
Rotorua captain Isaac Te Aute said it had been a good build-up this week after their historic victory over Hamilton.
"On Monday everyone was still pretty excited but we came back to training on Tuesday and were focused in on the job [against New Plymouth]," he said.
He said it would be a big milestone for the school to make the National Top 4 which is being held at Rotorua Boys' next weekend. "I think it would be huge. I think we have not been there since 2006," he said. "It would help promote our players as well."
Rotorua have already met New Plymouth once this season.
"It was a close game, we played them here and beat them 20-18," Te Aute said. "They had some really strong forwards."
Te Aute said they had a few players coming back from injury and they would have a strong line-up. One of them is Dorso Porima, who plays at lock or flanker and said they would need to match New Plymouth up front.
"They are pretty physical and their ruck work was pretty mean [last time we played them]," he said. "We need to match their aggression and just be more powerful than them."
Regional finals this weekend: National 1st XV competition: Rotorua Boys' High School v New Plymouth Boys' High School (Chiefs region ), St Kentigern College v Whangarei Boys' High School (Blues region ), Scots College v St Patrick's College (Hurricanes region final), Otago Boys' High School v St Bede's College (South Island final).
National 1st XV co-ed competition: Western Heights High School v Cambridge High School (Chiefs region final), Aorere College v Kerikeri High School (Blues region final), Feilding High School v Bishop Viard College (Hurricanes region final), St Andrew's College v South Otago High School (South Island).
Local 1st XV teams in action tomorrow 12pm: Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV v New Plymouth Boys' High School 1st XV (at Rotorua Boys' High School)
12pm: Western Heights High School 1st XV v Cambridge High School 1st XV (at Western Heights High School)
