While espionage may be a bit of a strong descriptor, the Rotorua Boys' High School team had a brush with spy tactics on the way to their national title win in Palmerston North.
Qualifying as the tournament's top seeds and having made the national finals for the past
five years, the Rotorua senior team were always seen as a good bet to go the distance, a fact which didn't escape the attention of arch-rivals - Hamilton Boys' High School.
They qualified second behind Rotorua after the zonal tournament, which saw the top three sides from Waikato, King Country, Thames Valley, Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay and East Coast, earn the right to contest the national finals.
Being aware of Rotorua fire-power, Hamilton filmed all of their games, not only at nationals, but also at the zonal tournament.
Sensing they were being watched, Rotorua kept their weapons of mass touch destruction under wraps, saving their big guns and flashy moves for the national final against Hamilton - a team they had already beaten three times.
"We waited until the final and then we unleashed our moves," said captain Mokonuiarangi Marr.
Rotorua head of physical education Gordon Hunt described the Hamilton tactics as "paralysis by analysis ... They don't have the same flair as these boys do".
Having played nearly 40 games in the lead-up to the final, Rotorua felt prepared. The fact the 15-strong squad had trained together three days a week for four months also tipped the scales in their favour.
One of the team's managers, H. Kaiwai, said: "It's a school team that has been together all year. It's where we get the advantage over the others. It's experienced. They knew what they were there for."
Team member Jaz-inia McGarvey said, "We played for each other. We wanted to win."
The performances of Sasu Wihapi, McGarvey and captain Marr were particularly impressive, with the trio gaining selection in the national secondary schools' squad. McGarvey attributed his panache with the long ball as the reason for his inclusion. "I've got mean skills, as well."
Wihapi pointed to his work rate and experience as key to his game, while Marr cited his ability to "unleash the moves" as the high point of his touch game.
The trio will now start building towards the 2009 Youth World Cup.
While espionage may be a bit of a strong descriptor, the Rotorua Boys' High School team had a brush with spy tactics on the way to their national title win in Palmerston North.
Qualifying as the tournament's top seeds and having made the national finals for the past
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