First XV Rugby: All You Need To Know about the weekend's best matches and players

Sam Howling from Kelston Boys High.

Want to know who the next Beauden Barrett or Kieran Read will be? In his new weekly column for the Herald, schoolboy rugby expert Herschel Fruean singles out the best First XV matches of the weekend, and some rising stars to watch. Fruean will travel New Zealand looking for the best talent the country has to offer, preview the big games every Friday, provide a wrap of all the results on Sunday, and rank the top 15 First XV teams (based on their performances throughout the season) every Monday morning.

Recap

After the first three games of the season, we've already had an upset, with Whanganui Collegiate travelling to New Plymouth Boys' High and beating them 32-26. Francis Douglas Memorial College hosted Palmerston North Boys' High and beat them 19-5, while Hato Paora College also tipped over St Johns College Hastings 31-22. For our rankings, the upset of New Plymouth Boys' losing to a lower ranked team means they move down a few spots and Whanganui Collegiate move up - but will there be any more upsets this weekend?

Last week's Top 15

1. St Kentigern College (1A, Blues)
2. Hastings Boys' High School (Super 8, Hurricanes)
3. King's College (1A, Blues)
4. Rotorua Boys' High School (Super 8, Chiefs)
5. Otago Boys' High School (Otago Comp, Highlanders)
6. Kelston Boys' High School (1A, Blues)
7. Hamilton Boys' High School (Super 8, Chiefs)
8. Nelson College (UC Championship, Crusaders)
9. St Bede's College (UC Championship, Crusaders)
10. Scots College (Wellington Comp, Hurricanes)
11. Francis Douglas Memorial College (Central North Island, Chiefs)
12. Christchurch Boys' High School (UC Championship, Crusaders)
13. Sacred Heart College (1A, Blues)
14. New Plymouth Boys High School (Super 8, Chiefs)
15. Gisborne Boys' High School (Super 8, Hurricanes)

This weekend's games

If you are in Masterton or can get to Masterton, go and watch a bunch of the country's best teams play at Rathkeale College in the 1st XV Festival starting at 11am. There are six games in total being played with Hastings Boys' High School taking on St Patrick's College Silverstream, and Napier Boys' High School against St Patrick's College.

Jordan McFarlane. Gisborne BHS

The first games will be Gisborne Boys High School against Wellington College, and Scots College against Palmerston North Boys' High School. Look out for Gisborne's captain and prop Jordan McFarlane, a big kid with explosive power and attacking ability. His opposite number Toby Cook is a busy player but will have his work cut out against McFarlane. Roderick Solo and Sione Halalilo are two standouts for Scots College. Fullback Solo is a talented ball-runner with a sevens style of play, while No 8 Halalilo seems to run through tacklers at will. Palmerston North Boys' will rely heavily on hooker Harlow Apiata, whose work rate and pace is like having two opensides on the field.

Saturday 3 May 2019: 11am: Gisborne Boys' High School v Wellington College, 11am: Scots College v Palmerston North Boys' High School, 12.30pm: Napier Boys' High School v St Patrick's College, 1pm: Hastings Boys' High School v St Patrick's College Silverstream (all Rathkeale College, Masterton).

Sam Halalilo Scots College.

In Hamilton, St Paul's Collegiate host Hamilton Boys' High School, who are fresh off their Japanese tour during the school holidays. Both teams will start their seasons confident of staying unbeaten early. St Paul's Collegiate have Tepaea Cook-Savage leading them from first-five. Cook-Savage is an agile player with the ability to create space for his teammates and a passing game to match. At the same time, the Hamiltonians have a mobile forward pack this year, with props Vincent Green and Hakaraia Richard-Coxhead in particular, a handful at scrum time and when cleaning bodies out of the rucks.
Saturday 3 May 2019: 11am: St Paul's Collegiate v Hamilton Boys' High School (St Paul's Collegiate, Hamilton).

Isi Saumaki St Andrews College.

In the South Island, there are a few exciting matchups with Otago Boys' High School v Dunstan High School in the Otago competition, the top pick - if only to see Otago Boys' impressive front-row of Tevita Pole, Harry Hansen and Marika Parker in action. In the UC Championship, St Bede's College play Timaru Boys' High School with New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) hopefuls Keynan Stowers-Smith (first-five) and Dominic Gardener (blindside and captain) the centre of attention. In Christchurch, Nelson College take on St Andrew's College with the country's best openside flanker and returning NZSS player, Anton Segner, in action. Segner is a 1.93m (6'4) openside with pace and a knack for competing at the breakdown. Add to the mix blindside Fergus Hughes and No 8 Taya Brown (both over 1,90m, 6'3) and you have one of the most feared loose trios in the country. Isi Saumaki (winger) and Charlie Murray (No 8) should lead the charge for St Andrews.

Saturday 3 May 2019: 11am: Otago Boys' High School v Dunstan High School (Otago Boys' High School, Otago), 12pm: Timaru Boys' High School v St Bede's College (Timaru Boys' High School, Timaru), 12pm: St Andrew's College v Nelson College (St Andrews College, Christchurch).

Keynan Stowers-Smith St Bedes College.

I will be in Auckland this weekend, going to see One Tree Hill College against Macleans College, then off to see Kelston Boys High School against Sacred Heart College - the biggest game of the week in the 1A. Kelston Boys' have a relatively young team, and will rely heavily on halfback Sam Howling, midfielder Mikaere Bartlett, and budding league star Naufahu Whyte. Sacred Heart, in somewhat of a rebuilding year, have plenty of firepower with fullback Brian Lealiifano, winger Blake Makiri, and second-five Bono Napota the most dangerous.

Saturday 3 May 2019: 12pm: One Tree Hill College v Macleans College (One Tree Hill College, Auckland), 2.30pm: Kelston Boys' High School v Sacred Heart College (Kelston Boys' High School, Auckland).