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
First XV Rugby: All you need to know about the weekend's best matches and players
NZ Herald
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King's College is fancied to cause an upset against St Kentigern College this weekend. Photo / Photosport
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1. St Kentigern College
2. Hastings Boys' High School
3. Rotorua Boys' High School
4. Otago Boys' High School
5. Hamilton Boys' High School
6. Auckland Grammar School
7. King's College
8. Kelston Boys' High School
9. Scots College
10. Sacred Heart College
11. Nelson College
12. St Bede's College
13. Tauranga Boys College
14. New Plymouth Boys' High School
15. St Peter's College
This weekend's matches
I'm calling it now: St Kentigern College, the No 1 team in New Zealand, will go down to King's College in what could be one of the season's best games. St Kents are still without a number of their star players, while King's College will be hurting from their narrow loss in the "traditional" to Grammar a week ago.
Saturday, May 24: 2.30pm: St Kentigern College v King's College (King's College, Auckland)
Another cracker is expected in Gisborne where Gisborne Boys' High School host Palmerston North Boys' High School. Gisborne should have at least a few of the players back who missed the defeat to Scots College. The presence at fullback of Ruben Love could prove decisive for Palmerston North - as could the return of captain Tamati Ruawai to the forward pack.
Saturday, May 24: 12.30pm: Gisborne Boys' High School v Palmerston North Boys' High School (Gisborne Boys' High School, Gisborne).
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This week sees the start of the Wellington Comp with five new teams - Wairarapa College, Hutt International Boys' School (HIBS), St Bernard's College, Kapiti College and Aotea College - making it through the grading games and into the Prem 1 Division. Rongotai College will rely heavily on locking pair Bede Brown and Apostle Salanoa to give them a physical presence against star-studded Scots College.
View this post on InstagramNot at all how we wanted to go out, but wouldn’t do it in any other colours. Hell of a season 🖤❤️
A post shared by Ethan Webster-Nonu (@ethan.websternonu) on
If they can impose themselves and compete in the tight phases, Rongotai could compete but with game-breakers like Ethan Webster-Nonu back from injury, Scots will be hard to beat.
Saturday, May 24: 2.30pm: Scots College v Rongotai College (Scots College, Wellington).
Rangiora High School and Nelson College clash in a repeat of the pre-season encounter Rangiora won. Their big front row of James Mullan, Charlee Barrett and Harris McRobbie will again be a factor for Rangiora, while the experience of No 8 Josh Neilson and halfback Del Rio Mackintosh (who have both played more than 50 games for the team) is invaluable.
For Nelson College, a lot will depend on the performances of loose trio Anton Segner, Fergus Hughes and Taya Brown, while halves combination Mason Lund and Niko Barton have plenty of offensive nous.
Saturday, May 24: 12pm: Nelson College v Rangiora High School (Nelson College, Nelson).
