Want to know who the next Beauden Barrett or Kieran Read will be? In his 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
First XV Rugby: Ranking the top 15 schools in New Zealand
By Herschel Fruean
NZ Herald·
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Luke Ale of Hamilton Boys.
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The biggest game this weekend is the rematch from Saturday of Hamilton Boys High School vs Hastings Boys High School in the Super 8 Final in Hamilton. These two teams have remained some of the most consistent in the country, only having one loss each.
Hamilton Boys defeated Hastings Boys 26-3 over the weekend, which saw Hamilton leapfrog them in the standings and earn a home final. The game was high-level rugby, with both teams showing discipline with ball in hand and on defence, and minimising mistakes, so much so that points were not easy to come by.
I don't expect too much to change from both sides. The important thing will be recovery, making sure all the boys are healthy and fit to run on the pitch. Execution is key and making sure that everyone is locked into their core roles.
The coaches are going to play an even bigger part off the field leading up to this game. Nigel Hotham and Greg Kirkham for Hamilton Boys will have the role of keeping captain Hakaria Richards-Coxhead focused and connected to his team. The other leaders on the team like prop Vincent Green, Luke White, Guy Lansdown all need to be upbeat and positive about this past week and try take that into the next game.
For Hastings Boys High School, coaches Tafai Ioasa and Karl Lowe will bring in their pro experience and school their side on how to deal with pressure, and then work with them as squads. The rugby programme at Hastings Boys is one of the best in the country and it is because of the past and present coaches who have laid down the foundation of fundamentals and teaching the boys to be responsible, accountable, diligent leaders and example to the ones coming through. That will be no different leading into this game. Captain Jordan Thompson-Dunn has been in the 1st XV for three years and has grown into a great leader. He has other leaders on the team like Connor Wadley, Julian Goerke, Emil Crichton, Latrell Ah Kiong to name a few that know how to be supportive of the captain.
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St Peter's College vs De La Salle College, at De La Salle College, 2.30pm Saturday
Another key game will be St Peter's College vs De La Salle College in South Auckland. St Peter's College are on another run right now like last year and have the smallest of chances to make the 1A Top 4. They need to collect maximum points to win that fourth spot, with the hopes that Auckland Grammar School struggle against Liston College. Captain Naryan Strickland has led the boys in the late surge to try and snap up that last playoff place and with their luck they could get it. However they must take care of their game first and try to get the win over De La Salle College, while scoring four tries in the process. Then they can look with hope to the Auckland Grammar result and hope they don't win with bonus points.
King's College vs Kelston Boys High School, at Kelston 2.30pm Saturday
Then you have Kelston Boys sitting on the same points as St Peter's College, but with the prospect of facing King's College, who are second on the table. If Kelston Boys can win with bonus points and hope that Auckland Grammar come away with just a win, they will be able to get that last spot in the 1A Top 4. I'm not sure how they are going to pull this off but the best case Kelston Boys have of getting this result is that King's College rest their best players because they have already secured a spot in the Top 4, but I'm not sure that will happen.
St Andrew's College v Christchurch Boys High School
St Andrew's College have been perfect this whole season and were 10-0 until two weeks ago when they fell to Christchurch Boys High School. Then they suffered a defeat to Christ's College, dropping to second on the table. This week they face St Bede's College, who are on a roll and sitting third behind St Andrew's, a point behind. Losing three in a row going into play-off rugby even with an impressive record of 10-3 will be hard for anyone to bounce back from, so in short St Andrew's need this win.