Rugby: Hastings Boys' High prop Mosese Fineanganofo eyes Super Rugby path

Hastings Boys' High School rugby prop Mosese Fineanganofo is aiming for a second Super 8 title within a week today. Photo / Warren Buckland

The feats of Hawke's Bay Magpies and Highlanders rugby halfback Folau Fakatava have been well documented.

It's the story about a teen who arrived in New Zealand with English as his second language to attend Hastings Boys' High School. He secured a Super Rugby contract within three years.

Prop Mosese Fineanganofo wants to follow a similar path to Fakatava's and early indications suggest he will. The 17-year-old Year 12 student arrived at Hastings Boys' High School at the start of the year from the Tongan capital of Nuku'alofa.

"I knew nothing about Hawke's Bay or Hastings Boys' High School apart from people telling me the school was a good one to go to for rugby," Fineanganofo recalled.

The former Tonga under-15 and under-16 rep who started playing rugby as a 10-year-old has alternated between the Hastings Boys' High School first and second XVs.

Fineanganofo was a key member of the second XV which won their Super 8 competition for the first time, completing an unbeaten run with a 24-14 win against Hamilton Boys' High School in Hamilton last weekend.

He has been rewarded for his outstanding displays with a start for the firsts against Hamilton Boys' High School in their Super 8 final in Hamilton today. This match will be televised live on Sky Sport.

"I watched most of the first XV's game last weekend. I'm confident we can turn that performance around. We just have to stick to our game plan and minimise our errors," Fineanganofo explained.

Two of his five appearances in the first XV have been as a starter and he will start at tighthead prop today replacing the injured Jeremiah Tuiatua.

The 1.92m tall Fineanganofo, who weighs 106kg, is impressed with the teamwork within the first XV squad and singled out Year 11 No 8 Cooper Flanders, a younger brother of Magpies loosie Devan Flanders, as a player with enormous potential.

"Mosese is doing very well. He is also a good academic and the fact he is prepared to go to university and study civil engineering while chasing a Super Rugby career reflects that," HBHS first XV manager and former Magpies halfback Jason Bird said.

Bird pointed out an Auckland-based brother of Fineanganofo messaged the school to see if there was a vacancy for the prop and then their mother got in touch with the school and it wasn't long before his enrolment process was under way.

It isn't surprising that Fineanganofo ranked former Magpies prop and Tongan international Sona Taumalolo and Tongan league star Jason Taumalolo as his sporting heroes.

Regular centre Andrew Hayward is unavailable for the visitors today as he was sent off last week and is serving a two-week ban. Eldius Oli moves from the wing to centre and Mefi Tupou takes Oli's berth on the wing.

After his impressive stint off the bench last week, Arama Kite replaces Connor Wadley at blindside flanker. Wadley will be on the bench, which will have a five forwards-two backs split.

Hamilton Boys' High hold the Super 8 title after beating Napier Boys' High School in last year's final. Hastings Boys' High last won it in 2017.

The Hastings Boys' High School team is:
Mercedes Hodge, Joeli Rauca, Eldius Oli, Jordan Thompson-Dunn (captain), Mefi Tupou, Latrell Ah Kiong, Charlie Varcoe, Cooper Flanders, Daemon Brough, Arama Kite, Julian Goerke, Emil Crichton, Mosese Fineanganofo, Jacob Dorward, Tini Nu'u. Substitutes: Forwards, Aone Lolofie, Josh Folau, Manahi Goulton, Connor Wadley, Fraser Taurima-Heperi. Backs, Phillip King-Panapa, Donovan Godinet.