The original silk banner was donated by the 1902-12 NBHS headmaster, A.S. Polson, and has the colours and the crest of the two respective schools on the reverse sides. The scores for each year's match has been embroidered on the banner over the years.
Thompson, who played his 50th match for the 1st XV, in the weekend's 36-15 away Super 8 win against New Plymouth Boys' High School has yet to play in a losing Polson Banner clash. His first in 2016 was a 17-all draw but Palmy retained the banner that year as they had won the fixture the previous year and last year NBHS won the banner for the first time since 2013 with a 12-10 victory in the mud in Palmy.
"It's just as well last year's game wasn't televised because the commentators wouldn't have been able to recognise our numbers. It will be different tomorrow," Thompson said referring to the fact today's game will be televised live on the Rugby Channel.
"This is our first televised game in this season's Super 8. But we have televised games on our tour of South Africa at the start of the year ... nothing changes, we just play our normal game," Thompson said.
With a five-win and one-loss Super 8 record to date the hosts will start as slight favourites against PNBHS who have recorded three wins and three losses.
"I remember my first season in the 1st XV we weren't expected to do well because we were rebuilding. This year I could not have asked for anything more from the boys," Thompson said.
"If we keep doing the simple stuff as hard as we can, like we've been doing, we should be fine."
At the same time he has plenty of respect for today's visitors. Palmy's halfback-first five-eighth combination of Bryn Wilson and Taradale age group product Stewart Cruden attended the recent Hurricanes under-18 camp in Napier with Thompson, and fullback Ruben Love can be a lethal attacker if given too much space.
A powerful ball carrier who weighs in at 106kgs, 2kgs less than All Black hooker Codie Taylor, Thompson, who is still growing, is already bigger than most hookers in the country. He is regarded as a hot candidate for this year's New Zealand Secondary Schools team.
His twin brother, Leo, plays centre for the NBHS side. It will be interesting to see if the pair end up playing together when they leave school this year.
"It's possible but we could go our separate ways. We've been playing together since our family moved down from Gisborne and we linked up with the Napier Old Boys Marist sixth grade team," Thompson recalled.
While Thompson's days as a professional player are just months away he also has plans to do a building apprenticeship so he is prepared for life after rugby.
Apart from winger Harry Devine who has a hamstring injury the hosts will be at full strength today.
The match will be controlled by one of the Bay's most promising referees, Dan Waenga, who knows all about Polson Banner fixtures from his days in the NBHS 1st XV.
Teams for the 12.35pm clash:
NBHS: Max Anderson, Pereiha Hubbard, Leo Thompson, Keegan Christian-Goss, Jack Sheriden, Henry Williams, Treyah Kingi-Taukamo, Luke Russell, Sam Henderson, Josh Gimblett, Frank Lochore, Tiaki Fabish, Patrick Teddy, Tyrone Thompson (captain), Jayden Walker. Substitutes: Forwards, Hayden Davis, Manaaki Aranui, Oskar Lynch, Rob Slabbekoorn. Backs, Angus Kilmister, Jayden Stok, Caleb Turner.
PNBHS: Ruben Love, Will Treder, Lafo Takiari Ah Ching, Darel Lander, Korie Winters, Stewart Cruden, Bryn Wilson, Tamati Ruawai, Ethan Johanson, Bryn Gordon, Tom Finlay, Harry Newman, Gus Robertson, Flyn Yates, Nasser Tato. Substitutes: Forwards, Harlow Apiata, Feleti Sae Ta'ofu'ou, Trevor Shane Baker, Jack Nesdale. Backs, Matty Oldridge, Max Harris, Mitch Leach.
