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: All you need to know about the weekend's best matches and players
NZ Herald
4 mins to read
Zion Kelston. Photo / Supplied
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Prop Jeremiah Tuiatua scored right at the end to put Hastings back in front to finish the game. Jayden Stok also played a big role for Napier Boys', scoring two tries and making sure that they pushed Hastings on attack.
Meanwhile, Rotorua Boys' High School went to the East Coast to play Gisborne Boys' High School and showcased exactly why they are the second ranked team in the country with a 57-5 win.
Hastings' Boys and Rotorua Boys' are both Super 8 teams who are leading the country in the rankings and look to be on a roll. Both have yet to play Hamilton Boys' High School, however, who have just claimed another big win over Palmerston North Boys' in Manawatu.
King's College claim big win in 1A
In the 1A Auckland Comp, King's College played their neighbours De La Salle College and made the most of their opportunities to get the win.
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But De La Salle College, who boast an intense physical nature most teams just can't match, were always going to be a hard team to get past.
King's College needed to be strong up front and managed to get a solid 27-8 win out of the match-up.
The other game that demanded attention was Kelston Boys' High School at home against St Peter's College.
The national champions travelled out west to face the young Kelston side and the score was exactly how the game was played - a solid grunt and grind.
For 70 minutes, seemingly everyone put in hits on defence in a battle of who could remain in control the longest. The game finished up 13-8 to Kelston Boys'.
St Kentigern College had their last game for the six games stand down of their recruits with Mount Albert Grammar School pushing it to the end.
Mount Albert's younger players have struggled in recent games but started to adapt to the new gameplan in place.
St Kentigern College really knuckled down in the second half to move it forward and took the game 24-20 in what was a nail-biting match.
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Down South
There were some big games in Christchurch this weekend with St Bede's College beating Lincoln Combined with a switched-up starting line-up.
St Bede's came away with a 19-12 win in the end.
St Andrews College beat Shirley Boys' High School 24-0 to consolidate their spot at the top of the UC Championship ladder.
St Andrews College, led by Dom Clark, have lifted themselves as a team since pre-season showcasing their new-found belief.
St Andrews College, along with Nelson College who beat Christchurch Boys' High School 25-7, are on a roll.
Windy conditions see big score lines
The Central North Island Comp brought out some really big scores, despite the wind and rain, starting with Wanganui Collegiate beating St John's College Hastings 69-0.
Whanganui Collegiate are jumping up in the rankings and are looking to make their mark on a national level.
They are at the top of the table in the CNI and are starting to look comfortable as a team.
St Paul's Collegiate and Wesley College also made a game of it in the rain and it went all the way to the 70th minute.
St Paul's Collegiate with their forward pack kept the ball in the wraps and made sure they were mistake-free in possession to have a chance.
Wesley College did their best on defence, getting physical and in the face of their opponent, but St Paul's Collegiate held strong taking home the win 26-24.
It was a similar situation with Feilding High School and St Peter's School Cambridge, who battled it out in a fight right to the whistle.
St Peters School stayed on attack and broke down the defence little by little to come away winners 26-20.
