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
Noah Hotham of Hamilton BHS.
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Saturday: (2) Rotorua BHS vs Gisborne BHS @Gisborne 12 pm
3) Otago Boys High School (3)
After a very hard scheduled two weeks, Otago Boys have recovered and brought their best game out by giving everyone a shot to prove themselves. Otago Boys always have a strong wider squad and they always try to give the squad minutes on the field to prepare everyone for that crunch time on the field. In 1st XV rugby your bench has to be strong and Otago Boys understand that. With two games this week they will play tomorrow against Christs College which is going to be a hard ask for them and then Mt Aspiring College on Saturday but they have done this before and know how to take care of it. A rising Mt Aspiring College are not a pushover team.
Tuesday: (3) Otago BHS vs Christ College in Christchurch at 1pm
4) Hamilton Boys High School (4)
I have to admit that Hamilton Boys didn't look their usual best against Auckland Grammar a week ago, but they did a full turn around this weekend. Against New Plymouth Boys, Hamilton Boys were 45 points up in the first half alone and were looking like the team we are used to seeing. They will be on the road this week to play Palmerston North Boys and will be a real test. They will need the full team to be on their best come game day because Palmerston North Boys match up very well with a team like Hamilton Boys.
Saturday: (4) Hamilton BHS vs (21) Palmerston North BHS in Palmerston North 12 pm
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5) Auckland Grammar School (5)
It's going to be one of the games to watch on this week in the 1A Comp because Grammar are going to need a full team effort against Sacred Heart. This game is going to be a forwards battle where they will both be physically challenging each other and the rucks are going to be a fight. Sacred Heart will look to knock Auckland Grammar off the top of the 1A table.
Saturday: (5) Auckland GS vs (10) Sacred Heart College at Sacred Heart College 2:30
6) King's College (6)
This "next door neighbour" battle is going to be a heavy hitters exchange in the forwards when King's face De La Salle. King's are coming off a strong win against MAGS and have put themselves in a very good position at second on the 1A table. They are also playing well, so the confidence is high. The back line is always going to be a dynamic spectacle to watch with number 10 Aidan Morgan and Meihana Grindlay at centre. The forwards will need to hold their defence at ruck time and make sure the set piece is steady and delivery is on point for the backs to attack.
Saturday: (6) King's College vs (15) De La Salle College at King's College 2:30 pm
7) St Kentigern College (7)
After the first defence of the Moascar Cup for St Kentigern College against De La Salle College, winning 17-0, the boys are starting to settle into this winning attitude. I have seen it in King's College, Auckland Grammar and now St Kentigern College and it is a belief you have to respect within your team and 2018 National Champs St Peter's College showed the country what that looked like, and I'm starting to see that in St Kentigern College. St Kents play Mount Albert Grammar School at home again to defend the Moascar Cup and after this week they will have the ban on their players lifted and go back to full strength.
Saturday: (7) St Kentigern College vs MAGS at St Kentigern College 2:30 pm
8) Kelston Boys High School (8)
Kelston Boys get a massive home game against No 13 St Peter's College, which I think is the best game in the country to watch this weekend. Kelston Boys are out to prove their worth and praise that they have been getting and it seems to be working. They have maybe the most athletic team in the country as a whole and they have one of the strongest benches I have seen. Kelston Boys need to sort out their discipline and stick to dominating the run game and support play because I don't think anyone in the country can match them player for player when they running the field. I think Kelston Boys are getting better and growing every game and it's easy to forget that most of the team is Year 12s and Year 11s.
Saturday: (8) Kelston BHS vs (13) St Peters College at Kelston 2:30
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9) Scots College (9)
I was kind of surprised at how many points Scots College put up on Napier Boys last week beating them 70-17 on Wednesday, and then beating Kapiti College 41-5 on the Saturday. 111 points is a lot in the space of three days and they must have had a lot of tired bodies out there. With Roderick Solo, Ethan Webster-Nonu, Sesa Va'a, Oryaan Kalolo and others in the team who know how they want the game to be played, they have that ability and knowledge to put up scores in most games. Scots travel to Wairarapa College, where teams struggle to not only put up points but win as well so it's going to be a good test for this squad.
Saturday: (9) Scots College vs Wairarapa College in Wairarapa 1pm
10) Sacred Heart College (10)
This is going to be a very close game this week for Sacred Heart against Auckland Grammar. Sacred are playing out of sixth place in the 1A table and will have to bring out all their tricks to trip the table toppers. Sacred Heart have a forward pack that work all day and really make it hard for you to win your own ball at the ruck. They tackle in groups and pressure the ball carrier which is always hard to keep calm and controlled in those situations. Jackson Rainsford has really led this team around the park and made the most of every opportunity they have when the ball is in their hands. Corey Kellow and Sione Kau Lokeni in the loose forwards take care of the stuff upfront and captain Brian Lealiifano and Bono Napota attack well in the backs.
Saturday: (5) Auckland GS vs (10) Sacred Heart College at Sacred Heart College 2:30
11) Nelson College (11)
Nelson College beat Waimea Combined 90-12 because of the work of their forward pack. The front row are work horses who dominate with power and aggression. Their locks play tight rugby and are great in the air, while their loose forwards have to be one of the best trios in the country. The backs are blessed with a forward pack like this who make things so much easier, that the points just keep coming. The game against Christchurch Boys would be a good one, if we knew what Christchurch Boys team was turning up, we'll have to wait and see.
Saturday: (11) Nelson College vs (17) Christchurch BHS in Christchurch BHS 12 pm
12 St Bedes College (12)
Big win against Christ's College 20-15 with a man in the bin for 10 minutes and their best player Kynan Stowers-Smith not playing the second half due to injury. Having a key player in your team injured in a win is somewhat of a bittersweet situation, because you now know you can win without them if something like that happens in big games, but you don't want them out too long. This week is again going to be a big test for the boys who have just got their captain Dominic Gardiner back from injury but they will have to play a Lincoln Combined team who can jump out of nowhere and win a game if you're not on point.
Saturday: (12) St Bedes College vs Lincoln Combined at Lincoln HS 12 pm
13) St Peter's College (14)
The game against Kelston Boys this week is the type that St Peter's College like and it suits their brand of play. Captain and hooker Naryan Strickland is playing the best in his position in the country along with Bernie Hati from Rotorua Boys High School. Naryan will have to lead the boys to be way more physical, more active and controlled because I can see this match losing control when things get too physical. AJ Faleafaga at first five-eighth is going to be so important with how they lead their attack and needs to mix it up. Misi Tapa and Lo'amanu Havea are going to out there putting their shoulders to work, and we know Lo'amanu can hit cause we saw that in the St Kents game.
Saturday: (8) Kelston BHS vs (13) St Peters College at Kelston 2:30 pm
14) New Plymouth Boys High School (15)
From what I saw against Hamilton Boys it was out of character and a very off day for a team of this much talent. These are one of those times where you just say "Yeah whatever" and get on with who is next and make it right in that game. They have a great chance to reset themselves and make things right against a very strong Tauranga Boys team Saturday in "The Gully". The forwards need to take more control of building the momentum and getting the team moving forward before spreading it across the backline. It will be way better for this team to grab control in the forwards and then let Jack Parker, William Guthrie, who is one of the best centres right now, and also Mason Miln take it over the line. Thomas Murray Edwards, George Birkett, JJ Pokai and Tuterangi Anderson have been great so far in the season.
Saturday: (14) New Plymouth BHS vs (19) Tauranga BC in New Plymouth 12 pm
15) De La Salle College (Unranked)
The boys had a hard loss against St Kentigern College for the Moascar Cup but get to redeem themselves against King's College. This battle with King's College is going to be a must see and should be a close affair. All these boys growing up together from intermediate and into high school, playing rep rugby together on the same team they all know how each other plays and so it's going to be a brotherly battle with some sting. Look for Kitiona Vai and Wallace Sititi in the loose forwards and in the backs Sofai Maka at fullback and Antonio Iloilo back from injury for his second game is going to be a must for this team.
Saturday: (6) King's College vs (15) De La Salle College at King's College 2:30 pm
