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
Rugby: Ranking the top 15 First XV teams after the weekend's matches
NZ Herald
4 mins to read
Hastings Boys' High School will spend another week at the top of the country's First XV rankings. Photo / Photosport
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Following a big win over Chiefs region rival Hamilton Boys' High School last weekend, Rotorua Boys' would have been confident of another top scalp – but top-ranked Hastings Boys' High School got off to the best possible start when Mercedes Hodge went over after some smart play and quick passing.
Emil Crichton doubled their tally not long after before Jake Dorward scored, and Joel Rauca scored the first of his double to have Hastings Boy's race out to a 24-0 lead after just 26 minutes.
A late first-half penalty try got Rotorua Boys' on the scoreboard but they would never recover, eventually going down 39-21.
Not far down the road, Hamilton Boys' – sans a few injured key players - clinched a thriller against Napier Boys' High School with the home side's Tom Lourie scoring in the 68th minute to make it a one-point game. Hamilton Boys' managed to hang on, however, securing a 29-28 victory.
Equally close was De La Salle College's 19-17 victory over Kelston Boys' High School, while Auckland Grammar School ran riot against Dilworth School winning 41-0 to move to the top f the 1A competition.
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Lindisfarne College made the trip to the Waikato to play St Peter's School Cambridge in their Central North Island clash. Lindisfarne College have been slowly building for some time and with St Peter's School's influential midfielder ruled out through injury, would've fancied their chances.
They started off well, with George Vea, Zinny Ropitini and Sam Horsefield getting through a lot of work up front and George Twigley controlling things from first-five – but three devastating line breaks from St Peter's No 8 AJ Lagalaga Slade all resulted in tries. Lindisfarne College stayed in the game, however, converting points at every opportunity and managing to hang on for a 29-24 win despite another late St Peter's College surge.
In Wellington, Scots College continued their impressive recent form, smashing Hutt International Boys' School 80-7, while St Patrick's College Silverstream answered with a 106-3 win against Kapiti College following their disappointing defeat to Palmerston North Boys' High School earlier in the week.
Down south, Christchurch Boys' High School got back to winning with a 50-24 result against Marlborough Boys' College, St Bede's College saw off a plucky Roncalli Combined 28 – 0, and St Andrew's College beat Lincoln Combined 47-19.
Nelson College and Christ College enjoyed a bye this weekend as they take on Whanganui Collegiate School and Wellington College respectively in the annual Quad Tournament in Wellington.
