2017 NZ Schools
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I don't remember to have seen so many big schoolboys on the paddock. Vaa'I is a monster. How tall is he ? He's not a beanpole, he is a very big unit. That George Dyer is a serious customer too. Punivai, Nanai and Fa'ainganuku (spelling ?) are already very athletic. They will be huge in two or three years.
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NZ Schools team to play Australia Schools:
1 Tamaiti Williams (St Kentigern College)
2 Sam Cooper (St Paul’s Collegiate)
3 George Dyer (St Paul's Collegiate)
4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Wellington College)
5 Tupou Vaa’i (Wesley College)
6 Charles Alaimalo (Hamilton Boys' High School)
7 Jeriah Mua (Hastings Boys' High School)
8 Devan Flanders (Hastings Boys' High School)
9 Taufa Funaki (Sacred Heart College)
10 Rivez Reihana (St Kentigern College)
11 Leicester Faingaanuku (Nelson College)
12 Quinn Tupaea (Hamilton Boys’ High School)
13 Isaiah Punivai (Christs College)
14 Kini Naholo (Hastings Boys’ High School)
15 Etene Nanai (St Kentigern College)Reserves:
16 Shilo Klein (St Andrew’s College)
17 Fatongia Paea (Sacred Heart College)
18 Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe (Hastings Boys' High School)
19 Quade Tapsell (Gisborne Boy’s High School)
20 Josh Southall (St Patrick’s College – Silverstream)
21 Humphrey Sheild (Napier Boys' High School)
22 Lincoln McClutchie (Hastings Boys' High School)
23 Danny Toala (Hastings Boys' High School)Coach Jason Holland said on the back of two impressive performances he was forced to make some tough selection calls. “What we have gone with is the best guys to start the match and we know we have good players coming off the bench to finish the match. “The team have proved they are accurate with the ball and good at taking opportunities but we know tomorrow will be a completely different challenge to what we have faced so far. “This week we’ve concentrated on our set piece; that needs to stand up tomorrow and we need to be strong at the break down because we know they’ll attack us there,” said Holland. While the New Zealand Schools’ team have scored some classy tries, their defence has been just as impressive, conceding one try in two matches. “We’ve been trying to bring line speed into our defence which is different to what a lot of these players do back at school. We’ll have to make sure we get it right tomorrow,” said Holland. Quinn Tupaea will again lead the team from the midfield, pairing up with Isaiah Punivai, while Leicester Faingaanuku, Kini Naholo and Etene Nanai will form a dangerous back three. Up front, George Dyer, Tupou Vaa’i and Devan Flanders retain their starting positions from the Australian Schools’ Barbarians match. The match will be live on SKY’s Rugby Channel, kick off 3pm (a replay will air on SKY Sports 1 at 9.30pm). -
Weird. If you want to select the best possible team, you don't name Tavita Metcalfe, Lincoln McClutchie and Danny Toala on the bench, but in the starting line-up. It seems they've gone for good try scorers instead of a good goal kicker, because who do you take off if you name Toala at fullback? Faingaanuku, Punivai, Naholo and Nanai are all good finishers, but the fact is, Reihana missed a lot of kicks at goal v Fiji and also isn't the best pivot. I wonder whether they couldn't have shifted Punivai to 12 and Nanai to 13 to accommodate a line-up that includes McClutchie and Toala (leaving Tupaea out).
And if you want the strongest and best possible pack, you need Tavita Metcalfe in it. He's a monster. If you've seen his winning try in the Top 4 final, you know why.
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NZ Maori U18s hold off Tonga Schools
The New Zealand Under-18 Maori have ended their week together with a 38-26 victory over Tonga Schools at Jerry Collins Stadium in Porirua. The fixture followed a similar course to the Tongan’s match against the New Zealand Barbarians last Thursday. Tonga was tentative from the outset and fell behind 19-0 after ten minutes and 26-7 at halftime before fighting gallantly in the second-spell to reduce the deficit and earn the respect of their superiorly resourced opponents. In the first minute Tonga fumbled the ball meekly on halfway and were made to pay when fullback John Cooper crossed in the corner supporting a bust by centre Austin Brown. A few moments’ later first-five Stewart Cruden kicked for wing Coel Kerr to snaffle inside the visitors 22. New Zealand recycled swiftly and prop Jonas Pomare crashed over. A hiding looked like a distinct possibility when lively halfback Shamara Brooks darted over for try number three, punishing more hapless handling from the visitors. However Tonga rallied and powerhouse prop Hiliau Latu opened the tourists account after 15 minutes when he muscled over near the posts. Latu has exhibited exceptional form for Tonga in starting all three internationals. New Zealand’s fourth try was exceptional. The ball was juggled and parried hurriedly close to the sideline, but remained in play for powerful No.8 Terrell Peita to claim a meat pie. New Zealand blindside Keelan Whitman scored a soft fifth try and Kerr was gifted the sixth after Tonga made a hash of an attempted defensive clearance. Tongan reserves Heimuli Taufa and Nawruz Kanongata’a were rewarded for their toil finishing robust and sustained forward surges and Alofaki Fihaki strode 30-metres for the last say in an outstanding solo effort. New Zealand will be pleased to win, but the real story is Tonga. No.8 Apitoni To’ia was a superb captain for a side that has delighted and surprised supporters with their infectiously positive, organized, aggressive and competitive approach to the game. Tonga was assisted in the coaching department today by All Black Vaea Fifta. -
@stargazer said in 2017 NZ Schools:
Weird. If you want to select the best possible team, you don't name Tavita Metcalfe, Lincoln McClutchie and Danny Toala on the bench, but in the starting line-up. It seems they've gone for good try scorers instead of a good goal kicker, because who do you take off if you name Toala at fullback? Faingaanuku, Punivai, Naholo and Nanai are all good finishers, but the fact is, Reihana missed a lot of kicks at goal v Fiji and also isn't the best pivot. I wonder whether they couldn't have shifted Punivai to 12 and Nanai to 13 to accommodate a line-up that includes McClutchie and Toala (leaving Tupaea out).
And if you want the strongest and best possible pack, you need Tavita Metcalfe in it. He's a monster. If you've seen his winning try in the Top 4 final, you know why.
Tupaea is the playmaker of the backline so it's hard to leave him out while George Dyer has been strong in the tight against the Australian Barbarians, that's why Metcalfe is on the bench.
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@stargazer id be tempted to bring him on at 15 and shift Nanai to 14. Naholo has been poor so far.
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@kiwimurph I've found, during the season, that Naholo is a great finisher and sometimes has his moments creating things, but if he isn't served well by his team mates, he can become invisible. In the Hastings squad that worked well, but without players like McClutchie and esp. Fakatava, it becomes a lot more difficult, apparently.
