Wellington College gunning for National Top Four honours this weekend

Above: Wellington College and Napier Boys’ High School at the start of their pre-season Hurricanes Festival and Amner Cup clash at Porirua Park in May. Napier won this match 32-30.

Win and go to the National Top Four, lose and the season is over. This Saturday at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North that prospect faces Wellington College and Napier Boys’ High School (NBHS) who meet in the final of the Hurricanes regional qualifying tournament.

Both are eager for a seat at the Top Four in Rotorua the following Saturday, against the winners of the Blues, Chiefs and combined South Island finals which are all also taking place this weekend.

The prize for the winners of the Rotorua matches is a spot in the national final for the Barbarian Shield that is currently held by St Kentigern College, who beat Auckland Grammar School 13-11 in last weekend’s Auckland 1A final. The final could be held at Wellington College as the winner of the Hurricanes and Chiefs semi-final hosts the final.

Both Wellington College’s and NBHS’s paths to this weekend’s semi-finals have been hard fought.

After beating St Pat’s Silverstream in the Wellington Premier 1 final two Sundays ago, Wellington College defeated Francis Douglas Memorial College 11-6 in New Plymouth last Saturday.

NBHS recently finished second in the Super 8 competition, their only loss being 10-34 to Super 8 winners Hamilton Boys’ High School six games ago. Last weekend they wereheld to a 14-14 draw with Gisborne Boys’ High School in the other Hurricanes semi-final but progressed ahead of Gisborne by virtue of scoring the first try of the match.

Wellington College enter this Hurricanes final with a season record of 17 wins and three losses from 20 games. They have scored 609 points and conceded 269 (average score of 30-13).

NBHS have played five fewer games. Their 2013 record to date is 12 wins, two losses and a draw from 15 matches. They have scored 539 points and let in 209 (average score of 36-14).

Five players in Saturday’s match played for the Hurricanes U18s against the Chiefs U18s at the end of July - LeniApisai and James Blackwell for Wellington College and Vinnie Guildford, Shae Tucker and Sam McNicol for NPBHS. Of Note, for Wellington College, Wes Goosen was injured and Nelson Asofa-Solomona had already announced his move to rugby league for 2014 so was left out.

Wellington College will be playing to beat NBHS and to make the Top Four for the sixth time, after previous visits there in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2008. They have never won it, but made the final in 1995 and 2000.

NBHS have been there 10 times and their coach Del Whyte has been to six on his own. NBHS shared the title with Rotorua Boys’ High School in 2002.

In 2009 NBHS upset Wellington College 24-16 in the Hurricanes final. Current Hawke’s Bay Magpies first five-eighth Ihaia West kicked 4 penalties and a conversion.

In 2007 Wellington was unbeaten but missed the Top Four after drawing 17-17 with Gisborne in the Hurricanes final. Gisbornewent onto to win the Top Four that year.

In the other three regional finals around the country this weekend, St Kent’s and North Harbour’s Westlake Boys’ High School meet at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday in the curtain-raiser to North Harbour’s ITM Cup game against Northland.

On Sunday, Tauranga Boys’ College and Hamilton Boys’ High School contest the Chiefs region final and Otago Boys’ High School and Marlborough Boys’ College meet in Dunedin in the curtain-raiser to Otago’s Ranfurly Shield defence against Hawke’s Bay.

Match Details

What: Hurricanes region First XV final, Wellington College v Napier Boys’ High School

Where: FMG Stadium, Palmerston North

When: Saturday 1 September at 12.30 pm

Coverage:Club Rugby contributor and Sky Television Rugby Channel Online Manager Adam Julian will be on the Wellington College bus on Saturday morning. We’ll link to his post match analysis and report.

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The Wellington College team for the final is:

1 Mesake Qalovaki
2 Leni Apisai
3 Tristan Fuli
4 Ben Tuiomanufili
5 Matthew Eathorne
6 James Blackwell
7 Joe Scott
8 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
9 Luke Higgins
10 Pakaitore Turia
11 Arthur Crawford
12 Wesley Goosen
13 Pepesana Patafilo
14 Dante Matakatea
15 Tamati Hauraki-Tyrell

Reserves:
16 TeWharerangi Kea
17 Tao Roi Lupo
18 Bradd Forster
19 Michael Bryan
20 Kemara Hauiti-Parapa
21 Jack Green
22 Jack Hocking

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