Depleted Feilding opt for youth
Feilding High School are set to unleash a young squad as they chase Condor sevens glory in Auckland this weekend.
The boys’ side were runner’s up at the annual schools sevens tournament last year, but are missing a swag of players.
Co-coach Mark Mcalley said they had a challenging time pulling together a team with just five year 13s available.
‘‘We are very depleted,’’ he said. ‘‘We have got four year 10s playing for us so after playing their colts game on the Friday, they will join our senior team. We have had very few practices due to other commitments. Hopefully we will make the top 16.’’
Drew Wild has been named captain and will play either halfback or sweeper.
The year 12 student was one of the stars of the 1st XV campaign and is not only a dangerous attacker, but a handy defender.
Flanker Tyler Moeau has the talent to be a break-out star at the tournament.
Despite playing in the forward pack, he was the fastest player at the Hurricanes Under 18 camp earlier this year.
While at the Hurricanes camp, he won an outback experience scholarship which has seen him spend the last three weeks in the South Island carrying out the course which involved him spending three days in the bush by himself and running a half marathon.
Josiah Maraku, who played for the New Zealand Secondary School Barbarians this year and recently confirmed he was returning to school for another year, will be another danger man.
Mcalley believed Griffin Culver could play a big role in the side as the starting hooker along with wing Paul Rakatau-wipiri.
Tackle-breaking duo prop Ethan Mcquinlan and big midfielder Shaiden Daniels look set to share game time.
Promising lock James Bolton and first five-eighth/ wing Leighton Manuel are other regular 1st XV players in the squad.
Others in the team, include Tom Brown and a quartet of year 10 students, Jonty Stewart, Ngapuke Patea, Kyle Brown and Terrance Graham.
Feilding are in a pool alongside Timaru Boys’ High School, Manurewa College and Western Heights.
Meanwhile, Manukura could be a surprise package in the girls’ competition.
They backed up their surprising win over Feilding High School earlier this year in the Manawatu¯ competition by claiming the Hurricanes title in November.
Carys Dallinger will play a key role for the side.
The former Feilding star has made a big impact on the side when available and has recently been away playing in Australia.
She is one of two from the school named in the Manawatu¯ womens’ sevens squad. The other is strong runner Kalyn Cook.
Others to watch for Manukura are Atareta Mcclausl-and-durie, Paris Paul and Maia Wairaiki.
Manukura face Howick College, Rotorua Girls’ High School and Long Bay College in pool play.
The Feilding High School girls and Manukura boys both qualified for the event, but opted not to attend due to their players’ commitments elsewhere. Feilding High School girls and boys and Boys’ High are all contesting the under-15 title which wraps up on Friday.