College eager to soar like hungry condors at sevens
Nelson College will head to the BNZ Condor sevens searching for their first ever title. In 2011 they were beaten finalists then they lost in the semifinals and last year they were knocked out at the quarterfinals before they eventually won the plate final.
Can 2014 be the year they go all the way?
Nelson College manager Peter Grigg acknowledged that is was a tough tournament, and it will only be tougher with eight more teams added.
‘‘We’re going with the aim to at least achieve what we did last year. The team is really excited about the opportunity,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s a very difficult tournament to win based on our last few years of experience.’’
Nelson College plays a structured game and Grigg says the players have been working hard in training.
They have had a good build up to the national tournament — winning the Tasman secondary schools sevens championship then finishing second at the Turf Hotel Tasman club sevens just last weekend.
Without Mitchell Hunt, who made the tournament team last year, Grigg admitted the team probably lacked a key playmaker that they’ve had in the past.
However, the team had strengthened in other areas and he said the two best performers in the lead-up tournaments have been New Zealand schools lock Quinten Strange and Nelson College second XV player Charlie Chambers.
Grigg said Strange used his height to good effect to recover the ball at kickoffs.
‘‘It’s an important part of the sevens game, making sure you’ve got the ball.’’
Grigg also described Chambers as a ‘‘very big, powerful runner’’
Nelson College has been drawn in Pool E alongside Otahuhu College and Rosmini College.
Motueka High School will contest Pool L in the girls section with Southland Girls’ High School, Mt Albert Grammar School and Fairfield College.
They finished third place last year and Morgan Clark, who made the tournament team, is likely to play a key role for the team which has seven juniors in it.