Bishop Viard take aim at the big guns
Bishop Viard College will come out ‘‘all guns blazing’’ on their return to Wellington premier one first XV rugby.
The Porirua school won through to they top grade with a gutsy 17-13 win over Tawa College in their final grading game last Saturday.
That means a date with St Pat’s Silverstream this weekend as their first premier one game since 2007.
The team’s assistant coach, Peter Savelio, said their gameplan would be simple.
‘‘We’ll go in with all guns blazing. We can’t aim for anything less or you’ll get burned. We’re gunning for every single team and that starts with Silverstream this weekend.
‘‘We potentially do have a great team here and they’ve just got to believe in each other and go out there and really go for it.’’
Savelio knows what it is like to reach the summit of Wellington high school rugby – although it was a false summit when he was part of a Viard team which won four consecutive premier one titles between 1990 and 1993.
That was because St Pat’s Town, Silverstream, Wellington College and Rongotai College were playing in an under-19 grade, rather than school rugby.
Viard sent challenges to each of them every year they won a title to see if they could test their skills against them, but they went unanswered.
‘‘We would loved to have played the top teams where we were then, but the boys get a chance to do that now this year,’’ Savelio said.
‘‘We’re always reiterating to them how important it is because we never really got the chance.’’
The Viard team of 2007 was relegated midway through the season, but Savelio said this year’s team felt more like the one of the early 90s.
They all played together under-15s, as the 90s team did.
Senior players Dylan Patu and Dorian Tato lead the forward pack, while young first-five Denzel Leota marshalls the backline and speedy winger Roy Maiava has yet to find in an opposite he can’t beat.
The team has lost the experienced Adam Tone for a while to a fractured shoulder, but none of their stars left the squad, even when the big teams came calling in the offseason, Savelio said.
‘‘There have been a few people chase a couple of our players, but it’s that unknown that these young boys are maybe afraid of, and the young parents themselves . . . the unknown of going into places like Scots College and Wellington College.
‘‘The kids are happy and that’s all the parents want for their kids, that they’re enjoying school – why would you want to go to another school just for rugby?’’
Last year, Viard dominated premier two, winning all 11 of their games, including beating St Bernard’s 27-24 in the final.
They also won the Wellington Co-ed Cup, before losing to perennial champions Feilding High School 33-8 in the Hurricanes regional final.
The team likes to run the ball from all parts and many of their players can produce individual moments of ‘‘magic’’, Savelio said.
‘‘I’ve always thought you should never train out the magic in a player. The ball-running skills and stuff, back in the day it was typical Fijian rugby we liked to play and you don’t want to coach that out of the boys now.
‘‘We work on some set plays and set pieces, but on the day, if they’re feeling it, they’re going to go and that magic gets them over that line.’’
If ever there was a year a team like Viard could shake the first XV tree, it is this year.
Adam Tone, Antonio Tone, Roy Maiava, Tominiko Maiava, Dorian Tato, Nasser Tato, Tisileli Finau, Denzel Leota, Brandon Naera, Darius Patau, Dylan Patu, Leigh Nansen, Sean Atoni-Gatu, Arthur Matini, Philip Filipo, Makalio Iakopo, Chad Shaw, Etuale Logie, Issac Sushames, Jeremiah Lokeni, Kit Manava, Pene Tuiketei, Kakati Royal.
Mounga Aukafolau, Karl, Brownlie, Sen Chut, Taha Corkran, Liam Faialaga, Norman Fatialofa, Shaquille Fiso, Mitchell Gough, Esikelo Komaisavai, Oscar Kulitapa, Matthias Lima, Tobias Makisi, Ngatama Marurai, Jarome Pole, Matiu Samuel, DJ Taoipu, Va’a Taoipu, Denny To’o, Jason Tuitama, Paul Turia, Reuben Va’a, Steven Va’a, Tavita Va’a.
Moala Katoa, George Jacobs, Christian Lee, Tamaterangi Kapene, Daniel Brown, Harry Saker, Tommy Prescott, Jack Loader, Jack Royal, Josh Wilson, Jaylen Tuapola, Drew Meiklejohn, Faafetai Neli, Maloitofiganofovaleane Manuao, Connor Garden-Bachop, Werdna Maligi, Ezra Dunlop, Jack Mexted, Jack Gray, Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, Max Taptiklis Muchengati Matinde.
Elijah Afoa, Mikaele Alaifatu, Callum Asher, Iosefo Avau, Raymond Bewley, Usoaliinofolelei Brown, Bernard Devine, Benjamin Ernst, Bree Henderson, Lahalo Luka, Puna Manaia, Matthew Mann, Connor McLeod, Joshua Peckston, Bill Roberts, Kade Tuari, Alex Tupu, Te Aorere Wanoa.
Kahil Adams, Toalima Anae Laupola, Iona Apineru, Chris Aumua, Harrison
The top four from last year – Scots College, the St Pat’s duo and Wellington College – seem to be rebuilding and found it tough in the first XV festival against Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North and Gisborne Boys’ High Schools. The Wellington teams won just four of the 12 games between the first XVs, with three of those wins against Napier.
The gap was glaring on Saturday. Boyle, Mitchell Bull-Elvines, Kienan De La Rambelje, Riley Forbes, Jarrod Harawira, Callum Harkin, Chris Hemi, Teddi Hern, Albert Latailakepa, Aisea Mafile’o, Luke Mannix, Connor McGeough, Callum McLachlan, Stanley Paese, Dimitri Perez, Albert Polu, Joshua Southall, Fredrick Sunia, Todd Svenson, Jack Wright, Te Tana Wright. Gerard Ahnau, Zachary Aldridge, Samuel Baylis, Xavier English, Kevin Fauatea, Meinrad Fitisemanu, Connor Fitzsimons, Luke Georgeson, Andre Hart, Thomas Horan, Nuri Kaya, Adam McLean, Ethan McQuinlan, Finn Meredith, Leo English, Xavier Numia, Setefano Paese, Siosaia Paese, Billy Proctor, Jasper Stone, Grayson Whitman, Keelan Whitman.
Issac Bracewell, Shaiane Daniel, Chris Dickson, Flynn Ellmers, Josh Fulton, Jordon Galyer, Adam Gordon, Joseph Gordon, Brad Griffith, Croydon Hall, Ryan Hargood, Jack Harley, Tua Levi, Lochie Macrae, Major Mariu, Liam McCartney, Jacob Morison, Sam Morison, Cameron Percy, Guy Percy, Callum Pritchard, Rhys Reiri, Joe Roberts, Chester Rothery, Samuel Smith, Anthony Tamakehu, Jonas Tamihana, Fouina Wilson
Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Bronson Aiona, Qualen Asi, Oliver Dawson, La’au Finau, Noaese Foaitua, Connor Fuli, Sam Green, Qori Gucake, Michael Heyworth, Tom Hoskin, Gus McPherson, Dylan Meek, Joshua Morgan-Ranui, Ben Murphy, Oliver Paotonu, Ish Perkins Banse, Reece Plumtree, Taine Plumtree, Adrian Seumanufagai, Toka Sopoaga, Stone WarrenRobinson, Callum Watts-Pointer. Scots beat Napier 17-10, but Hastings hammered Silverstream 52-0, Gisborne beat Wellington College 30-12 and Palmerston North edged past Town 27-23.
Joining those four schools and Viard in premier one will be Wairarapa College, Rongotai and St Bernard’s.
Scots play Town this Saturday, Wellington host Wairarapa and Rongotai face St Bernard’s.