My Top 200 Early NZSS Team

People have been asking for this because those that have followed me for so long now know that I put out a REAL Early NZSS team and this year was just different. For one I wasn’t going to even do HS Top 200, I then was late to finding out who was coming back or was Year 12 last year and I just wasn’t informed, also the dates of the start of the season changed and I didn’t know and so this was delayed. I wasn’t even going to bother but I keep getting asked about who I would pick at this stage so here it is.

1.   Fauma Kapito (Tauranga BC)
2.   Manua Letiu (Christchurch BHS)
3.   Tamiano Ah Loo (Sacred Heart College)
4.   Tama Hodgson (Hamilton BHS)
5.   Sione Latu (Scots College)
6.   Micah Fale (St John’s College, Hamilton)
7.   Oli Mathis (Hamilton BHS) (C)
8.   Mosese Bason (Feilding HS)
9.   Jai Tamati (Rotorua BHS)
10.   Hugh Robinson (Marlborough BC)(C)
11.   Sio Kali (St Paul’s College)
12.   Tali Ioasa (Whanganui Collegiate)
13.   James Cameron (Westlake BHS)
14.   Caelys Paul Patoko (Hamilton BHS)
15.   Maloni Kunawave (Rotorua BHS)
16.   Eli Oudenryn (Palmerston North BHS)
17.   Sione Mafi (Nelson College)
18.   Tasman Soanai-Oeti (Napier BHS)
19.   Jack Ruske (St Paul’s Collegiate)
20.   Shaun McNaughten (Hastings BHS)
21.   Dylan Pledger (Kings HS)
22.  Rico Simpson (Sacred Heart College)
23. Ietitaia Campbell (Scots College)
24. Ezekiel Kolo (St Kentigern College)
25. Lio Sagata (Rotorua BHS)
26. Josh Tengblad (Sacred Heart College)
27. Aisake Vakasiuola (Tauranga BC)
28. Joel Russell (Napier BHS)
29. Tayne Harvey (Palmerston North BHS)
30. Tevita Naufahu (St Kentigern College)

I picked a lot of big boys this year in my front row. Some years I go for guys that are slimmer and more mobile and athletic but this year I just went full “Big Boy” up front. Hooker Manua Letiu is maybe the only player in the front row that is maybe undersized right now. Manua is smaller but also very very busy around the park and the other Hookers like Eli Odudenryn and Ezekiel Kolo who plays Hooker and Prop both pack real size and a strong running game. Sione Mafi and Tasman Soanai-Oeti who is a Young Year 13 are both big boys that get through a lot of work buut also takecare of things at Scrum time. Fauma Kapito out of Tauranga BC and Tamiano Ah Loo Captain of Sacred Heart College would be my starters.

For my Locks I dont think its a real surprise with the running “Bull” Sione Latu from Scots College that just never gives up and also is great finding support to extend plays. Tama Hodgson is the traditional stay in tight and do all the dirty work kind of lock that makes solid tackles and always has his shoulders on someone trying to make meters. Jack Ruske from St Paul’s Collegiate is the tallest Lock I have and is a mix of the two Tama and Sione and can mix his game up to suit play. Josh Tengblad from Sacred Heart College is maybe the best line out jumper in the country and is a hard player to get around and then I went with a duel Lock Loosie guy in Tauranga BC Aisake Vakasiuola. Massive boy out of small town Katikati that knows how to make meters and get the ball moving.

I like that we have a solid mix of loosies that can be selected in the country this year. I had to really try fix the best ones in there and I’m still not sure what combo is the best but I went with Oli Mathis the No.1 player in the country, Micah Fale who is another Open Side and the numbers on the Jersey wont matter I will have 2 Open Sides to start the game and then Mosese Bason a very open runner and a guy that can run with the backs and can switch with Oli in Pods and really expose tacklers. Shaun McNaughten looks great after a year off to get healthy and has come back like nothing happened. Having Shaun cover No.8 means that Micah would come off and Mosese will move to Blind and Oli stays in at Open Side which will balance roles and add side and strength.

Having two Year 12 Halfbacks last years means that both Jai Tamati and Dylan Pledger should start the year in the Black Jersey but then also Napier BHS Halfback Joel Russel is a very close 2nd to these boys and I would be surprised if Joel jumps the both of them by the end of the year he is just that talented. Jai runs the game at the moment with his speed and tight pass and then Dylan comes in after. I thought all of last year that Hugh Robinson was Year 13 and that he was just “OK” throughout the year and wasn’t solid on his selection to the NZ Barbarians. But when I saw him in the game I was way off and I had missed a year of mentioning him and I must have watched 6 games of theirs last year. The second guy I liked was Rico Simpson, a more traditional kicking and catch and pass kind of 10 but he really makes it all work. He has maybe the best all round kicking game in the country and with all the right players around him, he will make it look so easy.

 Midfield is always really hard to pick but Tali Ioasa, James Cameron, Ieti Campbell would be in the play on team with Tevita Naufahu and Tayne Harvey on the bench. I don’t know how you feel but all these guys in Pre Season were just unstoppable and they made their team and the players around them so much better on the run. I picked the wingers Caelys Patoko and Sio Kali based on these midfielders because I know that once these guys make just the smallest of breaks Caelys and Sio will be right there to hit the ball on the run and its 30 meter runs. I would also look at Tevita Naufahu playing Fullback and winger and Tayne Harvey on the wing as well. Maloni Kunawave from Rotorua BHS is on form and I think that mixing it up with these other guys he is going to really break defences.