All Time Hurricanes Team

I would think that this front row would be pretty predictable and think that others would also choose it this same way. When you take all 3 positions and including the bench players Xavier Numia one of the hardest Props I have seen in Top 200, Alex Fidow was making highlight after highlight with every run he did and I think he was a better ball carrier then Daniel Tupou. Then Kianu Kereru was everything you wanted in a Prop with good work rate, could keep up with the running play and carried the ball very well and never really died with the play he always managed to get the ball free. Tim Farrell wasn’t a good Prop cause he was huge but because he was fit and huge. He was always around the ball, always getting bodies off the ball, would carry it a fair amount of times and also could scrum. I was late to see how good he was and had to block everyone else out so I could appreciate his workload. The Hooker position was taken up by 2 players that I thought were pretty easy to pick Asofa Aumua and Max Fryatt. Asofa was always good and a lot of people knew he was AB material but I don’t think people were thinking this early in his career, cause I didn’t. What you see him doing now is exactly what he was doing when he was in High School. Max Fryatt was really an Open Side of the field that could also play Prop when needed. He was so quick and so fast around the field, you always knew that he was going to be around the ball ready to steal it and he wasn’t easy to get rid of as well.

All 3 Locks were all No.1 players in the country in their time and I think that they all have big futures ahead of them. Nelson already a Kiwi International and is going to be a force for the next 10 years or so, but I always have this feeling that he’ll come back to Union to be an All Black, hopeful feeling really. Isaia Walker was always so talented, dominating, skilled, laid back and humble. He showed that you could have that switch back and forth between game time and Joke time, it’s like he took the game as fun and a joy to be playing it. Naitoa has just finished school and went on to be an NZSS player and showed how good he can be. I have a feeling that he is going to go a long way more so with his work ethic. The loose trio was one to really think about because there has been so many good loose forwards in the past 5 years and I just couldn’t make room for everyone. There were players that I had to shift out of position a bit to make it fit but I could have went with an all Hastings BHS starting but to have Brayden Iose in the starting was a must. Brayden is going to be one of those players that will make it because he just has that thing about him. He is strong on the run, has a very good first up contact and because he is so physical can get those extra meters. Jeriah proved last year that he was a pure Open Side that did everything he could to get to the ball. He lifted his speed and fitness to a point players were chasing him, to get him, out of the rucks before he set himself over the ball. His ability to have patience and wait for that right moment to get in there was perfect and he has shown it when he played against Australia. Devan Flanders is a do everything player and he made it clear how much talent and how high his IQ for the running game was and showed everything as a leader. Marino was a beast and a force with the ball and when he got going it wasnt easy by any means to try stop him and his momentum. Those 3 Hastings players even at this stage together in a team would be great to have in the 6,7,8 Jersey’s.

I had both Hastings BHS players Folau Fakatava and Lincoln McClutchie for Half Back because I couldn’t really leave any of them out of that debate. Folau a very aggressive player that was quick to the rucks and fired them out, would then back it all up on defence as well as he was a very very hard hitter around that ruck. Lincoln a crafty player that played at speed and created on the run and would challenge the defence every time and test the defenders on who would take the dummy fake and jump out of the line. At 1st 5/8 I didn’t go to any real big rugby programs even though Lincoln was on the short list but I always thought that Stephen Perofeta was over looked more because of the school he was at more then the skill set he had. Stephen had everything in 1st XV and was so good that he won MVP for the Heartland Comp while in High School. Tiaan Falcon a very big 1st 5/8 who was physical, played to the line, made plays where he would take the hit to put a player in space and would defend like a loose forward. Both players had very strong kicking games down field and they were both very good organizers in broke play.

Thomas Umaga-Jensen was unstopable when he had that ball and he was a very good balanced runner who was always capable of making the extra pass. Thomas looked unfit as a Year 12 player but still made the big plays and then came back the next year and became more dangerous. Danny Toala I think could play anywhere and having him at Center was a “Either way works” situation because Danny and Peter Umaga-Jensen could easily change positions in this team and I feel like it would work the same. Danny is a “Ball Player” a guy you can put on the field and he’ll fit to whatever system you want to run. His wide range of skills makes him more then just a restricted position player, he’ll go anywhere. He has a play making ability like a 1st 5/8, crash the line like a midfielder, use foot work to get around wingers and has a very good kicking game to be in the No.15 Jersey.  Wesley Goosen out of Wellington College was a player I always liked because he did whatever it took to get the win and always played out of his skin. He is such a talented player all around the park. So for me having Wes in there was more for his verity of talents and cover anywhere.

Peter Umaga-Jensen like I said was just like Danny and could do it all. Peter had everything you wanted in a player but to me what set him apart from a lot of other players was that he was smart. He watched the game go and it seemed like he could dictate the flow of the game and then when he got his shot he just changed it. It was like he would see a play develop on the defencive side of the ball then read a tackle, time it, make the tackle, turn the ball over and then break down the side line for a huge break. I liked watching his kicking game as well which I thought was very over looked and something that coaches and selectors could have taken more notice of and used. Kini was just this over powering, great timing, foot work player that finished every run with a try it seemed. Kini had a huge year last year and made it work for him and it paid off with a “Black Jersey”. Losi Filipo was the go to guy whenever you wanted to get out in the open. A player with a lot of explosive speed, great foot work, a heavy fend and great balance too. I would see guys throw their shoulder at him and he would take the hit and keep his balance and not really drop down in speed. He was a guy I just had to have on this team.

1.    Xaiver Numia (St Pats Town)
2.    Asafo Aumua (St Pats Silverstream)
3.    Alex Fidow (Scots College)
4.    Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Wellington College)
5.    Isaia Walker (Gisborne Boys HS)
6.    Devan Flanders (Hastings BHS)
7.    Jeriah Sai Mua (Hastings BHS)
8.    Brayden Iose (Palmerston Boys HS)(C)
9.    Folau Fakatava (Hastings BHS)
10.  Stephen Perofeta (Wanganui Collegiate)
11.  Losi Filipo (St Pats Silverstream)
12.  Thomas Umaga-Jensen (Scots College)
13.  Danny Toala (Hastings BHS)
14.  Kini Naholo (Hastings BHS)
15.  Peter Umaga-Jensen (Scots College)(VC)

16.  Kianu Kereru Prop (Hastings Boys HS)
17.  Tim Farrell (Napier BHS)
18.  Max Fryatt (Fielding HS)
19.  Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Wellington College)
20.  Marino Mikaele – Tuu (Hastings Boys HS)
21.  Lincoln McClutchie (Hastings BHS)
22.  Tiaan Falcon (Lindisfarne College)
23.  Wesley Goosen (Wellington College)