Team of The Week 8 2021

This week has been heavy with so many good players standing up for their teams even in such bad weather in some parts of the country. Looks like everyone is going to get a little sick for the holidays with how cold it is getting, but that is kind of rugby right? With all the games every week I could give it to the same 20 something players because they do so much for their teams guys like Che Clarke from Kings College, Cooper Flanders from Hastings BHS and Galgil Malasia from Napier BHS, Maea Tema-Schmidt from Scots College is always at his best. I mean like if you watch Whanganui Collegiate Shaun O’Leary is always a major factor for his team and they are doing so well because of his effeorts along with the others, Taha Kemara Hamilton BHS and AJ Faleafaga from ST Peters College who are both in there this week could get in every week, they just happened to be game changers.

Malachi Wrampling-Alec is quickly becoming one of the best No.8’s in the country and getting into that elite class of guys they wont be able to ignore any more when it comes to NZSS selection. Every single week he turns out some big time games for his side with his running game. His quickness off the spot to get going and then finding his lane and where to hit all at one time is why he has been getting so many tries this year and breaking tackles. Another boy from the Waikato in the CNI Comp did the same thing with Adrien Collins-Wharawhara from St John’s College Hamilton really doing some damage in his side’s win over Lindisfarne College in what I thought was the best game of the week.

I loved seeing the St Bede’s College side come up to Auckland and go “Head 2 Head” with a Top 5 Team and the No.1 player in the country AJay Faleafaga from St Peters College. In a losing effort Tanner Stowers-Smith did not quit once and was hitting that line all day and just eating up those meters every time. I thought his physical game was a huge reason for why St Bede’s stayed in the game for as long as they did. I want to talk about a new kid from Samoa but is going to Mt Roskill GS and he was so fast in open field, so physical and fit that he scored 2 or 3 times in their game against Southern Cross. Jeremiah Masani is a Year 12 Open Side and has got the physical presence and fitness to challenge some of the best right now and to find out he is only Year 12 we get to follow him into next year as well. Another big game over the weekend was Tauranga BC’s draw with Napier BHS and for me Gus Brown from Napier BHS and Tauranga BC Hooker Aoturoa Seeling were just in the mix of everything right to the end. Both Year 12 players this year and so we again get to follow them next year but Aoturoa Seeling has really made some big strides this year.

Siale Faeamani from St Peters College, Jae Broomfield St Paul’s Collegiate and Waqa Nalga from Whanganui Collegiate were all scoring machines and were just too much to handle for their opposition. Seeing De La Salle College for the first time this year I was so impressed with the game of Demitric Sifakula who has added even more to his game and playing with so much more confidence and to me he makes it work. Taha Kemara is on the team because he pretty much brough Hamilton BHS back from almost losing their game against Rotorua BHS and even though there was a missed Penalty Taha did everything he could to get the win and it worked in the end.

1.  Konradd Newland (Whanganui Collegiate) Year 12
2.   Nick Muli (St Peters College)
3.  Gus Brown (Napier BHS) Year 12
4.   Tahlor Cahill (Hamilton BHS)
5.   Gage Jackson (Auckland GS)
6.   Tanner Stowers-Smith (St Bede’s College)
7.  Jeremiah Masani (Mt Roskill GS) Year 12
8.   Malachi Wrampling-Alec (St Pauls Collegiate)
9.   Te Taiwhanga Timoko-Tangaroa (St John’s College, Hamilton)
10.   Ajay Faleafaga (St Peters College)
11.   Jericho Yorke (Rotorua BHS)
12.   Demitric Sifakula (De La Salle College)
13.   Siale Faeamani (St Peter’s College) Year 12
14.   Waqa Nalga (Whanganui Collegiate)
15.   Taha Kemara (Hamilton BHS)

16.  Aoturoa Seeling (Tauranga BC) Year 12
17.  Samu Moli (Scots College)
18.  A-One Lolofie (Hastings BHS)
19.   Andrew Smith (St Peters School, Cambridge)
20.   Adrien Collins-Wharawhara (St Johns College, Hamilton) Year 12
21.  Marley Murphy (Hamilton BHS)
22.  Jae Broomfield (St Paul’s Collegiate)
23.  PJ Uiese (Sacred Heart College)