Top 4 Report: Feilding HS

Coming into this weekend I didn’t really have to think about what Feilding HS would come with as a team and as a goal cause they were looking to go “Back 2 Back” Champions. Feilding HS has to be one of the most successful Rugby Programs in the country and have so much success not just at 1st XV level but when they leave school as well. I can understand why you would want to move to Feilding HS for Rugby reason because you are going to be apart of a team with the Spirit of winning, of team togetherness, a rugby IQ boost and so if you wanted to increase your rugby career chances I would go there or send my son, nephew or whatever, cause they have success.

Now lets not take long on this one cause we all know how this turned out for Feilding HS. They had their first game against Rangitoto College the “Rookies” to the Top 4. Rangitoto College dont really play as much hard teams throughout the year like Feilding HS and so preparation was Aorere College and that was kind of it for them. Feilding came into this game with a bad performance the previous week playing what was called the worst rugby of the year and really didn’t deserve to win that game against Porirua College and shouldn’t have been at the Top 4 cause they were lucky to have won that game. So in true fashion of a winning rugby program they took it all out on the next team they played taking nothing for granted anymore. So they come into this game and really got stuck into Rangitoto College, their first scrum I think they pushed the whole scrum backwards and they just feel to bits. They just ran the ball really and started to carve up the middle of the field led by Tyler Moeau who I thought was one fo the best players through out the whole Top 4. Also Feilding HS were putting together very quick runs and also Pod’s that Rangitoto could not match or even form a defence fast enough to even keep up and their was a try within 2 mins I think and that was how the game was for 70 minutes. TK Howden had a real good first game, Leo Wiki and Jack Fleury, Kody Edwards and also Drew Wild who I think is set to have a real good year next year too. Drew Wild has grown a lot as a player over this year and think if he keeps going the way he is he could be another one next year to watch for.

Feilding is a team that always has a great game plan that is set to the style and the players that they have that can execute the game plan. There is never really a Feilding side that you see come unprepared and lack a strong game plan and that is just how they are as a Rugby Program. I think that through out this whole year they had some real hard times where they kind of lost their way a bit and then found their way back to where they need to be in the season and that was in the Finals of the CNI and even though they didnt win it I think that they show they can pull together as a team. So for me and this Finals game I had to think and be positive that Feilding would have something good coming for the Finals after that first game.

The Feilding players just looked a big step ahead of Rangitoto College in that first game and I was thinking “OK then they are good, Josiah’s playing great, James Bolten doing his thing and so is David Parker, but are they ready to take on someone like St Peters?” I just thought St Peters to go through but they hadn’t played yet against STAC. The reason I was asking myself these questions was because even though Feilding HS was in the Finals of the CNI Comp in which both them and St Peters School play in the CNI Comp that is, St Peters School had beaten them through out the year, so I wasn’t sure if they had gotten over it. I dont want to relive the Finals to much because well……..it just wasn’t Feildings HS day. I know that you should give St Peters the credit and I do, however that Feilding team wasn’t the same we saw all year. Well if Feilding HS had played that same way against Rangitoto College they would have lost and we would have seen Rangitoto in the Finals. Things just looked all off for Feilding, the pressure that St Peters was coming with was just so much and so quick that it looked like Feilding was there for the first time and they had taken on the “Rookie” label. St Peters played like they were to big, to strong and to smart for Feilding, and it really made Feilding look like they were new to the Top 4.

This school could end up being back there next year and for all you guys out there in that area thinking of what school is best for your rugby, you might want to look at Feilding HS. I expect to see them back in there in the Top 4 in September in 2018 and it kind of makes me wonder, maybe it time for them to go into the National Top 4? Who knows…