A fresh first 15 for Nelson College ahead of season opener

Nelson College’s first 15 is full of fresh faces this season with a young and exciting new squad ahead of their first game of the season tomorrow, at home against St Andrews.

Head coach Jono Phillips says after 20 of their players left school after last season, they’ve tapped into their development pipeline.

“It's a very young squad. . . we have five year 11 players and six year 12’s.”

He says that despite their inexperience at the top school level, he’s been excited by what he’s seen in their preseason fixtures.

“In our first game we had 30 players take the field to get experience at that level and there were passages where we were really happy.

“In our second game. . . against Tauranga Boys we struggled with ball retention and set piece.”

Their final preseason game was a blowout last weekend, with a 64-7 win over Rangiora High School.

The team scored a combined ten tries, but Jono says their combinations were still to be settled after they had nine players out with Covid 19 and injury.

The team has been together for the last eight weeks, but he says they’ve never stopped training.

“The boys over summer had their own fitness. They’ve been working since a week after last season finished.”

Key players returning this season are co-captains second five-eighth Nelsoni Malaulau and flanker Dane Leppien.

Prop Jordan Smith, number 8 Matt Lowe, halfback Tyler Blake, centre Timi Saurai and fullback Fletcher Hewitt-Smart round out the returning players.

With only seven players having first 15 experience, they will have to step up into leadership roles, which Jono says has already happened.

“We have a leadership team who meets two times a week. . . It’s going really well.

“There’s three new 10’s and they’re working with those guys on their game management.”

One of their exciting new players, a utility midfield and outside back Fanua Fa’avae will miss the season after breaking his leg.

Jono says the strength of their team this season relies on the success of their rugby class program at the school.

With approximately 110 boys in the program, he says it’s gone from strength to strength as evidenced by their squad this season.

“We want to be in that top four at the end of the year.”