Isaac Te Aute Leads Rotorua Boys’ High School To Condor Sevens Glory

Isaac Te Aute has played a lot of rugby for Rotorua Boys’ High School. The midfielder has accumulated 57 appearances for the First XV since debuting as a Year 10 student in 2011.

In 2014 Te Aute only played eight matches. Twice he broke his collar bone – in the pre-season against Sacred Heart College and in a representative fixture for the Chiefs Under-18’s.

Te Aute shares the frustration of being on the sideline for most of this season. “It was real hard. I had goals that I wanted to achieve and being injured meant I didn’t achieve those goals.”

The midfielder aspired to be in the New Zealand Schools’ team and had he been available he would have been a strong contender for selection. His vast experience combined with a slick all-round game, especially on attack, meant that despite being injured for most of the season, Te Aute felt that he was playing some of his best rugby for Rotorua this year.

“The best game I have ever played for the school was in the Chiefs Cup semi-final against Hamilton Boys’ High School. We beat them 15-0 and everything clicked that day.”

Rotorua went onto to win the Chiefs Cup thrashing Tauranga Boys’ College (43-21) in the final on the Rugby Channel. Rotorua had announced itself as a serious national threat, but a combination of injury and tragedy struck.

Te Aute insists that the Chiefs Cup matches were the only time that Rotorua had their “full strength” team. Rotorua would finish a disappointing fourth in Super 8.

A source of greater melancholy was a car crash that seriously injured second-five Kaine Lewis. Lewis, a Chiefs Under-18 representative, scored two tries in the Tauranga game. The Year 12 student was a passenger in a car that lost control one morning while driving in foggy and slippery conditions. Lewis has spent several months in a coma, and despite being off life support, he has suffered significant brain damage. Te Aute says what happened to Lewis has been devastating for the entire school.

“It’s affected the whole school not just the First XV. Everybody was real shocked.”

Personally Te Aute says it was “so hard” because Lewis is his midfield partner and somebody he has played with and against since intermediate.

“Playing for Lewis” was a big part of Rotorua’s build up to their sevens campaign. Captain and key playmaker, Te Aute knew that Rotorua had a strong team with a lot of experience. However the events surrounding the Lewis tragedy gave the team a “sharper edge” than usual.

“Coach Scott Mayhew (a Former North Otago representative) really hammered us.” Te Aute says, “We wanted to play a fast game, avoid too much contact and run around teams.”

At the Bay of Plenty Sevens, Rotorua quailed for the Condor Sevens with an easy win. In the semi-finals they defeated Tauranga Boys’ College (31-5) and in the final thrashed Opotiki College (40-0).

At the Condor Sevens Rotorua made a shaky start in their first game against Hastings Boys’ High School. A last play try to Latu Vaeno earned a narrow 22-17 victory. Earlier Hastings had been well-beaten by St. Kentigern College (29-19). Wesley Tameifuna, the brother of Chiefs prop Ben, scored two tries.

Upon first glance St. Kent’s looked formidable, but tries to Te Aute and Vaeno and a supreme all-round performance earned Rotorua a commanding 26-10 win and top place in their group. In the last game on Day One Rotorua beat Nelson College (12-0).

Te Aute says, “In the first game we were real nervous, but once we got over that we played well. The first game is always the toughest.”

In the quarter final on Sunday, Rotorua easily accounted for Otago Boys’ High School (33-7).  Vaeno scored three tries and Te Aute crossed once again.

The semi-final against Auckland Champions, Otahuhu College was a real thriller. The game was in the balance when Rotorua led 17-14, late in the second-half, but were being pressured close to their goal-line. The ball was scrambled out to Te Aute who broke a tackle and dashed into space. Te Aute transferred the ball to Latu Vaeno who charged 40-meters and then put Ngarohi McGarvey-Black away for the winner. Earlier Vaeno showed his quality by scoring two tries, while Te Aute with typical opportunism scored a try. Saynarvant Srisawat kept Otahuhu in the contest with two sizzling individual tries.

Te Aute says Otahuhu was a “tough side” and the semi-final showed that Rotorua was not afraid to combine “structure with a bit of freestyle.”

In the final Rotorua’s organisation and spontaneity proved overwhelming for Scots College. Three tries in the first five minutes settled the contest, Rotorua eventually winning 33-19. McGarvey-Black scored two tries and Te Aute ensured he scored in every game on Day Two by crossing again.

Rotorua scored 25 tries in six games and had four players, Ma’ake Taulahi, Jone Lasaganibau, Vaeno and Te Aute named in the tournament team. Te Aute says it was a goal of his to make the tournament team, but he was genuinely surprised when he was named the player of the tournament.

“It was a big surprise. I thought I played pretty well, but we all did.”