STAC ... "It's about not dwelling on mistakes"

"Next Job" has became a popular and effective catchphrase in the St. Andrew's College First XV. Centre Raymond Nu'u explains exactly what it means.

"It's about not dwelling on mistakes. It's about taking each job within a game one step at a time. It's about not looking too far ahead of ourselves," he says.

So far St. Andrew's have completed ten jobs in the UC Championship successfully. They are unbeaten in that many games and have scored an impressive 72 tries. Last year St. Andrew's couldn't even win the Plate, what has changed?

"We have a really good team bond this year. I have been in the team for three years and we have never been so close."

"Rodney McIntosh has come on board as Rugby director. He has added some new systems to freshen things up," Nu'u says.

Paintball, parent barbecues and a trip to Castlepoint are among the off field activities that have brought the team closer together, but McIntosh has been a vital piece of the jigsaw. 

A former Waikato centre and Hong Kong international, McIntosh has taught in France and brings vast experience to St. Andrew's.

"We are lucky to have Rodney. He is very knowledgeable and honest", Nu'u says.

Former national sprint champion and Canterbury wing Joe Leota is another experienced campaigner. He has been coaching at St. Andrew's since 2007 and is a real mentor for Nu'u.

"He is a really good college man and because he and I are Samoan we are able to relate to each other on a real personal level. He has helped Richie Mo'unga and Telusa Veainu play for the Crusaders and that's really inspiring to me."

Nu'u made his First XV debut in 2013. He explains the anxiety that gripped him.

"My debut was against St. Thomas who had some big boys. I had to lead the haka and it was a new haka. I nearly stuffed it up and didn't play very well. Luckily I have played every game since."

Nu'u is a hard running centre who is approaching nearly 50 games for the First XV. He has been selected in the Crusaders Knights under-18's two years in a row and has scored 11 tries in the UC Championship this season.  

However the game in which St. Andrew's failed to score a try is his favourite  so far this season.

"We beat St. Bede's 12-9 and Sam Gilbert kicked really well, slotting all four penalties. I hardly touched the ball, but we had to defend hard that day. I remember the first time I played St. Bede's, it was a game after my debut and they pumped us. It was really intimating, they had the chainsaw going and everything."

This weekend St. Andrew's play Christchurch Boys' High School in a top of the table clash. Christchurch have won 27 UC Championship games in a row and haven't lost to St. Andrew's since 2003.

Why will 2015 be different?

"All the pressure is on them. They are the defending champions and no one expects us to win, but if we play our game I believe we can," Nu'u says.

Apart from Nu'u, St. Andrew's have many other threats. They have converted 57 of 72 tries compared with Christchurch's 42 of 86. In a close game goal-kicking could be vital.

Wing Harry Murray has scored 14 tries and in Harrison Allen (105kg) Nathan Tanuvasa (134kg) and Henry Millar (100kg) they have plenty of size up front.

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