Unbelievable talent has graced 1st XV teams in 2015, but the top 5 are something special. If NZ had a NBA style, college rugby draft ... who would be your 1st pick?
Alex Fidow The big, smiley prop enraptured audiences with his free-running play. In 60 matches for the Scots First XV he scored 49 tries - including an average of a try a match in 2015 and two tries in the National Top Four final. He earned selection for the New Zealand Secondary Schools' and was named man of the match in the annual test against Australia. New Zealand won 32-8 - their biggest win over Australia since 1995. The Bronze Boot award has been won by All Blacks including Jeff Wilson and Victor Vito. Josh McKay Is yet another fine first-five from the Christchurch Boys' High School stable. He was the leading points scorer in the UC Championship this season with 172 points and that includes 15 tries. McKay scored a record 35 points against Christ's College, a fixture that has been contested since 1892. He earned selection for the New Zealand Schools' and was the difference in the outcome of two games. He scored the winning try against the New Zealand Barbarians and all 23 points against the Australian Barbarians, a game New Zealand won by a single point. McKay is also an accomplished touch player. Isaac Te Aute The captain of Rotorua Boys' High School ended his long and distinguished First XV service by playing a record 82 games for his school and capturing a National Top Four title in 2015. Te Aute was named Player of the Match in the final after scoring two great tries and was later honoured by being named Land Rover First XV player of the year. Te Aute played 24 of Rotorua's 25 games this season and scored 14 tries. He was selected for the Super 8 Form XV and the New Zealand Senior Sevens training squad. In addition to his success in rugby, Te Aute has been a national title holder in sevens and touch. Josh Buchan The Otago Boys' High School fullback was an instrumental part of his team winning the South Island championship and reaching the National Top Four for the third time in four years. Otago Boys' have been unbeaten for 59 matches against schools in the Highlanders region. Had Buchan not scored a late try against Southland Boys' High School in May to earn a hard-fought draw that record would have vanished. Buchan scored 199 points this season, including 22 against Auckland champions St. Kentigern College at the National Top Four. Nobody has scored that many points against the powerful St. Kent's in the last five years. Buchan earned selection for the New Zealand Secondary Schools and scored another pivotal try in their narrow victory against the New Zealand Barbarians. Peter Umaga-Jensen The captain of Scots College and the New Zealand Secondary Schools' team enjoyed an outstanding season. He was named College Sport Wellington rugby player of the year as he guided his First XV to a second consecutive Hurricanes regional title and National Top Four final appearance. In tandem with his twin brother Thomas, Peter helped create carnage for opposition defenders. In the last two seasons Thomas and Peter scored 58 tries between them and set up countless others between them for Scots. In a remarkable coincidence the twins each played three years in the First XV and ended up playing the same number of matches (48) and scoring the same number of tries (32). Peter also kicked 54 conversions and gets the nod for an award here because of his leadership. |
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