Coach backing young talent

The Bay of Plenty Under-16 team last year fell one game short of winning the Northern Region rugby competition.

This year, new Bay Under-16 coach Brendon Webby believes his team has the skills and talent to go one step further.

With the Bay union having the opportunity to have two teams in the competition, after King Country's withdrawal, Webby said it had open the opportunity for more players to get a taste of representative rugby.

"At this age group you have a lot of players who develop [physically] at different times. It's no good throwing a 15-year-old who weighs 70kg up against someone who is nearly 100kg.

"But with the Bay having an A team and a development team, it gives those who haven't quite developed a chance to see what it's like."

Webby, a dairy farmer from Waikite Valley has taken over the role said the two squads also increased the chances of winning this year's title.

" Our main competition will be Waikato. They beat us last time. We will have to be at the top of our game to get up there and beat them."

The coach has plenty of talent to choose from with 66 trialists from 15 schools within the region.

Reporoa College has continued its tradition of producing quality forwards with the likes of hooker Ben McDell and prop Kerry Power getting a trial. John Paul College has contributed to the forward pack with two locks who have speed and aerial skills that any coach would be pleased to have.

Ben Webby is a 15-year-old, who at 1.93m shows no fear when going high for the ball, while his school mate, Scott Mathis, who stands at 1.90m, is deceptively quick for a lock.

In the loose forwards, Rotorua Boys' High School has talented youngster, Jade Honeycombe who is effective on both sides of the scrum, while midfielder Issac Te Aute has been making a huge impact in school boy rugby.

Tauranga Boys' College has a wealth of speed to contribute to a Bay of Plenty squad, with wingers Christian Kelly and Hamish Symes, joining the class act of Connor Fifita at fullback.

Wells said it was great, as a coach, to have the headache of trying to select a team from the range of talent on offer.

"Some of these kids are involved in the Super Eight [secondary schools rugby] and we have players like Issac Te Aute who were part of the New Zealand under-17 team last year. So I'm pretty excited about what this team will do."

The under-16 trials are to be played at 10.30am on July 15, at the Paengaroa Domain.

Two recent under-16 skills sessions, conducted by the Steamers coaches Kevin Schuler and John Walters at Paengaroa, should have the Bay youngsters fully prepared for the trials. The purpose of the under-16 skills sessions undertaken by the Steamers coaches was to assist the player's transition through to senior ranks in the future Schuler said.

Webby the 1st XV coach at John Paul College is assisted by Alan Pike from Trident High School .

Tauranga Boys' College mentor Charles Williams and Andrew Bartrum from Bethlehem College will coach the development team.

TRIALISTS:

Opotiki College; Storm Howe, Legion Rangahuia, Michael Stevens.

Te Puke High School; Sam Takai, Gareth Crowe.

John Paul College; Scott Mathis, Ben Webby.

Tauranga Boys' College; Tiwara Kuka, James Mikaere, Graydon Kite, Dylan Donne, Hamish Symes, Jade Murray, Resden Hirama, Christian Kelly, Leighton Hika, Devon Church, Ben Noakes, Hunter Anderson, Jonty McCool, Connor Fifita, Josh Vou, Ryan Carroll, Burton McAdam.

Aquinas College; Teina Hika.

Bethlehem College; Andre Hayden, Chris Johnson, Thomas Allen, Chris Finlayson, Cam Gerlach.

Reporoa College; Ben McDell, Kerry Power, Wero Riki, Bailey Honeycombe.

Te Puna; Rikihana Borrell.

Katikati College; Alex Crapp, Angus Sydney.

Rotorua Boys' High School; Dion Havea, Jade Honeycombe, Damian Darlington, Renton Barrett, Jayden Savage, Jessie Williams, Tiaki Harrison, Whare Oakes, Issac Te Aute, Kaine Lewis.

Edgecumbe College; Tipene Martin.

Trident High School; Manual Manual, Brad Collier, Sean Armstrong, Decovan Taufoti, Mike Thompson.