1965 was the last time Sacred Heart College won the Auckland 1A First XV championship.
The coach of that team Brother Michael Taylor is still serving at the school.
“Brother Michael is 90 and nearly blind, but he loves rugby. He knows the names of all the players in the First XV and gives us good advice on how to get better,” acclaims head prefect Lemeki Namoa.
It’s hard to understate the passion for rugby at the Glen Innes Catholic school. Over 30 internationals have passed through the gates and Sacred Heart consistently performs strongly in the lower grades of Auckland. The desire for a rare 1A accolade is palpable having reached five semi-finals since 2011.
“The Sacred Heart brotherhood is hard to explain, but rugby, teamwork, history and service is a big part of the school. We want to leave behind a positive legacy for the jersey as does every team,” Namoa explains.
This Saturday, Sacred Heart will tackle St Kentigern College in the 1A final at Eden Park.
Last year Sacred Heart fell two points short in the decider against Mount Albert Grammar School. In the round-robin against St Kent’s this year the blue and white hoops prevailed by 17-6. What advice has Brother Michael and the coaching staff given their boys to reverse the results?
“I think we’ll seek territory and try and play our game in their half. Last time we made too many mistakes trying to play too much inside our own 22,” Namoa believes.
Namoa, a Blues Under-18 centre, is assigned the task of containing the electric Etene Nanai who has dazzled in scoring some spectacular tries and attracting the interest of several league and union scouts.
“Etene is a freak of nature when he is on form, but if everyone does their job both on and off the ball we will restrict his space and make life tougher for him,” Namoa says.
How big a burden is the title drought?
“I don’t think it’s a burden, it’s a great challenge. There was a lot more expectation last year because it was our first final. I think we will be more composed in the big moments,” Namoa retorts.
Namoa was uncertain if Sacred Heart would be involved in any big moments at the start of 2017. Pre-season defeats were incurred against Mount Albert Grammar School and the visiting Paarl Boys’ High School from South Africa. The performances of Sacred Heart at the St Paul’s Collegiate rugby festival in April were hardly inspiring either.
“The St. Paul’s rugby camp was a great experience off the field. We built a strong bond and in hindsight that was more valuable than anything that happened on the field. On the field it was frustrating experience. We won both our games against St. Paul’s and St. Bede’s, but we played poorly. We should have beaten both sides by more,” Namoa complains.
When did things start to click on the field?
“We had Auckland Grammar and King’s in the first two rounds and managed to beat them both. Grammar and King’s are leading teams and we had to front early for the sake of our season and we did.”
Prop Fatongia Paea and halfback Sione (Taufa) Funaki joined Namoa in the Blues Under-18’s this year. Paea is a particularly entertaining player to watch with his bullying carries, but Namoa believes Sacred Heart has more unsung heroes when contrasted with 2016.
“There are a lot of guys who hadn’t played much First XV rugby before this year who have really stepped up. We had more talent and reps last year, but this group is more selfless and believes we can win.” Namoa concludes.
The 1A final between Sacred Heart College and St Kentigern College kicks off Saturday 2:30pm live on Land Rover First XV Rugby.