MBC First XV keen to ‘hit the ground running’

With kick off in the 2023 Miles Toyota Championship just three weeks away, the Marlborough Boys’ College First XV are taking all the opportunities they can to get in some valuable match practice.

On Tuesday they hosted Marist College from Canberra, who are on a NZ tour, as one of a series of pre-season games designed to hone combinations and skills before the Falcons’ campaign kicks off in earnest on May 12.

Head coach Tonga Taumoefolau said the annual First XV competition had been revamped for 2023, the number of round-robin matches to be played reduced from 13 to nine. The competition has been split into premiership and championship sections, with 10 teams participating in each. Promotion/relegation will take place at the end of the season.

With their season shortened, the MBC management felt it was important to get in as many pre-season games as they could. So far they have had a run out against Waimea College, the Prebbleton under-20 side, plus the Aussie visitors, who they narrowly lost to 27-18.

“With a shorter season we decided to put in an extra pre-season game so we are hitting the ground running when we start our campaign,” he explained.

MBC play Christ’s College in Kaikoura, then Rangiora in their final warm-up encounters.

Tonga has a much-changed side to work with this year, but sees plenty of positives in that.

“We have only got eight players coming back from last season, so this is a total rebuild year for us. We have a lot of young, enthusiastic players coming through which is awesome and adds to the exciting environment at First XV level.”

Their first MTC match is a home match against Shirley on May 12, followed by another home fixture, against St Andrew’s on May 20. Their other home dates are against Christ’s (June 17) and Christchurch BHS (July 22).

MBC play away matches against traditional rivals Nelson College, St Thomas of Canterbury, St Bede’s College, Selwyn Combined plus Timaru Boys’ High School away before the finals in late July.

The 2023 MBC First XV squad: Tafa Asiata-Tusani, Jack Burdon, Will Flynn, Jake Gane, Jordyn Gardiner, Ben Gibbons, Thomas Large, Te Kore Manawatu, Luke Martella, Finn McKenzie, Toby McLay-Davis, Finn Neal, Rico Nicklin, Vancouver Sio, Ben Sziranyi, John Vakaloa, Carter Aitken, Axell Allan, Ben Blackmore, Harry King, Leo Marfell, Joshua McLeod, Koloa Moala-Fotu, Ata Obetaia, Tim Petrie, Hugh Robinson, Cohen Stewart. Coaches: Tonga Taumoefolau, Pete Flynn, Tui Raeli. Strength and conditioning coach Buxton Popoali’i.  Managers: Jared Morris and Matt Large.