Once the exclusive reserve of teachers, the 1A competition is welcoming small numbers of "outsiders" - men brought in as specialist rugby coaches. The expectation, pressure and demands on First XV coaches, particularly those in the better resourced schools, are now considered akin to those of the ITM Cup.
The days of a teacher who once played a bit being entrusted with the First XV are gone. With schools investing heavily in their rugby offering, some feel they need to have a "named" coach - someone parents and pupils feel carries prestige.
That's why there are several recognisable figures coaching in the 1A - including former Springbok Kevin Putt, former Blues player Tasesa Lavea, former Waikato player Dave Dillon and former Samoan international Andrew Va'a.
It's probable now that most provincial sides would consider a successful coach in the 1A competition to be just as equipped, if not better equipped, than a club coach to shift into an ITM Cup role.
Putt, also a former Sharks and Counties coach, who is now at King's College, says: "ITM is not a fully professional set-up and most of the coaches are paid on a contract basis while the season is on.
"I would say there is serious opportunity now for First XV coaches to take on that kind of work."
The similarities between coaching at First XV and ITM Cup are many.
The leading teams in the 1A competition can train up to nine times a week in season and also use terms one and four to strength and condition the boys.
There is detailed video analysis of opponents and planning sessions around specific game-plans. Coaches are expected to have detailed technical and tactical knowledge as well as being able to manage the boys psychologically and emotionally - an often tough task given the expectations placed upon the boys and the standing of some First XVs within their respective schools.
That new emphasis on strength and conditioning is probably the critical advantage First XV coaches have over club coaches in terms of being considered ready to coach at the next level. Building the right athletes to play the right game-plan is a huge part of a professional coach's brief.
The increased focus on fitness has meant fewer rugby boys play any other sport - but the flip side is that many of the players in the 1A competition are fitter and more explosive than club players.
"We have better access to the kids," says Putt. "We can only operate within the boundaries that are set by the headmaster and we have been fortunate this year that we have been able to better prepare our players.
"That's why we are seeing such great athletes in this competition and when you see the demand for these players among provincial unions, the coaches must be doing something right."
Success at 1A is beginning to get some coaches noticed. St Kentigern College assistant coach Josh Syms is leaving shortly to join Southland Boys' High School - but he will also do some work with the Stags ITM Cup team. For all the scepticism and ill-feeling many schools in the 1A competition feel towards the reigning champions, there is no doubt that Syms and head coach Tai Lavea have been smart in the way they have physically conditioned their squad.
"The old ways used to be that you would go for a long run and lift heavy weights," says Syms. "But we have stripped that back and made it about speed and strength - being explosive and being able to run fast."
But there are technical deficiencies in the schoolboy game that prevent it from being played at the same tactical level as club football.
Tamaki College deputy principal Richie Harris who also coaches the Grammar-Carlton club, says: "I guess First XV is more akin to professional rugby, but club rugby is a box that ambitious coaches need to tick. The big difference between First XV and club rugby is the height of the players in the contact zones. In club rugby the players are about a foot lower.
"Also, in schoolboy rugby, the players tend to know their individual roles but lack the global picture of how it all fits together. It is high energy over a short amount of phases and then a stoppage so players only need to know their role in a compressed area."
Top guns
AGS: Ben Skeen (former professional referee).
MAGS: Geoff Moon (former Auckland Rugby and Bristol high performance manager).
King's College: Kevin Putt (former Springbok).
King's College: Tasesa Lavea (former Blues player).
Sacred Heart: Dave Dillon (former Waikato player).
De La Salle College: Andrew Va'a (former Samoan international).
St Kentigern College: Tai Lavea (former Melbourne Storm player).
- by Gregor Paul,Herald on Sunday
