John McGlashan College is hungry for more success.
The school won the Otago premier schools title last season with a dramatic 22-17 win against South Otago High School.
The competition gets under way tomorrow and both schools again shape as contenders, although McGlashan appears the more ambitious.
The team is targeting back-to-back titles and has the forward pack to do it.
Lock Woody Kirkwood is a key plank.
His ball-winning skills should ensure a steady supply of possession for the defending champion.
Highly regarded loose forward Rory Ferguson will captain the team and is expected to have a big impact through his skilful running game, while the nicely-balanced Luke Jarvie will run the backline at first five-eighth.
McGlashan opens its campaign with a match against Otago Boys' High School Second XV on Tuesday at Littlebourne.
Otago Boys' will be competitive.
Halfback Kane Johnston is a good all-rounder and has exciting midfield back Eddie Grant and hooker Jake Fowler to help carry the load.
South Otago was the form team for most of last season before it came unstuck in the final.
The team has some key changes with several leading players trying new positions.
The captain Josh Hill is shifting to the base of the scrum having played most of his rugby at lock.
Chase Owen is filling a vacancy at second five-eighth and Luke Thomson is moving from halfback to first five-eighth.
It may take some time for the changes to bed in which may present King's High School with an opportunity in Balclutha tomorrow.
King's placed sixth last year and has modest goals.
The forward pack is light and lean and the team will need to work hard for its wins.
Among the players to watch is loosehead prop Ta'u Latu.
He is an abrasive ball runner while midfield back James Te Pairi is an elusive player capable of slipping the defence.
The battle of Oamaru between St Kevin's College and Waitaki Boys' High School is always keenly contested.
Waitaki has a big pack and centre Funaki Lavema is hard to tackle. St Kevin's has an enormous front row and will look to dominate the scrum through hooker William Sunderland and prop Kelepi Funaki.
In the other games, Mt Aspiring College hosts Dunstan High School and Kavanagh College plays Taieri College.
Dunstan placed fifth last year and shapes as the best of the rest. Look out for loose forward Jonty McKinnel.
He is fit and a very skilful player.
The teams: how they stack up
JOHN MCGLASHAN COLLEGE
Coach: John Kyle
Last year: Champion
Key players: Lock Woody Kirkwood, flanker Rory Ferguson and first five-eighth Luke Jarvie.
The oil: McGlashan has a formidable pack and will look to gain dominance in the set pieces. Kirkwood is a quality lineout forward and will supply a steady stream of ball. Ferguson is a strong ball runner with an effortless side step and wonderful fend, while Jarvie is making the shift to first five-eighth. He is a nicely balanced runner with a good boot.
SOUTH OTAGO HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Alan Hill
Last year: 2ndKey players: No 8 Josh Hill, first five-eighth Luke Thomson and midfield back Chase Owen.
The oil: South Otago had two powerful ball runners in the midfield last season but this year the team will approach the game differently. There has been some shuffling with Hill making the transition from lock to No 8. Owen is shifting out one slot to second five-eighth. He is a creative player and will run the backline with Luke Thompson, who is another player trying out in a new spot. The former halfback is giving first five-eighth a crack this season.
OTAGO BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL 2ND XV
Coach: John Faulks
Last year: 3rd
Key players: Halfback Kane Johnston, hooker Jake Fowler, and midfield back Eddie Grant.
The oil: OBHS backline should get good service with Johnston clearing the ball. He is a well-rounder player, while second five-eighth Eddie Grant will add some punch in the backline. Jake Fowler is a quality rake with plenty of fire. OBHS placed third last season and you can expect the team will be competitive again.
WAITAKI BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Wayne Kinzett.
Last year: 4th
Key players: Hooker Kafa Katoa, loose forward Josh Hayward and centre Funaki Lavemai.
The oil: The forward pack looks particularly strong, and Hayward and fellow loosie Junior Vea will flourish if the tight five can set a platform. First five-eighth Llewy Johnson is a big loss but Daniel Halaholo and Lavemai should give the backs some punch. Should be a strong contender for the top six.
DUNSTAN HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Jacque Kemp
Last year: 5th
Key players: Halfback Reuben Pyle, loose forward Jonty McKinnel and first five-eighth Max Duncan.
The oil: Pyle is a busy halfback and he will need to be with Dunstan fronting with a small but mobile pack. He reads the game very well and is the team's goal kicker. Outside him Max Duncan will run the backline. He does everything at pace and is a hard worker. McKinnel is the leading player in the pack. He is an extremely fit player, who is adept at pilfering the ball and has all the skills of a back.
KING'S HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Kane Jury
Last year: 6th
Key players: Prop Ta'u Latu, first five-eighth Josh Duff and midfield back James Te Pairi.
The oil: King's has a small but industrious pack led by Latu who is a dynamic loosehead and a powerful ball carrier. Duff is the team's main player-maker. The pivot has an eye for the gap and is very well organised. Just outside him is Te Pairi who is an elusive ball runner and brave in the tackle.
ST KEVIN'S COLLEGE
Coach: Justin Fowler.
Last year: 7th
Key players: Hooker William Sunderland, prop Kelepi Funaki and midfield back Antonio Misiloi.
The oil: Funaki and Sunderland lead a monstrous front row that will bully many teams in the competition. Backline looks raw, but Misiloi and first five-eighth Levi Emery are dangerous. St Kevin's has had a lengthy pre-season with some promising results. Will hope to make the top six but might be more focused on winning a fourth straight Blood Match to retain Oamaru bragging rights.
MT ASPIRING COLLEGE
Coach: Janathon Homer
Last year: 8th
Key players: Lock Josh O'Regan, halfback Tim Weir and winger Matt Molloy.
The oil: The plan is to move the ball as much as possible. There is pace on the wing in the form of Molloy. He boasts electric speed and knows only one way around an opponent and that is to gas them on the outside. O'Regan is a good athlete and easy target in the lineout, while Tim Weir is a good distributor, well-organised and likes to control the tempo of the game.
KAVANAGH COLLEGE
Coach: Jacinta Neilson
Last year: 9th
Key players: No 8 Sione Pule, prop Sepa Vaka and first five-eighth Tom Henderson.
The oil: Struggled last year but the team is a tight unit and will get some go forward when explosive No 8 Pule gets the ball in his hands. Tighthead prop Vaka is another player who is impossible to stop when he gets a sniff of the try line and he is an uncompromising tackler. Henderson is small but he reads the game very well and is an organised player.
TAIERI COLLEGE
Coach: Dave Hunter
Last year: 10th
Key players: Loose forwards Cam Dyer and Jordan Bell and halfback Taine Marshall.
The oil: Taieri has a very young team and is focused on making improvements each week. There are not a lot of star players in the line up but Dyer is a good ball scavenger and is in his third year in the side.
Halfback Taine Marshall clears the ball nicely and Bell is a versatile player with a high work rate.
The school won the Otago premier schools title last season with a dramatic 22-17 win against South Otago High School.
The competition gets under way tomorrow and both schools again shape as contenders, although McGlashan appears the more ambitious.
The team is targeting back-to-back titles and has the forward pack to do it.
Lock Woody Kirkwood is a key plank.
His ball-winning skills should ensure a steady supply of possession for the defending champion.
Highly regarded loose forward Rory Ferguson will captain the team and is expected to have a big impact through his skilful running game, while the nicely-balanced Luke Jarvie will run the backline at first five-eighth.
McGlashan opens its campaign with a match against Otago Boys' High School Second XV on Tuesday at Littlebourne.
Otago Boys' will be competitive.
Halfback Kane Johnston is a good all-rounder and has exciting midfield back Eddie Grant and hooker Jake Fowler to help carry the load.
South Otago was the form team for most of last season before it came unstuck in the final.
The team has some key changes with several leading players trying new positions.
The captain Josh Hill is shifting to the base of the scrum having played most of his rugby at lock.
Chase Owen is filling a vacancy at second five-eighth and Luke Thomson is moving from halfback to first five-eighth.
It may take some time for the changes to bed in which may present King's High School with an opportunity in Balclutha tomorrow.
King's placed sixth last year and has modest goals.
The forward pack is light and lean and the team will need to work hard for its wins.
Among the players to watch is loosehead prop Ta'u Latu.
He is an abrasive ball runner while midfield back James Te Pairi is an elusive player capable of slipping the defence.
The battle of Oamaru between St Kevin's College and Waitaki Boys' High School is always keenly contested.
Waitaki has a big pack and centre Funaki Lavema is hard to tackle. St Kevin's has an enormous front row and will look to dominate the scrum through hooker William Sunderland and prop Kelepi Funaki.
In the other games, Mt Aspiring College hosts Dunstan High School and Kavanagh College plays Taieri College.
Dunstan placed fifth last year and shapes as the best of the rest. Look out for loose forward Jonty McKinnel.
He is fit and a very skilful player.
The teams: how they stack up
JOHN MCGLASHAN COLLEGE
Coach: John Kyle
Last year: Champion
Key players: Lock Woody Kirkwood, flanker Rory Ferguson and first five-eighth Luke Jarvie.
The oil: McGlashan has a formidable pack and will look to gain dominance in the set pieces. Kirkwood is a quality lineout forward and will supply a steady stream of ball. Ferguson is a strong ball runner with an effortless side step and wonderful fend, while Jarvie is making the shift to first five-eighth. He is a nicely balanced runner with a good boot.
SOUTH OTAGO HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Alan Hill
Last year: 2ndKey players: No 8 Josh Hill, first five-eighth Luke Thomson and midfield back Chase Owen.
The oil: South Otago had two powerful ball runners in the midfield last season but this year the team will approach the game differently. There has been some shuffling with Hill making the transition from lock to No 8. Owen is shifting out one slot to second five-eighth. He is a creative player and will run the backline with Luke Thompson, who is another player trying out in a new spot. The former halfback is giving first five-eighth a crack this season.
OTAGO BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL 2ND XV
Coach: John Faulks
Last year: 3rd
Key players: Halfback Kane Johnston, hooker Jake Fowler, and midfield back Eddie Grant.
The oil: OBHS backline should get good service with Johnston clearing the ball. He is a well-rounder player, while second five-eighth Eddie Grant will add some punch in the backline. Jake Fowler is a quality rake with plenty of fire. OBHS placed third last season and you can expect the team will be competitive again.
WAITAKI BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Wayne Kinzett.
Last year: 4th
Key players: Hooker Kafa Katoa, loose forward Josh Hayward and centre Funaki Lavemai.
The oil: The forward pack looks particularly strong, and Hayward and fellow loosie Junior Vea will flourish if the tight five can set a platform. First five-eighth Llewy Johnson is a big loss but Daniel Halaholo and Lavemai should give the backs some punch. Should be a strong contender for the top six.
DUNSTAN HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Jacque Kemp
Last year: 5th
Key players: Halfback Reuben Pyle, loose forward Jonty McKinnel and first five-eighth Max Duncan.
The oil: Pyle is a busy halfback and he will need to be with Dunstan fronting with a small but mobile pack. He reads the game very well and is the team's goal kicker. Outside him Max Duncan will run the backline. He does everything at pace and is a hard worker. McKinnel is the leading player in the pack. He is an extremely fit player, who is adept at pilfering the ball and has all the skills of a back.
KING'S HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Kane Jury
Last year: 6th
Key players: Prop Ta'u Latu, first five-eighth Josh Duff and midfield back James Te Pairi.
The oil: King's has a small but industrious pack led by Latu who is a dynamic loosehead and a powerful ball carrier. Duff is the team's main player-maker. The pivot has an eye for the gap and is very well organised. Just outside him is Te Pairi who is an elusive ball runner and brave in the tackle.
ST KEVIN'S COLLEGE
Coach: Justin Fowler.
Last year: 7th
Key players: Hooker William Sunderland, prop Kelepi Funaki and midfield back Antonio Misiloi.
The oil: Funaki and Sunderland lead a monstrous front row that will bully many teams in the competition. Backline looks raw, but Misiloi and first five-eighth Levi Emery are dangerous. St Kevin's has had a lengthy pre-season with some promising results. Will hope to make the top six but might be more focused on winning a fourth straight Blood Match to retain Oamaru bragging rights.
MT ASPIRING COLLEGE
Coach: Janathon Homer
Last year: 8th
Key players: Lock Josh O'Regan, halfback Tim Weir and winger Matt Molloy.
The oil: The plan is to move the ball as much as possible. There is pace on the wing in the form of Molloy. He boasts electric speed and knows only one way around an opponent and that is to gas them on the outside. O'Regan is a good athlete and easy target in the lineout, while Tim Weir is a good distributor, well-organised and likes to control the tempo of the game.
KAVANAGH COLLEGE
Coach: Jacinta Neilson
Last year: 9th
Key players: No 8 Sione Pule, prop Sepa Vaka and first five-eighth Tom Henderson.
The oil: Struggled last year but the team is a tight unit and will get some go forward when explosive No 8 Pule gets the ball in his hands. Tighthead prop Vaka is another player who is impossible to stop when he gets a sniff of the try line and he is an uncompromising tackler. Henderson is small but he reads the game very well and is an organised player.
TAIERI COLLEGE
Coach: Dave Hunter
Last year: 10th
Key players: Loose forwards Cam Dyer and Jordan Bell and halfback Taine Marshall.
The oil: Taieri has a very young team and is focused on making improvements each week. There are not a lot of star players in the line up but Dyer is a good ball scavenger and is in his third year in the side.
Halfback Taine Marshall clears the ball nicely and Bell is a versatile player with a high work rate.
