Otago Boys' High School will face its toughest opponent of the year when it meets St Bede's College for the first time at Littlebourne today.
St Bede's went through the Press Cup unbeaten for a third time in four years and improved its record to 57 wins in the last 58 matches in that competition when it beat Nelson College 30-12 in the final.
Otago Boys' coach Ryan Martin knows it will be difficult.
"We will go in as underdogs," Martin said. "But we are playing on our home ground and have nothing to lose. Our boys won't be left wondering. We will give it everything."
The winning team will represent the South Island at the national top four competition that starts in Rotorua next Thursday. St Bede's has represented the South Island for the last four years and was runner-up in 2009.
The St Bede's forwards dominated from the outset and gave their quick backs plenty of chances when it beat Nelson College last Saturday.
Captain Shayne Anderson did a power of work at centre and wingers Moses Saletolu and Jesse Bryant scored three of the four tries.
The best player in the St Bede's team is Japanese fullback Yoshikazu Sujita, who is strong on the counter-attack and has blistering speed. He is one of the three overseas players in the team. The others are second five-eighth Kiko Vieira'de'Almeida and No 8 Vasco Sragoso'Mendes, both from Portugal.
First XV final
- Littlebourne, today, 12.30pm
• Otago Boys': Sean Conner, Eli Slater, Michael Collins (captain), Aleki Morris, Jarred Hewitt, Sam Ellis, Josh Renton, Brodie Hume, Harry Schaumann, Byron Dodge, Mike McKee, Troy Callander, Josh Dickson, Lachlan Landels, Junior Pole, Ethan Harrex. Reserves: Ryan Williams, Hagan Free, Josh Dickson, Hayden Cleghorn, Tim Lawrence, Josh Casey, Ben Miller.
• St Bede's: Yoshikazu Sujita, Moses Saletolu, Shayne Anderson (captain), Kiko Vieira'de'Almeida, Jesse Bryant, Hagen Schulte, Bouen Aranga, Vasco Sragoso'Mendes, Charlie Gamble, Billy Harman, Misimoa Lamositele, Luke de Beus, Jack Best, AJ Setefano, Peni Tootoo. Reserves: Liam Smart, Patrick Setefano, Jordan Toa, Luke Geeves, Joe Berry, Tim Cossens, Hushdon Tohovaka.