Schools heroes added to 18S

Schools heroes added to 18S

Continued playoff success for the Junior Warriors has seen changes in the NZ 18s team to take on Australian Schoolboys in Brisbane next week.

Three players – halves Erin Clark and Ata Hingano, and prop Amoni Tufui – have withdrawn from the national side, as the Warriors prepare for their National Youth Competition preliminary final against Penrith Panthers on Friday.

But in their place, NZ coach Rod Ratu has been able to promote two of the heroes of this week’s NZ Secondary Schools 30-22 victory over NSW Combined High Schools, also under his watch.

Front rowers Kenese Kenese and Isaiah Papalii follow Ratu across to the 18s programme, joined by Akarana’s Josh Farrant.

The age-group side face the Aussie Schools at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, September 27, and again on Thursday, October 1 at Wynnum.

The full squad to assemble in Auckland on Wednesday is:

Tarquinn Alatipi (Wellington), Whitiroa Davis (Akarana), Keanu Dawson (Upper Central), Josh Farrant (Akarana), Rory Ferguson (Southern), Jackson Ferris (Mid Central), Bostyn Hakaraia (Akarana), Morgan Harper (Upper Central), Phoenix Hunt (Counties Manukau), Kenese Kenese (Counties Manukau), Dean Kouka-Smith (Akarana), Rory Marshall-Barton (Counties Manukau), Tyrone Nathan (Counties Manukau), Fabian Paletua-Kiri (Mid-Central), Isaiah Papalii (Akarana), David Phillips (Counties Manukau), Chris Sio (Akarana), Lewis Soosemea (Counties Manukau), Auzzie Tuwhangai (Akarana)

ENDS

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