The Star: May 03, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday May 3 2018 35
set to kickoff
One-eyed Cantab
Gordon Findlater
Gordon.Findlater@starmedia.kiwi
Rockstar or
plain dumb
DOUBLE CHAMPS: Christchurch Boys’ High School have a strong chance of claiming their
third straight title.
PHOTO: KATE JENSEN
Players to watch
George Harding, centre,
Christchurch Boys’ High School:
Expect the former St Andrew’s College
student to bulldoze his way through a
number of defences this season. Harding
was part of the Crusaders Junior Knights
development camp last year and made a
good impression towards the end of the
year for the CBHS second XV.
Caius Fa’atili, loose forward,
St Thomas’ of Canterbury College:
St Thomas’ turned heads last year with
a large crop of rugby league talent proving
they could mix it in the first XV arena.
Fa’atili - a promising junior with the Hornby
Panthers - turned out for his schools first
XV last year and is expected to be bigger
and better this season. The New Zealand
Resident 16s league player is a force to be
reckoned with and a strong ball carrier off
the ruck.
Jack Rose, prop,
St Andrew’s College:
The former loose forward converted to
prop in his early years at STAC and hasn’t
looked back. The ball carrying prop made
the Crusaders Knights under-18 squad to
play the Hurricanes under-18s. Rose can
cover both sides of the scrum.
Mitchell Barry, halfback,
Shirley Boys’ High School:
SBHS will be led by Barry who is returning
to play as a year 14. He is the younger
brother of former Crusaders centre and
Samoan international Kieron Fonotia. Barry
was part of the Christchurch under-18
metro team last year. He is bigger than the
average halfback in height and power and
is described as having a good mind for
the game. He will be feeding an exciting
backline which features two big running
centres, Waitangi Tuisaga and Tasipale
Valavala.
Enosi Turanga, centre,
Christ’s College:
Not much is known about Christ’s new
centre other than he is the half-brother
of Nemani Nadolo and he comes from a
league background in Queensland. However,
on raw ability alone, he has the potential
to be the biggest juggernaut in the
competition. With an experienced forward
pack in front of him Turanga should get
every opportunity to display his talent.
WHERE DOES the tipping point
lie on a sports star going from
being portrayed as a fan favourite
rock star that isn’t afraid to have
fun away from sport, to being
shamed in the social age we live
in?
There are plenty of examples in
recent times – Jesse Ryder used
to be the lad plenty admired for
smashing the opposition around
the park and not being afraid to
party afterwards. But in this day
and age, when things go wrong
it, doesn’t take long for a video of
you stumbling around incoherently
intoxicated taken from a
cell phone to end up across social
media. How quickly people’s
perceptions can change.
I’ve been contemplating where
exactly the line is crossed because
at the weekend former tennis
world No 41 Dan Evans returned
to the court after his own falling
from grace following a one-year
ban for a positive test for cocaine
last April.
I mention Evans because he’s
the closest reference point I have
to witnessing someone crossing
that line.
Let’s go back to January last
year. Evans is having the best
week of his career at the Australian
Open. He knocked over seventh-seed
Marin Cilic on his way
to advancing to the fourth round
for the first time at a major.
Evans eventually went down
defiantly to 12th seed Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga in four sets. With his
tournament over, it was time to
celebrate.
I was lucky enough to run into
Evans (above) at a bar on Melbourne’s
Chapel St that evening.
The scenes that ensued where
the closest I’ve seen to a reenactment
of an episode of Jersey
Shore.
Evans and his posy – which
I had managed to swindle my
way into – were already on their
way to a big night fuelled by the
release of endorphins that can
only be gained by moving inside
the top 50 world ranking for the
first time.
The telling moment came when
the largest tray of drinks I have
ever seen arrived at the booth.
Rather than going for one of the
seven bottle of spirits now at the
table, Evans instead grabbed an
empty glass, raised it above his
head and then threw the glass
to the ground which of course
smashed everywhere.
In the space of seconds my
perception of Evans went from
thinking what a rock star, to
what a dickhead.
My perception had changed
and it was easy to see that it
wouldn’t be long until the rest of
the tennis world’s would too.
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