Barker College make fast start on three-game tour

• By Adam Julian

Barker College opened its three-game New Zealand tour with a 40-36 victory over St Patrick’s College, Silverstream on Wednesday.

The North Sydney independent Anglicans stunned the 2025 Wellington Premiership winners by blasting to a 26-0 lead in under 10 minutes.

Not since 2017, when Silverstream was caned by national championships, Hastings Boys’ High School, had the Catholics tumbled so rapidly to a large deficit.

Silverstream was rocked by an Earl Va’a-style blitzkrieg. The former Manu Samoa international who coached Scots College to the 2014 National Top Four title manages Barker. Their dynamic and expansive approach closely resembled the pizzazz of his champion Presbyterians.

It was shift, run, or both from everywhere. Exhilarating to watch, exhausting to play. Loosehead prop Mark Falaniko-Brown left a trail of destruction, midfielders Ashley Dene and Jack Smith slashed through at will, and bulky left winger Lorima Ravouvou Seuseu scored possibly the quickest hat-trick ever seen on the Jack Glesson Oval.

At 26-0, there were fears that the 70-point shellacking inflicted by New Plymouth Boys’ High School on Silverstream in 1992 could be repeated.

Instead, the hosts rallied as Barker tapered off. Scrums and lineouts squeezed the freewheeling Aussies. Then Koby Marino lit a spark with a try, tapping quickly from a penalty. Marino’s distribution was sometimes wayward, but the halfback plays with a verve that shouldn’t be discouraged.

Silverstream was encouraged with two further tries to close the deficit to 26-17 at halftime. Barrel-Chested prop Kristian Leaupepe-Sua clattered through traffic from close range, and hooker Jahvaan Hunt collected a Fletcher Cooper grubber that tangled Barker’s last defender into a web.

In 2025, Cooper usurped All Black Simon Mannix as the biggest points scorer in a single season at Silverstream with 234 points. Mannix’s previous record of 233 points had stood since 1989.

The precocious Year 12 has become stronger and more mature, making his threat greater. A beeline to the right corner and sideline conversion closed the gap to 26-24.

Despite little possession, Barker still looked ominous. Smith scythed through, and a fourth conversion to Dene made it 33-24.

Oakley Time was next to touchdown for Silverstream. The second five-eighth caught a Copper cross-kick and finished with an agile swerve.

Barker was buckling in the scrum. When the ball was scrambled to winger Lucas Ward, he suddenly transformed into Max Jorgensen. A stunning 65-metre solo try under the sticks made it 40-29.

Silverstream refused to yield. With eight minutes remaining, mammoth Mea’ole Mai shook the goal post pad with his rumble and tumble from the bench.

Down 40-36, Silverstream could have snatched an improbable win. Troy Waldrom made a searing break that was only just thwarted by the visitors near their 22.

With three minutes left, Silverstream enjoyed favourable territory but suffered pre-season dropsies as Barker hung on.

Ben van Berkel was the referee.

Barker plays Wellington College at NZCIS at noon on Saturday and completes their trip across the Tasman against Scots College on Tuesday.

Silverstream’s next assignment is their annual traditional fixture against St Bede’s College in Christchurch on April 18.