Fidow ready to rumble for Premier 1 final

At Scots College the prefects wear different socks to the other students. At the beginning of each year the prefects fittings are done by one of the mothers in the Pipeband.

This is usually a seamless process, but in 2015 there was a very big problem - Alex Fidow!

The following email was sent to the Headmasters office:

"We have a problem with one of the boys - Mr Fidow – his legs are way too big for any socks in the uniform shop. His calves are 52cm by 20 inches. I have walked to each menswear shop in town – no joy."

"Knitting looks like the only option. Around six balls of sock yarn would be required, maybe seven."

Fidow complains, "my socks still don't fit."

Fidow is 137kg. Last year he was selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team and this year he was a member of the Hurricanes Under-18 squad that boasted a heaver forward pack than the All Blacks.

Fidow has been nicknamed Gloria (the hippopotamus in the cartoon Madagascar) by some boys in the Scots prep school.

Remarkably the free-running prop has scored 44 tries in 55 games for the First XV - including 17 tries in 17 games in 2015.

This has attracted the attention of the television show The Crowd Goes Wild. Fidow is big time at Scots, but the prefect is reserved and softly spoken.

"My favourite tries are the team tries, the ones of the maul," Fidow says when quizzed about his most memorable five-pointer.

Scots have scored plenty of tries in recent times. They have only lost once in their last 31 games and have been unbeaten in their last 24 games in New Zealand. They are 17-1 this season with their only loss happening at the Sanix World Youth tournament in Japan.

This Sunday at Porirua Park the National Top Four Champions will attempt to defend their Premier One Wellington title against St. Pats Town.

"It's going to be a tough game," Fidow says.

"If we play to our strengths I think we can win."

Fidow says strong set-pieces and getting lots of ball to the potent Umaga-Jensen twins are Scots strengths.

Fidow made his debut for the First XV in 2011, the year Scots made the Premier One semi-finals for the first time. Is Fidow surprised by the rapid progress the team has made.

"It's been really good, but it shows what can be achieved through hard work."

Scots have been well-served by quality coaching. Former Samoan international and Wellington Lions head Earl Va'a took the time last year. In 2015 he has been replaced by Filo Tiatia. What has the former All Black brought to the table?

"Filo has brought a slightly different perspective. We are better defensively, but we still like to attack lots," Fidow says.

The last side to successfully defend Premier One was Wellington College in 2009, the last year the top-ranked school in the round-robin won the decider.

The Premier One final kicks off at 2:15pm at Porirua Park.