College sport: Champs work hard for first round win

A hat-trick by Jacob Mathews (left) helped Auckland Grammar beat Rangitoto College. Picture / Richard Robinson

The opening round showed the A1 soccer championship will be another tight battle.

Defending champions Mt Albert Grammar had a tougher-than-expected struggle at home to Macleans, coming from 1-2 at halftime to win 3-2.

"They [Macleans] would be the best promoted side I have seen in 10 years," said MAGS coach Kevin Fallon. "It was a fabulous game of schoolboy football."

Josh Smith gave MAGS the early lead but the visitors, with two Tom Heywood goals, hit back to stun the home crowd. Smith equalised a minute into the second half but the winner, by substitute Mark Withers, came only in the 84th minute.

Auckland Grammar's 4-2 home win over Rangitoto College was mainly due to a hat-trick by Jacob Mathews.

Two goals from John Niyonsaba were enough to get Kings home 2-0 over St Kentigern.

In A3 action, Long Bay's Jack Beguely scored all three as they beat Birkenhead 3-0 to give Long Bay, the wooden-spooners last year, a winning start.

Cycling

The first of the popular winter time trial series on the waterfront attracted record fields last Sunday. With teams from Takapuna Grammar due to line up for the first time in the second round on Sunday week, organisers are confident entries will top the 100-team mark.

The races, held over a 16km out-and-back course from Mechanics Bay to St Heliers, are run to a slick timetable with the first team away at 7am followed by the rest at 30s intervals.

Determined the racing should not be seen as elitist - even if some bikes go to the line with an A$8000 price tag and some teams have Audis and Porsches trailing along - organisers have suitable bikes for hire.

With 36 officials and 42 marshals on hand, race manager Peter Walker has all bases covered as the five-person (senior) and four-person (junior) teams charge along the waterfront.

In the first races, which attracted teams from Selwyn College, Long Bay College, Whangaparaoa College and St Marys for the first time and contributing to a 20 per cent increase on last year's numbers, St Kentigern and Auckland Grammar (boys) and Diocesan (girls) quickly showed out as the schools to beat.

Basketball

Massey High prevailed in a close, exciting but relatively low-scoring premier girls affair to head Rangitoto 48-42. Emma Gillespie led the charge for the winners with 12 points. She was well-supported by Chevannah Paalvast (11pts/7 steals) and Genevieve Lauaki (11pts) as their speed and control proved decisive.

Northcote College posted a round-high 68 points in heading Rosehill 68-45, with Kushla Dunning unsuccessfully leading the way for Rosehill.

There were more points in the boys championship, with Westlake BHS and Kelston BHS both topping the century.

Hockey

A Peter Prema hat-trick set Mt Roskill Grammar up for their 6-4 win over Howick College in a free-scoring match. With Adam Cho adding two and Roberto Goulter the other, Mt Roskill got home for their second win in three outings.

There were hat-tricks for Joseph Crooks and Shay Neal as Auckland Grammar beat Mt Albert Grammar 7-2. Jonathon Bilkey added the other for AGS.

Macleans College showed some improvement in holding neighbours St Kentigern to a 2-2 draw but are still looking for their first win of the season.

Diocesan and St Cuthberts continue to set a hectic pace in the open girls race.

On the back of three penalty corner strikes from Elizabeth Gunson, Diocesan beat St Kentigern 7-0.

The second Diocesan team did not fare so well, however, with Macleans scoring a 6-1 win on the back of four goals from Charlotte Edwards. Alexandria Buddicom managed the solitary reply.

In another high-scoring affair, St Cuthberts overran Kings 11-0, with Jamie Wiles leading the charge with seven goals. She was well-supported by an Ashleigh Wiles hat-trick and another goal from Lucy Talbot.

After a scoreless first half, St Cuthberts 2nd XI got up to beat Epsom Girls 3-2 after EGGS had gone 2-0 ahead in the opening 15 minutes of the second spell before St Cuthberts, with two goals from Lucy Barber and one from Laura Bacon, stormed home with three in the last 15 minutes.

Rugby

The wintry snap was a great leveller in a couple of key games.

Kings College went ahead 3-0 just five minutes into their game with St Pauls. That penalty goal from captain Adam Siddall was all the scoring in a match in which St Pauls produced some outstanding defence, including three times holding up the Kings attack over the line.

Mt Albert Grammar also led 3-0 midway through the first half of their game with St Peters with a penalty. The only scoring in the second spell came from a charge-down try between the posts from Sam Nash. St Peters, despite being under constant pressure, held on to win 7-3.

Tangaroa needed a last-minute converted try to get home 17-13 over Tamaki in an intense, even game. Scores were locked at 10-10 at the break. Kaniata Halanukonuka kicked a second penalty to give Tamaki their 13-10 lead, which they held until the last minute - the second time in as many outings Tamaki have gone down in such dramatic circumstances.

St Kentigern scored five tries to one in beating Sacred Heart to notch their first win of the season. Sam Wills converted one of the five tries scored by Shaun Hill, Shaun Wood, Nick Seymour, Anthony Pohlen and Teddy Stanaway.

Sparked by strong games from halfback Elijah Falealii and loose forward Daniel Faamatuainuu, De La Salle were too strong for Otahuhu College 21-8.

In another surprise result in the North Harbour championship, Takapuna Grammar beat Rosmini 12-0, with tries from Codie Mackie and Josh Blucher. It was only the second time Takapuna have beaten Rosmini.

In Counties Manukau action, Manurewa High went close to taking the Challenge Trophy from Wesley College.

On a superb sand-based field, the two teams battled it out to a 10-10 draw - a result which allowed Wesley's 2nd XV to retain the prized trophy.

Coming up

Today

League (all 4pm, home team first), premier 1st XIII, Waitakere v St Pauls A, MAGS v St Pauls B, Otahuhu v James Cook, Mangere v Sir Edmund Hillary. College A, Aorere v Green Bay, Rutherford v Southern Cross, Tamaki v Manurewa. Under-15 9 a-side, Green Bay v Hato Petera, St Pauls v Mangere, Manurewa v Penrose.

Soccer, girls (all 4pm, home team first), Central Premier East, Glendowie v EGGS, AGGS v St Kentigern, Cox's Creek, Diocesan v St Cuthberts, North Harbour, WGHS juniors v Carmel, Rangitoto v TGS. Counties Manukau, Waiuku v Macleans, Papatoetoe v Pukekohe, Howick v Rosehill.

Friday

Basketball, premier, girls (all 6pm), AGGS v Rosehill, Dilworth, Manurewa v Avondale, Manurewa, Northcote v Massey, Northcote, WGHS v Rangitoto, WBHS. Boys (all 7.30pm), Dilworth v Avondale, Dilworth, James Cook v MAGS, Manurewa HS, AGS v KBHS, Northcote, WBHS v Rangitoto, WBHS.

Saturday

Netball, North Harbour 1 (all Onewa), WGHS v Kaipara 9.45am, Rangitoto 1 v Rangitoto 2 9.45, Kristin v Mahurangi 9.45, Carmel v Birkenhead 9.45, Northcote v Long Bay 10.30, Orewa v TGS 10.30.

Rugby, Auckland 1A (all 2.30pm, home team first), De La Salle v St Kentigern, KBHS v Tangaroa, Kings v MAGS, Sacred Heart v Tamaki, St Pauls v AGS, St Peters v Otahuhu. 1B (noon), pool A, Aorere v Sir Edmund Hillary, Edgewater v Papatoetoe, Liston v Macleans, MRGS v Dilworth. Pool B, Howick v Penrose, Marcellin v Avondale, Onehunga v Waitakere, Southern Cross v Mangere. North Harbour 1A (noon), TGS v WBHS, Mahurangi v Rosmini, Massey v Rangitoto. 1B, Kaipara v WBHS 2, Birkenhead v Long Bay, Massey 2 v Orewa, Northcote v Glenfield.

Soccer (noon, home team first), senior A1, Kings v Rangitoto, Macleans v AGS.

Monday

Rugby, North Harbour girls (all 4pm, home team first), Mahurangi v Kaipara, Massey v WGHS, Rangitoto v Northcote, Long Bay v Glenfield.