KEY POINTS:
De La Salle College is a leisurely 10-minute stroll from Kings College. In almost every other way they are worlds apart.
Both schools are home to around 950 pupils. And, like all schools they are proud of their achievements, on and off the sporting field, but comparisons are sometimes misleading.
Kings, boasting more than 100 years of tradition, are a decile 10 school. De La Salle, around for a little over a half century, are, at decile one, at the other end of the scale.
Kings is one of the largest boarding schools in New Zealand. That helps boost their sporting prowess. De La Salle have no boarders, drawing their pupils by and large from neighbouring Mangere.
Kings is co-educational. De La Salle, boys only. Kings play almost every available sport. De La Salle restrict themselves to a handful including rugby, basketball, soccer, volleyball and waka ama.
Why the comparison? Many reasons, but for one thing this year, the boys at De La Salle College remain grateful to their much-acclaimed neighbours.
Kings upset defending champions Mt Albert Grammar in the semifinals of the Auckland 1A rugby championship. With MAGS, seen as their stiffest opposition, out of the way, De La Salle then "did the job" on Kings in the Eden Park final winning 33-17.
Within days, the prize got much bigger.
The Elijah Falealii-led first XV, on a countback following a 6-6 draw with Hamilton BHS at the top four tournament in Rotorua, were declared national champions.
Their reward is a trip to Japan in mid-2009 to represent New Zealand at the annual Sanix tournament in which the top school teams from nine countries including, among others, South Africa, Australia, France, Tonga and England, join eight Japanese teams in a week-long championship.
For many boys in De La Salle's 26-strong touring party, it will be their first trip out of New Zealand.
With half the costs covered by the hosts, the players, their parents and the school must raise the estimated $50,000-$60,000 they need to make a dream come true.
De La Salle deputy principal Brian Evans, who also heads the school's rugby coaching programme, sees the victory in Rotorua and the Japanese venture as just reward for the school and their players.
"De La Salle is proof that decile one is no barrier to success, sporting or otherwise. The boys at this school are extremely capable young men and a credit to their families and community," said Evans. "What is great now is that people are really seeing that there is much more to our rugby than some sort of generalisation that Pacific Islanders are simply big and strong.
"There is a real sense of belonging and pride within the school community. Despite the constant negative press around South Auckland, many of us love teaching and working here," said Evans. "Certainly coaching here is a privilege. The boys want to be the best, fittest and smartest side in the competition."
About half of this year's squad - who contributed to the success in the national final and including Falealii and top points-scorer Kelekolio Hifo - will leave school at the end of the year, handing the opportunity of a lifetime to 12 of their mates. Six or seven players played in all 17 games during the just-finished season.
The school, at which Evans estimates about 95 per cent are Maori or Polynesian students, does not have the best training gear, tracksuits or skins, just a fierce determination to do their best.
They have done that. Now the hard work - on and off the field - begins with around 30 players soon to be on coach Evans' list and ready to start pre-season training.
Basketball
A day after and at the same venue where the NZ Breakers tip-off their new ANBL season, Dilworth School will have the chance to break new ground when they tackle Westlake BHS in Friday's Greater Auckland Tournament premier final.
Beaten 91-83 by Kelston BHS in last year's showpiece, Dilworth can join the list of first-time champions if they can upset fancied Westlake at the North Shore Events Centre.
Dilworth booked their place in a second successive final with a surprise win over Rangitoto College in a low-scoring - 51-47 - semifinal.
There were more points in the other semifinal with WBHS taking their expected win over MAGS 90-78.
For Westlake, Friday's square-off is the chance to add to their impressive record.
They have won three of the last six finals after a first success back in 1995.
Rangitoto's loss was another body blow. Despite some strong showings in recent years, they have yet to win the title. Their only appearance in the final came in 1996 when they lost to MAGS.
Rangitoto do have a chance to make amends in the premier girls final however when they line-up against Massey.
Neither school has yet laid their hands on the trophy. The only appearance by either in a final came two years ago when Rangitoto were beaten 66-58 by Northcote College.
To reach their first final, Massey ended Northcote's hopes of a third successive title, winning that semifinal 79-58.
Rangitoto were just as convincing in the second semifinal, beating AGGS 74-55.
Whichever school wins will become the seventh different school to win since the championship was first played in 1994. With six successive wins from 2000-2005, Avondale College remain the most successful.
Eight titles will be decided on Friday with matches scheduled from 2.30pm culminating in the premier boys final at 8pm.
Cycling
Auckland Grammar's junior team have all the incentive they need to go for broke in Sunday's final round of the popular, and highly-competitive Auckland SS time trial championship.
In last Sunday's postponed round three race, WBHS pipped AGS by a mere 1.5s. In taking the victory in near-perfect conditions on the Waterfront, the Westlake team became the first in that grade to break 22 minutes clocking 21m 59.5s to break the 2007 record, set by AGS, of 22m 9.5s, by an impressive 10s.
That time was good enough to have them eighth overall with only the first seven teams in the senior race ahead of them.
The other records, set in 2004 (senior boys and girls) and 2005 (junior girls) remain intact but are likely to come under attack on Sunday.
In taking the senior boys race on Sunday, AGS clocked 20m 45.8s - just 3s outside the St Kentigern-held record. They beat WBHS by a little over 2s, which suggests there will be nothing in the final race of the season.
Diocesan were less than 15s outside the senior girls record set by their 2004 team, giving some hope they too might go close this time.
Sunday's racing will be followed by prize-giving at St Kentigern College and, barring time penalties in the final round, Auckland Grammar will again be crowned winners of the senior and junior boys championships and Diocesan will again take the girl's titles.
Lawn bowls
After some trying conditions during the preliminary rounds, which tested the competitive temperament of the players from the 20 competing schools, St Peter's College and KBHS won through to Monday's final on the Auckland inter-school competition at the Remuera Bowling Club.
The top eight teams qualified for the post-section knockout play-offs with St Peters, Dilworth A, St Dominics and KBHS winning through to the semifinals with AGS, who had three teams in the last eight, and Henderson High missing out.
Played between three pairs, playing two bowls each in games of one hour (approximately 12 ends), many games were very close. The final was no exception.
Led by Scott Evans, a member of the Auckland under-19 squad, KBHS won two of their three matches to take the honours.
St Peters, with a number of young bowlers in their ranks, were in it for a long time with well-known Auckland representative and NZ regional development squad member Greg Ruaporo leading the charge.
Tournament convener Stephen Loder paid tribute to the 12 players.
"It was a privilege and delight to see all these young players participating in such an immaculate manner," he said. "The tournament bodes well for the future of the game with so many talented players coming through at this level."
Swimming
Olympians Daniel Bell (Massey High) and Orinoco Faamausili-Banse-Prince (MAGS) head the almost 100 swimmers who will contest the Auckland SS individual championships at Henderson's West Wave Aquatic Centre on Sunday.
Both swimmers, who swam in relays in Beijing, have entered four events with Bell a hot favourite in the 50m and 100m backstroke. VOLLEYBALL The junior season has started with a massive 155 teams taking part. The popular weekly competitions are a lead-in to the Auckland SS championships which will be held at Henderson's Trusts Stadium from November 20-22.
AGGS, Aorere, Avondale, James Cook, Long Bay, Mangere, Manurewa, MAGS and Otahuhu are contesting the premier girls while Aorere, Avondale, De La Salle, Long Bay, Mangere, KBHS, Orewa, Otahuhu and Rangitoto have teams in the boys championship.
* www.asbcollegesport.co.nz
