College sport: Feast on offer as winter season nears end

Macleans College senior girls compete in the popular team time trials. Photo / Greg Bowker

The business end of the winter season promises a feast of the very best of secondary school sport.

While, in light of the events of the past few days, much of that focus will be on the Auckland rugby final at Eden Park on Saturday when arch-rivals AGS and MAGS again go head-to-head, there is plenty of other action in the lead-up to the annual winter tournament week starting on August 31.

Today's premier and senior A netball finals at the Auckland Centre's impressive indoor arena pit powerhouses MAGS and EGGS against each other. MAGS go into the premier showdown as top qualifier while EGGS hold that advantage in the senior A finale.

For MAGS, victory would come as a further fillip in the lead-up to Saturday's rugby showdown as their soccer first XI have already clinched a staggering sixth straight A1 championship to match the record set by the school in the 1930s.

MAGS managed the netball-soccer-rugby treble a couple of seasons ago but few would give them much chance of repeating such a feat, especially given the task confronting their young rugby team, who were off the pace for much of the season before charging into the final with Saturday's one-point semifinal win over minor premiers St Peters.

MAGS headmaster Dale Burden, taking justified pride in the efforts of his teams this winter, also points out their premier boys and girls are contenders for the basketball titles.

Also still to be decided are the inter-city hockey championships and cycling's popular team time trials. Diocesan and St Cuthberts (girls) and AGS and WBHS (boys) are set to figure in both.

CYCLING

There was only 17secs in it but that was enough for the Diocesan senior girls to make it six-from-six over arch-rivals St Cuthberts in the senior girls' race at the Avantiplus team time trials on Auckland's waterfront on Sunday morning.

Going into finals day on September 20, Diocesan will have a five-point lead over St Cuthberts with the ever-improving St Kentigern the same margin back in third.

The senior boys will go down to the wire after Westlake's big win over AGS in the penultimate round.

Beaten by nearly 25secs, AGS will need a return to their best if they are to overhaul WBHS, who go into the last round just one point ahead. St Kentigern are four points out of the lead but will not take any confidence into their last ride after being pushed out of the top three in race six by the improving Massey quartet.

The junior girls too will be a battle royal on the last day.

Diocesan still lead by two points from St Cuthberts but St Cuthberts go into the last round confident after beating their rivals by nearly 9secs on Sunday. Rangitoto are 10 points out of the lead in third place.

AGS confirmed their standing as the top junior boy's team but hold only a slim three-point lead over Macleans and St Kentigern.

RUGBY

NORTH HARBOUR

Rosmini and Massey High had useful hit-outs in their last games before their big showdown at North Harbour Stadium on Friday.

Already assured of their places in the grand final, to be played as the curtainraiser to the North Harbour v Northland Air NZ Cup clash, the top two teams finished the regular season with bonus-point wins over TGS and Mahurangi respectively to finish the round as it had started with Rosmini a point ahead of Massey.

Ahead inside five minutes after wing Jordan Brock had capped a sweeping move with a well-taken try in the corner and Gareth Anscombe had added the extras, Rosmini were relentless despite some spirited play from a committed TGS side.

Against the run of play Rodrigo Costa increased Rosmini's lead when he scored near the post. With Anscombe again on target, the visitors were a somewhat flattering 14-0 ahead.

That increased by another seven on the half-hour when Jack Whetton set up hooker James Tuitopu, who crashed over in a heap of bodies. The conversion gave Rosmini a 21-0 halftime lead.

Another try - scored by centre James Siaki and again converted by Anscombe - extended the lead to 28-0 which was reduced by five late in the game when substitute Ethan McMullan snatched a deserved late try.

It was much closer than the 41-17 scoreline suggests as Massey ran in seven tries - three converted - against an improved Mahurangi XV.

Second-five Sam Aolele led the way with two tries, with five other players, including replacements Titi Motusala and Sale Faaeteete, crossing for tries. Troy Stirling converted three.

Sam Beehre, Conor Dawson and Kyle Galloway scored tries for Mahurangi with Brad Moka converting one.

Three of the semifinalists in the 1B championship had wins in their last outings before Saturday's sudden death play-offs.

Leaders Long Bay had the toughest battle as they sneaked home 12-9 over third-placed Kristin.

Wing Vincent Alexander and fullback Chase hay scored tries for the Bay with Chase adding a conversion, while Luke Steiner slotted three penalties for Kristin, who travel to play Glenfield in one semifinal. Long Bay are at home to Kaipara in the other. The winners meet in next Thursday's final - the curtainraiser to North Harbour's Air NZ Cup clash with Southland.

Glenfield got the workout they wanted in preparing for their semifinal showdown having to come from 10-12 at halftime to beat Kingsway 22-12.

Led by their outstanding forward pack, Kingsway made much of the early play, leading to tries for centre Taniela Tavaga and hooker Mike Gush. Branden Cullen added a conversion but in the end the favoured Glenfield side, with tries to Emmanuel Hetaraka, Tima Anitema and Apaola Tea and seven points from Carey Auckett, got home.

Needing to win to cement their place in the top four, Kaipara were pressed all the way before beating Hato Petera 20-17.

After scoring an early try, Kaipara spent much of the first half on defence but managed a late try and a penalty for a somewhat flattering 13-5 halftime lead.

Mahurangi claimed early success, however, when their girls overcame the muddy conditions to score a resounding 28-5 home win over Long Bay College in their championship final.

But it was Long Bay who broke the deadlock when first-five Georgia Hale capped a fine move to score after 20 minutes.

The hosts hit back with tries to fullback Claudia Hanham and Kiritapu Demant - both converted by Ruahei Demant - to lead by 14-5 at the break.

Two more converted tries in the second half clinched the title for the Warkworth college.

AUCKLAND

Tries were at a premium in the 1A semifinals as cross-city rivals AGS and MAGS booked their places in Saturday's big Eden Park final.

Jarvis Niulaga scored the only try for AGS in their 20-9 home win over KBHS in a game in which the result, sadly, played second fiddle to the end-of-match melee.

Across the road at the "Cage" MAGS too managed just the one try - scored by Kane-Paul Smith - in their 17-16 win over St Peters.

COUNTIES MANUKAU

Wesley backed their recent 29-6 win over long-time rivals Manurewa with an even more emphatic 46-21 win in the 1st XV Championship final at the Pukekohe Stadium on Saturday.

Ahead 14-0 after 12 minutes following tries to Antonio Lavemai and Danny Tusitala, Wesley went further ahead when John Luteru crashed over. By halftime the lead was 24-3.

The pressure continued when Sione Olive scored another Wesley try early in the second half and as hard as Manurewa tried, they were unable to make serious inroads despite well-deserved late points.

Wesley now face Rotorua BHS and Hamilton BHS in the battle to represent the Chiefs franchise at the national finals.

SOCCER

Kevin Fallon had mixed emotions after his Mt Albert Grammar team had beaten St Peters 6-0 to wrap up another A1 championship with a game in hand.

On the one hand, he was obviously chuffed at a sixth straight triumph in one of the most keenly contested of all schools championships, on the other, he was more than a little bemused that he would have to do it all over again next year to claim the record.

"I thought that was it," said Fallon after his team had picked up the points in retaining their season-long unbeaten record. "Now I find out that we have only equalled the record."

The record Fallon is chasing was set by Mt Albert Grammar, who won six-straight from 1934-39 after sharing the then senior A championship with AGS in 1933.

MAGS have their last league game, away to Rangitoto on Saturday, and the Knockout Cup semifinal, at home to arch-rivals AGS next Wednesday before heading to Nelson for the Lotto Premier tournament from August 31 where they will defend their title.

In beating third-placed WBHS 5-0 away, Simon Eaddy-coached AGS sealed second place in the A1 championship.

In coming from behind to beat Kings 3-2 at home, Macleans kept their survival hopes alive. They now head away on Saturday to play St Peters.

Rangitoto and Kings, the other teams under the threat of relegation, are at home to MAGS and WBHS respectively in their final outings.

The MAGS girls have the chance to join their boys as winners when they play Diocesan in today's APC premier final.

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