KEY POINTS:
Building on their early advantage when captain Teddy Stanaway crossed for a try, St Kentigern went on to spring a big first-round upset in beating Kelston BHS 31-24 as the much-anticipated Auckland secondary schools 1st XV rugby championship kicked off on Saturday.
Showing the benefits of a solid pre-season, including a trip to Canada, St Kentigern ended their run of losses to KBHS, who have long been one of the powerhouses of Auckland school's rugby.
Against the bigger Kelston pack, the St Kentigern forwards held their own to provide a platform for their speedy backs in a game in which the lead changed several times.
Down 24-17 with five minutes to play, Stanaway scored his third try of the match. The conversion levelled the scores to ensure a nail-biting finish which Richard Talia'uli capped with a last-ditch try on the end of a perfectly executed backline move.
After running in three early tries, MAGS held on to beat visiting Sacred Heart 22-17 after leading 17-6 at halftime. A spirited second-half fightback got Sacred Heart to within three points at 17-14 before the home side sealed the victory with a bonus-point fourth try.
King's College opened their season with a 13-0 win over Tamaki College in a game which did not reach any great heights.
Tamaki halfback Soni Halanukonuka battled well throughout without reward.
Newcomers Papatoetoe were handed a harsh lesson in going down 48-7 to St Paul's.
The promoted side did not lack courage but that alone was not enough against the strong St Paul's pack in which loose forwards Sione Vea, Sautia Misa and Paki Afu showed out.
Player of the day Siliga Kepaoa scored two tries for St Paul's.
De La Salle were in the same rampant mood, racing to a 50-3 win over Tangaroa College on the back of their eight-try haul.
From the time fullback Samiu Katoa set up an early try for wing Karl Savelio, De La Salle, well-led by captain/blindside flanker Fa'atiga Lemalu, took control with six of their tries scored by outside backs.
Four first half penalties followed by a converted try when St Peter's were reduced to 14 players, had AGS firmly in control at 19-0 at halftime in their away game.
St Peter's lifted after the break, restricting their near neighbours to just one try and a final 24-0 scoreline.
In the North Harbour competition, WBHS, with the advantage of a heavier pack, out-muscled a spirited Orewa College 22-10 to make it two-from-two and take the early lead.
Massey HS and TGS, who drew 12-12 in the first round, followed that with handy second-round victories to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
Building their game on a strong defensive effort, Massey beat Rosmini 15-8 while Takapuna GS were too strong for Rangitoto, winning 16-0.
Cycling
More than 100 teams from 26 schools will go to the start line when the popular waterfront time trials resume on Sunday morning.
The championship is decided over seven races by senior teams of five and four-strong junior teams.
Diocesan will defend their senior and junior girl's titles. St Kentigern won the senior boy's championship last year and Auckland Grammar the junior title.
No course records were broken last year. St Kentigern set the senior (20m 42.8s) and junior (22m 10.8s) boys' records in 2004. Diocesan set the senior girls' course record (23m 30.6s) in the same year and their junior team set that record (24m 30.0s) in 2005.
Golf
There was only a shot in it, but it was enough to get MAGS home in the Auckland SS team's championship at Maungakiekie GC on Monday.
Led by a 68 from Zane Blundell, MAGS edged St Kentigern B. With the best three, of four, scores to count, MAGS won the title from their 26 rivals with a score of 214.
Jacob Jujnovich (Avondale College) and Mt Roskill Grammar's Seve Ha fired 67s for the best individual rounds.
Hayley Clinning's 73 was the best girl's round of the day - three shot better than Shannon Bird (Macleans). A countback was needed before Jessica Stone (St Cuthbert's) took stableford honours from Caryn Khoo (Pakuranga College) after both had amassed 40 points.
Orewa College beat old rivals Wentworth to take the North Harbour title by eight shots but Shivarnie and Jordon Kose, both Mahurangi College, took individual honours with 65s.
The winning schools will now play in the NZSS championship in Lower Hutt during winter tournament week.
Netball
Led by talented Marcia Hardcastle, Collegiate One newcomers Pinehurst College sprang the first real upset of the new season with their second round 31-26 win over Kaipara College, in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd, at the Onewa Courts.
After their surprise first-up loss to Mahurangi, Westlake GHS bounced back to winning form in beating Birkenhead 44-20.
Mahurangi ensured a two-from-two start to their season with their 36-23 win over Takapuna GS, while Rangitoto too continued their winning start with a 46-13 romp over Long Bay College.
Orewa College took another step towards erasing memories of a disappointing 2006 with their hard-fought 23-19 win over Kristin in the closest match of the round.
Soccer
National champions Auckland Grammar had to come from a goal down to beat a fired-up Macleans College 7-1 in opening round senior A1 action.
Otis Maddison scored the equaliser and further goals to Jacob Mathews and Arron Bawdekar had AGS 3-1 ahead at halftime.
Macleans again applied early pressure after the break but could not turn that into goals and the home side coasted home with goals from Ian Hogg, Jacob Hall (2) and Chris Pausma.
Westlake BHS too had to recover from an early setback before getting home 3-2 over King's in a thriller.
The home side took the lead in the 25th minute when Dominic Higgins capitalised on some poor defensive play to crash the ball home. The visitors hit back quickly with Sam White equalising.
White provided the build-up and Mike Halliday the finish as WBHS took the lead for the first time in the 50th minute. Centre-forward Chris Groen stretched the lead to 3-1 with 15 minutes to play before King's captain John Niyonsaba got one back five minutes from time.
Defending champions MAGS got their season under way with a 4-0 away win over Avondale, while Rangitoto College also won away, beating St Peter's 4-3 in an absorbing battle.
Table tennis
Mt Roskill Grammar have quickly shown out as the dark horse in the premier A grade with their upset 4-3 win over AGS in opening round action in the winter inter-schools competition.
Singles wins to Donglai Li, Brandon Wallace and Andy Shei laid the foundation for the win, which was completed when Li and Wallace combined to take the crucial doubles.
Avondale College beat MAGS by the same margin in another hard-fought match while it was clear-cut in the other matches with title favourites Macleans College A and St Kentigern scoring 7-0 wins over Macleans B and The Manurewa HS, respectively.
COMING UP
TODAY: Athletics, Auckland SS cross-country zones, Moire Park, Massey, junior girls (3km) 1pm, junior boys (4km) 1.20pm, intermediate girls (4km) 1.50pm, intermediate boys (4km) 2.10pm, senior girls (4km) 2.30pm, senior boys (6km) 2.55pm.
Hockey, Auckland open A boys, Macleans v AGS 2, AGS 6pm, King's v MAGS, MRGS 5.30pm, MRGS v AGS 1, MRGS 7.10pm. North Harbour senior boys (Crown Relocations Stadium unless stated), Orewa v Birkenhead 5pm, WBHS v Northcote 5pm, Massey v Kristin 6pm, Rangitoto v WBHS 2, Rangitoto 6.30pm.
League (home team first), premier 1st XIII, section A, Otahuhu v James Cook, Papakura v Mangere. Section B, St Paul's B v St Paul's A, Avondale v MAGS. College AV & G Fagan Cup, section A, Mangere v Southern Cross, Aorere v Penrose, Tamaki v Manurewa. Section B, Rutherford v Green Bay, Western Springs v Waitakere, Tamaki, Rangitoto v Long Bay. Under-15 9-a-side open Graham Lowe Cup, St Paul's A v Sir Edmund Hillary, Manurewa v Papakura, Hato Petera v St Paul's B.
Soccer, girls, Central Premier East (4pm, home team first), Diocesan v Baradene, EGGS v St Kentigern, Glendowie v Onehunga. North Harbour premier (4pm, home team first), TGS v Long B, Rangitoto v WGHS.
TOMORROW: Hockey, Auckland open A girls, Baradene v Dio 1, AGS 4.30pm, Dio 2 v St Cuths 2, AGS 5.30pm, EGGS v St Cuths 1, St Cuths 4pm, Macleans v King's, Lloyd Elsmore Park 6pm. North Harbour senior girls (Crown Relocations Stadium unless stated), WGHS 1 v WGHS 2 5pm,, Rangitoto 2 v Carmel 5pm, Massey v Kristin 6pm, Rangitoto 1 v Northcote, Rangitoto 6.30pm.
Lacrosse, Auckland SS girls (all 4pm, home team first), division one, AGGS v Diocesan, St Dominics v Avondale, MAGS v Whangaparaoa. Division two, Avondale 2 v EGGS, Western Springs v MAGS 2, WGHS v Pinehurst. Division three, Avondale v St Mary's, Diocesan 2 v MAGS 3, Whangaparaoa v AGGS 2.
FRIDAY: Badminton, premier boys (5pm, all Auckland Badminton Hall), MAGS v St Kents, AGS 1 v Macleans, AGS 2 v Massey 1, Massey 2 v MRGS. Open A (3.30pm), Macleans v St Kents, AGS 1 v St Cuths, AGS 2 v Massey, Baradene v EGGS, Dilworth v King's, Dio v MRGS.
Basketball, premier, boys (7.30pm, home team first), AGS v Rangitoto, Avondale v Northcote, KBHS v Dilworth, MAGS v WBHS. Girls (6pm), EGGS v Rangitoto, AGS, Avondale v Northcote, Avondale, Massey v Manurewa HS, KBHS, AGGS v Rosehill, MAGS.
Squash, premier boys (4pm), AGS v Massey, Eden Epsom SC, Manurewa HS v AGS 2, Remuera SC, MAGS v St Kentigern, MAGS, King's v WBHS, King's. Premier girls (4pm), Howick v St Cuthbert's, Howick SC, Dio v St Cuths 2, St Cuths, EGGS v WGHS, North Shore SC.
SATURDAY: Netball, North Harbour, Collegiate 1 (all North Harbour courts), 9.45am: Rangitoto v Glenfield, Whangaparaoa v Orewa, Kristin v Long Bay, Carmel v Mahurangi. 10.30am: Pinehurst v Birkenhead, Kaipara v TGS, Northcote v WGHS. Rugby, 1st XV 1A (2.30pm, home team first), St Paul's v St Kentigern, KBHS v De La Salle, Tangaroa v Sacred Heart, MAGS v Tamaki, King's v St Peter's, Papatoetoe v AGS. 1st XV 1B pool 1 (noon), Liston v Edgewater, Aorere v Mangere, Southern Cross v Otahuhu, MRGS v Penrose. Pool 2, Macleans v Avondale, Howick v Hillary, Marcellin v Dilworth, Waitakere v Onehunga. North Harbour 1st XV 1A (noon), WBHS v Massey, Rangitoto v Orewa, Rosmini v TGS. 1st XV 1B (noon), Northcote v Kaipara, Glenfield v Kristin, Long Bay v WBHS 2, Mahurangi v Birkenhead.
Soccer, senior (noon, home team first), A1, Avondale v AGS, WBHS v St Peter's, MAGS v King's, Rangitoto v Macleans. A2, Liston v St Kentigern, MRGS v KBHS, Pakuranga v Howick, Massey v Onehunga. A3 (10am), Northcote v Glendowie, Long Bay v Rosmini, Kristin v Sacred Heart, Green Bay v Lynfield.
SUNDAY: Cycling Auckland SS time trial series, Mechanics Bay-St Heliers and return, from 6.45am-8.30am.
MONDAY: Rugby, North Harbour girls (4pm, home team first), Rangitoto v Massey, Orewa v Northcote, WGHS v Long Bay, Kaipara v Mahurangi.
TUESDAY: Athletics, Counties Manukau SS cross-country championships, Wesley, junior girls (3km) 1pm, junior boys (4km) 1.20pm, intermediate girls (4km) 1.50pm, intermediate boys (4km) 2.10pm, senior girls (4km) 2.30pm, senior boys (6km) 2.55pm.
