College sport: Long wait over for comeback King's

For the first time since they shared the title in 1969, King's College are the Auckland rugby champions after an amazing come-from-behind win over Kelston Boys in Saturday's Eden Park final.

King's, who last won the championship outright in 1959, have emerged as top dogs in one of the most keenly-fought battles in Auckland sport.

King's shared the title with Mt Albert Grammar and St Pauls in 1969, a year after they had shared it with Auckland Grammar.

Down 28-9 with 20 minutes to play, King's, led by the inspirational captain and tighthead prop Turoia Kuka, rallied to win 33-28.

"At halftime we said to the boys they could still win," said Jim Dickin, who co-coaches the side with Mark Kennelly.

The turning point came when Kelston, on attack, dropped the ball. Randall Kamea swooped, ran the length of the field and scored. Dean Cummins added the conversion and King's were on their way.

Callum Cook dotted down for two tries which were both converted and King's hit the front at 30-28. A late long-range Cummins penalty stretched the lead to five points.

King's old boy and All Black Ali Williams was at the game and joined the dressing room celebrations to present his Auckland training kit to man of the match Cummins, who scored 18 points.

This afternoon King's play Westlake Boys High for the right to represent the Blues franchise area in the national top four championship in Palmerston North.

Basketball

Breaching the new-to-school rule has cost Avondale College their place in Friday's semifinals of the premier boys championship. Losing points for the seven matches in which they played an ineligible player left Avondale out of the top four.

Westlake BHS meet Rangitoto College in one semifinal. Auckland Grammar play Kelston BHS in the second semifinal.

In premier girls play, Manurewa HS warmed up for their semifinal clash with Rosehill College by beating them 66-50 in their final round-robin game.

In the other semifinal, Avondale College will play premier newcomers Northcote College.

Hockey

Westlake BHS needed a penalty shootout to win through to tonight's intercity final. Locked 1-1 with Auckland Grammar in their semifinal, Westlake eventually got home 4-2 on strokes.

They will meet King's at the Crown Relocations Stadium in the final after they beat the young Massey High side 7-0 in the other semifinal.

St Cuthberts also needed to win a shootout to book their place in the girls' final.

After trailing 0-1 until the last minute, Kristin snatched a late equaliser, then lost 3-2 on strokes.

In the other semifinal, the previously unbeaten Diocesan were upset 2-1 by Westlake GHS, who will meet St Cuthberts in the final.

Lawn bowls

A superb last-bowl toucher from Larissa Mulder snatched a dramatic victory for Rangitoto College over Rosmini College in the final of the North Harbour inter-school championship at Browns Bay.

Playing the final end, and after North Harbour collegiate bowler of the year Michael Parry-Crooke had played a toucher to give Rosmini a two-shot advantage, Mulder replied in like manner. Her toucher gave Rangitoto their 10-7 win and subsequent victory on a countback after Rosmini had won the earlier pairs match.

In the countback, with a win to each school, Rangitoto got home by one shot.

Multisport

The exploding interest in multisport is reflected in the 200-plus individuals and two- and three-person teams scheduled to compete in tomorrow's Auckland Secondary Schools Championships at Farm Cove.

The start list is almost three times longer than last year's event.

Netball

Auckland Girls Grammar completed their 11-match premier season unbeaten after heading nearest rivals Mt Albert Grammar 31-20 in the last match of the round.

Katrina Grant was the standout player in the AGGS team. She returned from Florida, where she was a member of the team who won the World Youth Championship, to join her team-mates in victory.

In the senior A grade, Onehunga High took the honours with nine wins in their 11 games to pip AGGS. The top 11 premier sides will play in next week's Upper North Island Championships in Mt Maunganui.

Rugby

North HarbourGiven the results of their earlier encounters, the senior A final between Westlake and Massey was always going to be close.

In round-robin matches each team won once, with scorelines of 8-6 and 11-10.

Westlake eventually won 10-5 after both sides were locked 5-5 at halftime.

Played at Windsor Park, the final was dominated by strong defensive efforts by both teams, with Adrian Smith and Faavaefou Tuivaiti showing out in the forwards for Massey and Gershom Pulu and Tyler Dill-Russell in Westlake's midfield.

Massey took first blood with a Tim Tulia try. Westlake hit back with a splendid Brock Mustard try.

Led by the lineout skills of captain Chris Smith, Westlake broke the deadlock when Jordan Hyland went over. His try, like those before, was unconverted.GirlsA late try from Papakura's Karley Te Kawa secured a 12-10 win for her school over Onehunga High in the championship final at Unitec on Monday.

Destiny Te Wao (Papakura) and Jasmine Wagner (Onehunga) were named the most valuable players.

Soccer

While their rugby team were victorious at Eden Park, it was not quite the same for the King's College first soccer XI, who were humbled by a rampant Mt Albert Grammar.

In scoring an 8-0 win after leading 3-0 at the break, the Kevin Fallon-coached MAGS side, with a game in hand, claimed their fifth A1 Championship in nine years.

"It was our biggest win of the season. We walloped them," said Fallon.

"The pitch was superb and we were able to play the type of football we like."

Damien Fonoti gave Mt Albert a 2-0 lead which Geoff Strickland improved to 3-0 before halftime. Strickland scored a further four in the second spell for 7-0 before captain Joe Simpkins added the eighth.

The victory was some compensation for Fallon and his players after being eliminated in the semifinals of the Knockout Cup by Westlake Boys earlier in the week. Westlake will play Auckland Grammar in the Cup final on September 14 at North Harbour Stadium.

In a key game this Saturday, MAGS meet old rivals AGS. At stake is the Alex Harvey Challenge Trophy which is held by AGS, who will also have home advantage.

The tragic match between Avondale College and Macleans College, in which Avondale's head boy Nathan Woolley collapsed, is to be replayed on September 6. Avondale will, however, be back in action this afternoon when they play Onehunga HS.

Next week they will play in the Rex Dawkins Cup tournament at Auckland's Waikaraka Park.GirlsEpsom Girls Grammar celebrated a double victory on finals day with wins in the senior and junior championships.

A goal against the run of play from Francesca Rowley gave EGGS their 1-0 halftime lead over St Cuthberts in the junior final.

A more dominant performance in the second spell, and a goal from Lucille Mathews, ensured their 2-0 win. Goalkeeper Chelsea Cossar was named the most valuable player.

The premier final between EGGS and old rivals Avondale College was an even tighter affair. Epsom's Mel Drumm and Annalie Longo were denied by the woodwork while EGGS goalkeeper Maddy Cook pulled off a brave save to keep out a shot from Avondale's most valuable player, Betsy Hassett.

The title was eventually decided in a penalty shootout, leaving EGGS 5-4 winners.

RESULTS

BASKETBALL

PREMIER

Boys: Auckland Grammar 77 Rangitoto 61, Westlake Boys 103 Avondale 65, Kelston Boys 112 Mt Albert 76.

Girls: Rangitoto 77 Diocesan 23, Northcote 43 Penrose 19, Manurewa 66 Rosehill 50.

* * *

HOCKEY

INTERCITY

Boys semifinals: Kings 7 Massey HS 0, Westlake 1 Auckland Grammar 1 (Westlake won 4-2 on strokes).

Girls semifinals: St Cuthberts 1 Kristin 1 (St Cuthberts won 3-2 on strokes), Westlake Girls 2 Diocesan 1.

* * *

LAWN BOWLS

NORTH HARBOUR

(Browns Bay BC)

Final: Rangitoto 1 win 16 shots bt Rosmini 1 win 15 shots. L. Mulder/J. Knight (Rangitoto) bt M. Parry-Crooke/D. Wilson (Rosmini) 10-7; A. Buckner/A. Metcalf (Rosmini) bt E. von Vey/N. Walker (Rangitoto) 8-6.

* * *

NETBALL

PREMIER

Final round: St Cuthberts 28 Howick 27, Diocesan 23 Pakuranga 21, St Kentigern 31 Kings 15, Baradene 35 Macleans 28, Epsom Girls 30 St Marys 21, Aucklanmd Girls Grammar 31 Mt Albert Grammar 20.

Final standings: Auckland Girls Grammar 1, Mt Albert Grammar 2, Pakuranga 3, St Cuthberts 4, Howick 5, Epsom Girls 6, St Marys 7, Diocesan 8, Baradene 9, Macleans 10, St Kentigern 11, Kings 12.

Senior A, final standings: Onehunga 1, Auckland Girls 2, Onehunga 3, St Cuthberts 4, Marist 5, Mt Roskill 6, Baradene 7, Diocesan 8, Marcellin 9, St Marys 10, Mt Roskill 11, Otahuhu 12.

* * *

RUGBY

AUCKLAND

1A final: Kings College 33 Kelston BHS 28.

1B final: St Kentigern 26 Onehunga HS 11 (after extra time - scores level 11-11 at fulltime).

NORTH HARBOUR

Final: Westlake BHS 10 Massey HS 5.

Plate: Massey HS.

Bowl: Mahurangi College.

2nd XV: Rosmini, runner-up Rangitoto.

3rd XV: Rosmini, runner-up WBHS.

Chiefs franchise play-off: Wesley College 23 Hamilton BHS 20.

Hurricanes franchise play-off: Palmerston BHS 13 Wellington College 11.

* * *

SOCCER

A1

St Peters 1 Westlake Boys 3, Kelston Boys 1 Auckland Grammar 3, Mt Albert Grammar 8 Kings 0, Rangitoto 1 Liston 2.

A2

Howick 3 St Kentigern 5, Long Bay 0 Onehunga 2, Avondale v Macleans abandoned, Mt Roskill Grammar 1 Sacred Heart 0.

A3

Takapuna Grammar 0 Kristin 4, Pakuranga 0 Glendowie 1, Rosmini 1 Lynfield 0, Selwyn lost to Northcote by def.

GIRLS

Premier final: Epsom Girls 0 Avondale 0 (Epsom won 5-4 on pens).

Junior, Epsom Girls 2 (F. Rowley, L. Mathews) St Cuthberts 0.

* * *

TABLE TENNIS

A GRADE

Auckland Grammar A 7 Rutherford 0, Macleans A 7 Auckland Grammar B 0, AGS C 5 St Kentigern B 2, St Kentigern A 7 Macleans B 0.

COMING UP

TODAY: Hockey, intercity boys final, WBHS v Kings, Crown Relocations Stadium 6pm.

Rugby, WBHS v Kings, Westlake 2.30pm.

Soccer, A2, Avondale College v Onehunga HS, Avondale 2.30pm.

TOMORROW: Multisport, Auckland SS championships, Farm Cove, junior (under-15), senior (under-19) from 11am.

Hockey, intercity girls final, WGHS v St Cuthberts, Crown Relocations Stadium 6pm.

FRIDAY: Basketball premier semifinals, boys (at Auckland YMCA, 6pm/7.30pm), WBHS v Rangitoto, AGS v KBHS. Girls (at ASB Stadium, Kohimaramara, 6pm/7.30pm), Manurewa v Rosehill, Avondale v Northcote.

SATURDAY: Rugby finals (except 1A, 1B) day, Sacred Heart College from 9am.

Soccer (all noon, home team first), A1, AGS v MAGS, Liston v St Peters, WBHS v KBHS. A2, Sacred Heart v Howick, Macleans v MRGS, St Kentigern v Long Bay. A3, Glendowie v Rosmini, Northcote v TGS, Lynfield v Selwyn, Kristin v Pakuranga.

SUNDAY: Cycling, finals day, Bigwood Trophy (senior boys), Kingsford Cup (senior girls), Merv Harland Shield (junior girls), Auckland Junior Boys Cup (junior boys), Betty Partridge Cup (unrestricted teams), Auckland Waterfront (Mechanics Bay-St Heliers) from 7.15am.

NEXT WEEK

Secondary Schools tournament week. -

BASKETBALL: Premier girls/boys, zone one Waitakere, zone two Counties. Junior premier, Waitakere, Taupo.

HOCKEY: Boys, Rankin Cup, Palmerston North; India Shield, Dunedin; Johnson Cup, Hamilton; Mayhill Cup, Timaru; Coaches Cup, North Harbour; Founders Cup, Ashburton; Olympic Stick, Tauranga; Woolaston Trophy, Carterton Cup. Girls, Federation Cup, Whangarei; Marie Fry Trophy, Christchurch; Audrey Timlin Memorial, Auckland; Chica Gilmer Trophy, Oamaru; Eveline Hankers Memorial, Taupo; Jenny Hair Cup, Napier; Jenny McDonald Cup, Nelson; Kate Trolove Cup, Levin; Mary Clinton Cup, Cromwell. Mixed, Stratford.

NETBALL: North Island SS championships, Mt Maunganui.

RUGBY: Top four tournament, Palmerston North.

SOCCER: Boys, Lotto Sports Premier, Napier; Jim Wishart Cup, Christchurch; Rex Dawkins Cup, Auckland (Waikaraka Park); Linwood Cup, Wairarapa; Trident Trophy, Levin. Girls, premier, Napier.