College sport: Historic rivals gear up for clash

Traditional foes Auckland Grammar and King's College and between 5000 and 8000 one-eyed supporters will be at Mountain Rd on Saturday for a double-header which rates as probably the most fervent rivalry in Auckland school sport.

The Cooper-Greenbank Trophy will be at stake for the 188th time when the first rugby XVs clash.

In 187 previous meetings, AGS have won 119, King's 52 and 16 have been drawn. In one other clash, AGS beat King's in the 2002 championship final which some count as being part of history, others do not.

In recent times both schools have continued their tradition of producing All Blacks. Names like Doug Howlett, Ben Atiga and Jeremy Stanley (from AGS) and Ali Williams, Daniel Braid and Pita Alatini (King's) spring to mind.

That 2.30pm clash on the top field at AGS - not the usual ground for the school's top team, but used to help accommodate the huge spectator turnout - will be preceded down below by the battle between the Kings and AGS first soccer XIs.

It will be a real test for the visitors against the form side of the Auckland competition.

With a four-from-four start to their season, Grammar, led by lock Ben Bacon, have compiled a formidable record. They have yet to have their line crossed in competition matches this winter. The only try they have conceded came in the traditional fixture against New Plymouth Boys High.

"It is a fantastic day," said AGS headmaster John Morris. "We introduced the idea of a soccer curtain-raiser two years ago and that has become a big part of the day."

Last year, at King's, Grammar won 31-10 en route to the title.

Among players to watch on Saturday are Sitaleki Timani and Samisoni (AGS) who are in the Tongan under-18 side, Naipolioni Vonowale (also AGS) from the Fijian under-18s and, for King's, Shane Tasi of the New Zealand under-17s.

Multisport

Friendship went on hold for an hour or so as Rangitoto College classmates Rebecca Spence and Kate Mitchell went head to head in the senior girls race in the Auckland schools duathlon championship at Maraetai Beach.

Spence, No 11 on latest world junior rankings, got home by just under two minutes after making a crucial break on the 20km cycle leg.

In completing the Rangitoto quinella, the pair were more than four minutes clear of Renee Holtom (Howick College). The times recorded by Spence and Mitchell would have placed them in the top 10 in the senior boys field.

Just 1m 17s separated St Kentigern twins William and Andrew Curtayne in the senior boys race, part of their build-up towards the World Junior Triathlon Championships in Japan. Andrew Simpson (Rosehill College) grabbed third.

Controversy surrounded the intermediate girls race when Rangitoto's Kirsten Montgomery was out-gunned by NZ junior cycling representative Emma Peterson (Te Awamutu College). But by not meeting eligibility rules, Peterson had to hand the gold to Montgomery.

The closest finish came in the junior boys race where Gavin Haslip beat Sam Lindsay by just 18s.

Despite being hit by a wave of flu, the championships still attracted 197 individual and 77 two-person teams.

While Rangitoto and St Kentigern College dominated in picking up 10 of the 18 individual medals on offer, there were encouraging efforts from non-traditional multisport schools including Waiheke High, Botany Downs Secondary College and Mt Albert Grammar.

Rugby sevens

Wesley College will long be recognised as the school which gave New Zealand rugby Jonah Lomu. The barnstorming wing went from those early playing days at his Paerata school, including time in their sevens team, to international fame.

Given their 26-7 win over defending Mt Albert Grammar in the final of the national Condor Sevens at Hamilton BHS on Monday, Wesley College will be hoping they might produce another Jonah.

The tournament, first played by schools from the Coronation Shield (northern) region in 1986, has flourished under the stewardship of Ron Bragg, with many of rugby's big names first making their mark in the abbreviated version of the game.

From that first tournament Craig Innes went on to make it to the top in both rugby codes. He was followed in quick succession, as the tournament went national in its third year, by Dallas Seymour, Jeff Wilson and Carlos Spencer, to name a few.

Present national sevens captain Liam Messam and new All Black Sitiveni Sivivatu are more recent additions to the roll of honour.

After regional playoffs, 20 teams gathered in Hamilton for Monday's finals, playing in four groups of five followed by semifinals, a final and a plate final for beaten semifinalists.

Wesley, Mt Albert Grammar, Hastings Boys and Feilding High went through pool play unbeaten, although Feilding were held 12-12 by the hosts in their last game.

Wesley were too strong for Feilding in their semifinal, winning 31-7 (five tries to one) while Mt Albert just edged Hastings 27-22 (five tries to four) in the other.

The final was all Wesley as they ran in four tries to beat last year's winners 26-7. In total there were 236 tries, and 1454 points, scored in the action-packed day's play.

The following players were selected in the tournament team: Carl Anderson (capt), Luke Crombie (Hastings), Mark Selwyn, Josh Davies, Charlie Luteru (Wesley), Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Hamilton), Sam Whitelock, Daniel Smith (Feilding), Michael Wilson (Kurunui), Toby Arnold (Otorohanga), Rocky Khan (MAGS), Julian Savea (Rongotai).

Soccer

A Mt Albert Grammar team who coach Kevin Fallon said "did not go to the races" were beaten for the first time in the A1 competition this season by Westlake Boys in the fourth-round match on Saturday.

A goal in each half - the first scored by Joe Manase after a mix-up in the MAGS defence which almost gifted the home side an own goal and the second from Tom Kelly - maintained Westlake's unbeaten start to the season and took them to the top of the table. "We just did not play," Fallon said. "I'm not taking anything away from Westlake. They got stuck in and deserved it."

Westlake were again led by 15-year-old Year 11 Tom Smith, who continues to impress as both captain and a towering centre-back.

Smith only played after discussions between Westlake coach Gary Moore and Kevin O'Leary, who was in charge of the Soccer 2 team who played Sunday's transtasman clash for the Nike Manchester United Cup.

"In the end it was Tom's decision to play both games," Moore said. "He has done very well for us. He is not only our captain but is still the youngest player in the team."

Westlake face another tester this week when they travel to play Rangitoto College in the battle of the Shore. MAGS have the chance to get their season back on track with a home game against Liston.

* Sports results

BASKETBALL

AUCKLAND

Boys: MAGS 89 Takapuna GS 70, AGS 84 Kelston 61, Westlake 119 Rangitoto 49, Avondale 100 Dilworth 71.

Points: Westlake, Avondale 10, AGS 8, Rangitoto 6, Kelston 4, MAGS 2, Dilworth, Takapuna 0.

Girls: Rangitoto 76 Rosehill 57, Manurewa 92 Northcote 66.

Points: Manurewa 10, Avondale 8, Northcote 6, Rosehill, Rangitoto 4, Penrose 2, Diocesan, Westlake 0.

* * *

MULTISPORT

AUCKLAND DUATHLON
(Maraetai Beach)

Senior (under-19, 5km run/20km cycle/2.35km run). -

Girls: R. Spence (Rangitoto) 69m 17s, 1, K. Mitchell (Rangitoto) 71m 10s, 2, R. Holtom (Howick) 75m 56s, 3.

Boys: W. Curtayne (St Kentigern) 61m 05s, 1, A. Curtayne (St Kentigern) 62m 22s, 2, A. Simpson (Rosehill) 63m 51s, 3.

Intermediate (under-16, 3.5km run/15km cycle/2.5km run). -

Girls: K. Montgomery (Rangitoto) 59m 17s, 1, E. Crum (St Cuthberts) 60m 26s, 2, E. Collins (Baradene) 62m 18s, 3.

Boys: M. Burgess (St Kentigern) 48m 53s, 1, H. Burt (St Kentigern) 51m 00s, 2, B. Aldrich (Westlake) 51m 20s, 3.

Junior (under-14, 2.5km run/10km cycle/2.5km run). -

Girls: K. Sabine (Rangitoto) 44m 34s, 1, M. Blackett (Strathallan) 45m 46s, 2, E. Keown (Auckland Girls) 46m 42s, 3.

Boys: G. Haslip (St Kentigern) 40m 27s, 1, S. Lindsay (Macleans) 40m 45s, 2, S. Wallace (St Kentigern) 41m 19s, 3.

* * *

RUGBY

CONDOR INVITATION SEVENS
(Hamilton BHS)

Pool A: Wesley 29 Otumoetai 0, Gisborne BHS 22 Motueka 14, Rongatai 17 Otumoetai 7, Wesley 42 Motueka 0, Gisborne 31 Rongatai 0, Motueka 12 Otumoetai 5, Wesley 29 Rongatai 19, Gisborne 28 Otumoetai 0, Rongatai 17 Motueka 7, Wesley 31 Gisborne 0.

Pool B: Hastings 27 Kurunui 12, Aranui 12 Massey 5, Kurunui 28 Forest View 12, Hastings 24 Massey 0, Aranui 21 Forest View 17, Massey 31 Kurunui 14, Hastings 26 Forest View 7, Kurunui 17 Aranui 5, Massey 22 Forest View 12, Hastings 29 Aranui 0.

Pool C: Otorohanga 33 Hamilton BHS B 0, Mt Albert Grammar 12 Whangarei 10, Western Heights 21 Otorohanga 5, MAGS 28 Hamilton B 10, Whangarei 10 Western Heights 0, MAGS 14 Otorohanga 7, Hamilton B 38 Western Heights 5, Whangarei 17 Otorohanga 14, MAGS 12 Western Heights 0, Hamilton B 21 Whangarei 19.

Pool D: Otaki 14 Hamilton BHS A 5, Feilding 26 Kelston 0, Kamo 24 Otaki 7, Hamilton A 28 Kelston 5, Feilding 31 Kamo 7, Kelston 29 Otaki 7, Kamo 26 Hamilton A 22, Fielding 26 Otaki 0, Kamo 31 Kelston 7, Hamilton A 12 Feilding 12.

Condor Cup (pool winners) semifinals: Wesley 31 Feilding 7, MAGS 27 Hastings 22.

Final: Wesley 26 MAGS 7.

Bragg-Wahlstrom Cup (pool runners-up) semifinals: Kamo 12 Gisborne 0, Kurunui 27 Hamilton B 19.

Final: Kamo 55 Kurunui 7.

* * *

SOCCER

AUCKLAND

Senior A1: Westlake BHS 2 Mt Albert Grammar 0, Kings College 6 Kelston BHS 1, St Peters College 0 Rangitoto College 3, Liston College 0 Auckland Grammar 3.

Points: Macleans, Avondale 9, Mt Roskill, St Kentigern 7, Howick, Sacred Heart 4, Onehunga 3, Long Bay 0.

Senior A3: Kristin 2 Rosmini 1, Lynfield 4 Pakuranga 2, Takapuna 5 Selwyn 1.

Points: Kristin 12, Pakuranga 7, Lynfield 6, Rosmini 5, Takapuna 4, Glendowie, Selwyn 1, Northcote 0.

This week. -

Today: League, (all 4pm, home team first), premier, James Cook v St Pauls, Tangaroa v Avondale, MAGS v Kelston. College A, Manurewa v Waitakere, Mangere v Western Springs, Aorere v Southern Cross.

Hockey, boys (all 6pm), King's v St Kentigern, Lloyd Elsmore Park 6pm; Macleans v Avondale, Avondale; Mt Roskill v AGS 1, AGS 7.10pm; AGS 2 v MAGS, AGS 6pm.

Tomorrow: Hockey, girls, Diocesan 1 v Diocesan 2, AGS 4.30pm; EGGS v St Cuthberts, St Cuthberts 4pm; Kings v St Cuthberts 2, Lloyd Elsmore Park 6pm; Pakuranga v Macleans, Lloyd Elsmore Park 4pm.

Friday: Basketball, girls (all 6pm), Diocesan v Westlake, Diocesan; Penrose v Manurewa, Dilworth; Rangitoto v Avondale, Rangitoto; Northcote v Rosehill, Takapuna Grammar. Boys (all 7.30pm, home team first), AGS v Westlake, Dilworth v MAGS, Rangitoto v Avondale, Takapuna v Kelston.

Saturday: Netball (all 10.30am, all Windmill Rd), AGGS v St Cuthberts, Diocesan v St Kentigern, EGGS v Baradene, MAGS v Howick, Pakuranga v Kings, St Marys v Macleans.

Rugby (all 2.30pm, home team first), AGS v Kings, Macleans v Otahuhu, St Pauls v Kelston, De La Salle v Sacred Heart, MAGS v Tangaroa, Tamaki v St Peters.

Soccer (all noon, home team first), Rangitoto v Westlake, MAGS v Liston, AGS v King's, Kelston v St Peters.