WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 THE DOMINION POST dompost.co.nz B11

with Liam Hyslop email: [email protected] COLLEGE SPORT (04) 474-0279 Scots miss second straight national title

RUGBY

SCOTS COLLEGE’S quest for a THE FINAL second successive national Rotorua Boys’ High School 36 secondary schools rugby title (James Tofa 2, Issac Te Aute 2, failed at the final hurdle. Ra Whata, Kaydis Hona tries; They lost 36-27 to Rotorua Boys’ Kaleb Trask 3 con, pen) Scots High School in the final on College 27 (Alex Fidow 2, Jack Sunday, the home team finishing Gray Peter Umaga-Jensen tries; strongly in front of their fans de- Malo Manuao pen, 2 con). HT: spite ending the game with just 13 19-7. men. Rotorua were leading 29-27 in the final 10 minutes when they had two brain explosions. Second-five Waisea Nuimata- AT A GLANCE iwalu was sent off for a careless Wellington players selected for and dangerous tip tackle, before New Zealand Secondary halfback Ra Whata was yellow Schools training squad: Alex carded for punching with just Fidow, Peter Umaga-Jensen, minutes on the clock. Thomas Umaga-Jensen (Scots); However, after a series of Asafa Aumua, Josh Brown, Losi breakdown turnovers, Rotorua No Filipo (St Pat’s Silverstream); 8 Kaydis Hona bashed over to Kemara Hauiti-Parapara score the winning try – and was (Wellington College); Xavia Numia promptly swamped by pitch- (St Pat’s Town); Ben Power invading Rotorua fans. (HIBS). Rotorua first five-eighth Kaleb Trask kicked the conversion as the final hooter sounded, sparking a Saker will be back next year, as second pitch invasion. will Jack Loader. It could have been very differ- ‘‘We’ll have a number of ent for Scots, having gone up 22-19 players coming back which will early in the second half, after give us a bit of a headstart and trailing 19-12 at halftime. we’ll have more players coming But they were unable to mount through in the younger ranks, but a second comeback late in the we’ll look at that when we get game. there.’’ Inspirational vice-captain Alex Meanwhile, nine players from Fidow scored two tries in his final Wellington schools have made the game for Scots, taking his career 53-man New Zealand Secondary tally to 49 tries in 60 games. Schools rugby wider training The Umaga-Jensen twins, Peter group, including Fidow and the and Thomas, have scored 58 tries Umaga-Jensens. between them in the past two The other six are: Asafa seasons, but only Peter could get Aumua, Josh Brown, Losi Filipo across the line on Sunday – a Scots College’s Henry Mexted can’t hide his disappointment as Rotorua Boys’ High School’s James Tofa crosses in the corner. Photo: GETTY IMAGES (St Pat’s Silverstream); Kemara 90-metre runaway which gave his Hauiti-Parapara (Wellington Col- side that early second-half lead. everyone on their toes, he said. good game.’’ a neutral ground. after winning the national title, ‘‘It’s always nice to become the lege); Xavia Numia (St Pat’s Scots coach Filo Tiatia said he ‘‘To use a boxing analogy, it Tiatia said he felt the final ‘‘Fair credit to them though, Tiatia said. ‘‘It was quite a differ- national champions, second place Town); Ben Power (HIBS). was immensely proud of the way was well-weighted and punch-for- should have been played on a neu- taking nothing away from them, ent group this year, with the ex- is not a bad place but we had a Surprisingly, none of Scots’ his team had played in the final. punch, it was just one of those tral ground, but it wasn’t the they won, they deserve it and ception of the Umaga-Jensen focus on winning a few trophies conquerors from Rotorua made ‘‘They fought back and made games that kept everyone on the reason they lost. they’re national champions.’’ twins, Alex Fidow, Henry Mexted and we managed to do that, so it the squad. decisions on how they wanted to edge of their seat, coaches in- ‘‘It’s always going to be a strong Tiatia said all the year 13s were and some of the year 13 boys it was was a pleasing season.’’ Also, the St Pat’s Silverstream control the game – unfortunately cluded. home crowd when you’re playing expected to leave the team, includ- a totally different group. The team would retain a num- under-15 team took out the junior we just couldn’t get quite get over ‘‘Playing in Rotorua was at Rotorua Boys’ High. ing Fidow, the Umaga-Jensens, ‘‘We tried to grow a lot of young ber of exciting talents for next Hurricanes tournament last week, the line. always going to be a difficult task ‘‘Maybe that’s something that hooker Nu’u Haueia and locks men, to get a bit of a taste of first season, he said. beating Manukura 54-7 in the fi- ‘‘We were pretty disappointed, but the boys prepared well. the school council and secondary Jarimar Schuster and Henry XV rugby in year 10 and 11. ‘‘Connor Garden-Bachop nal. we prepared well to win it, but it ‘‘They [Rotorua] had some schools rugby need to look at mov- Mexted. ‘‘We were very happy about missed the top-four with concus- Rongotai College finished just didn’t work out that way.’’ dangerous attacking players that ing forward, when you’re playing But the team faced a similar up- how we developed and how we sion, Malo Manuao had an excep- fourth, having lost to Manukura in The dramatic final had kept we tried to contain and it was a a team in the top four and it’s not heaval at the end of last season grew. tional season this year and Harry the semifinal. Jenkins plunges himself Wellington schools achieve mixed results WINTER TOURNAMENTS satellite tournament, while Kapiti Paraparaumu College came College finished third at the Rex third in the third-tier Founders into the record books WELLINGTON COLLEGE might Dawkins. Cup. have missed out on Wellington At the girls’ national tourna- In the girls’ national compe- football honours, but they finished ment in Taupo, Hutt Valley High tition, Wairarapa came 10th in the TIM BARTON the best of the teams from the cap- School were unable to follow up Federation Cup, while Masterton- ital at nationals. their fourth-place finish from last based St Matthew’s Collegiate won ANTON JENKINS achieved his The team were a creditable fifth year, as they managed just one the second-tier Mary Fry Trophy. target for the season in style. at the national secondary schools win, two draws and four losses in Queen Margaret College won The Rongotai College diver had premier tournament in Nelson last coming 16th. Wellington Girls’ Col- the third-tier Audrey Timlin Mem- set himself a goal of topping 500 week. They finished top of their lege were the best of the Welling- orial Cup in Invercargill. points in the 3m springboard and pool after a 1-1 draw with Hamil- ton teams in 12th, while Welling- Wellington East finished third did that and more at the national ton Boys’ High School, a 4-1 win ton East finished 20th. at the third-tier Chica Gilmer, nar- diving championships in Auck- over Napier Boys’ High School and Three schools from the Welling- rowly missing qualification for the land. a 3-0 win over Mt Albert Gram- ton hockey competition were in Federation Cup by one place. Jenkins also set a national re- mar. the top 10 at the Rankin Cup in Tawa College won the fourth- cord when recording 536.45 points. In their quarterfinal, they went Hutt International Boys’ School, in red, Auckland. tier Mary Clinton Cup, St Oran’s The year 11 student broke the down 1-0 to Auckland’s Macleans were unfortunate to be drawn against Wellington College and were second at the fourth-tier Kate 16-18 year record previously held College, before beating Westlake eventual finalists, Nelson College, in Wairarapa College both lost in the Trolove Cup, while St Mary’s were by Commonwealth Games rep- Boys’ and Auckland Grammar to blue, and Sacred Heart, in their pool. quarterfinals to Westlake Boys’ first and Wainuiomata High’s girls resentative Liam Stone. secure their top-five finish. and St Andrew’s respectively. were third at the fourth-tier Rose- Stone, who won the 3m open Wellington champions Hutt In- with Nelson coming out on top. They then met in the seventh mary O’Brien Cup. title at the nationals, recorded ternational Boys’ School were un- Wins against Tauranga Boys’ and eighth playoff, with In underwater hockey, Welling- 527.55 points at the 2014 World lucky to finish 11th after being (4-1) and Palmerston North Boys’ Wairarapa prevailing 2-1. ton College narrowly missed a Junior championships. drawn in the group of death. (2-1) helped them recover to finish Scots College recovered from a national title, losing the senior ‘‘I hadn’t even been thinking They finished third in pool in the top 12. 3-0 loss to Wellington College in boys’ final to Mahurangi. about the record, because it was play, having lost to Nelson College Hutt Valley High School fin- pool play to finish in ninth. Wellington Girls’ finished best quite a high score,’’ Jenkins said. (2-0) and Auckland’s Sacred Heart ished 19th, Scots College came 26th HIBS had a torrid time, losing of the Wellington schools at senior ‘‘When the results came out, (6-0) – both of those teams would and Rongotai College were 31st. 6-1 to Wairarapa in pool play on girls’ nationals in fifth, while HIBS everyone was quite shocked. later go on to contest the final, St Pat’s Town won the Trident their way to a 30th-place finish. won the junior boys title. ‘‘My aim for the competition had been to top 500 and that had been my goal all year.’’ Jenkins, who also finished Basketball and netball teams roll on to nationals third in the open 3m, rated his performances at the nationals as WELLINGTON GIRLS’ COLLEGE including a 79-71 win over Napier Wellington will be represented ment, while Scots College were the best of his career. and St Mary’s College will be com- Girls’ High School in the final, by Wellington College (sixth at 11th and St Pat’s Town 12th. ‘‘I was really happy with the peting at both the netball and bas- while they finished fourth at the zone three tournament) and The Rongotai College junior way I dived.’’ ketball nationals. netball. Onslow College (third) at the boys’ team provided the shining light He was also awarded the Ben- St Mary’s won the lower North Wellington East will also be at national basketball tournament. for Wellington at the boys’ zone son Cup for the best male age Rongotai College’s Anton Jenkins competes at the New Zealand diving Island netball championship last the netball nationals thanks to Wellington regional basketball three basketball competition, go- group diver at the championships. championships in Auckland. week in Palmerston North, beat- their second at the lower North finalists Newlands College ing undefeated through their six Jenkins, 15, has little oppo- ing Wellington East Girls’ College Island tournament and Hutt Val- suffered a disappointing run at the games at the under-15 tournament, sition in his age group in New Zea- the 14-15 age group, and recorded Goh also broke a New Zealand 29-27 in the final, and claimed the ley High School’s girls team will zone three tournament, finishing including a 69-63 win over Palmer- land but has proved himself inter- two top 10 placings at last year’s record in Auckland, in partner- final nationals qualification spot attend the basketball nationals last of the 16 teams after a loss to ston North Boys’ High in the final. nationally and claimed two bronze world junior championships. ship with Auckland diver Lizzie when they came fifth at the zone after coming fourth at the zone Tawa College in their final match. It capped an impressive season medals, in the 16-18 age group, at He has qualified for the open Cui, in the 3m synchronised. three (lower North Island) basket- three tournament. Tawa were beaten finalists in for the Wellington champions, the Australian elite junior cham- events at the Oceania champion- In the longer term, Goh and ball tournament, also in Palmer- However, Hutt Valley High the second division of Wellington’s who lost just one game all year, a pionships in July. ships, in Melbourne in December, Jenkins will be aiming to compete ston North. School’s boys team will not be regional competition this year. 67-62 loss to Wellington College He was a gold medallist at the as has St Catherine’s diver Yu at the 2016 junior world champion- Wellington Girls’ went unde- joining them after they could man- St Pat’s Silverstream were during the round robin stage of elite championships last year, in Qian Goh. ships. feated in the zone three basketball, age only a seventh last week. eighth at the zone three tourna- the local competition.

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