In the first game of the 2014 rugby season Scots College was hammered 43-0 by Sacred Heart College from Auckland. Scots went onto become joint National Champions while Sacred Heart missed out on the 1A Auckland title for the 50th consecutive year. Winger Connor Garden-Bachop didn’t play the Sacred Heart game, but recalls his reaction to the result. “I was pretty shocked. I even heard the Tongan Thor (Daniel Tupou) gassed TJ Va’a. It was unbelievable.” Scots gradually improved from that setback and in Round 3 of the Wellington competition announced themselves as a title contender. Garden-Bachop reflects on the narrow defeat to St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream. “We lost 28-26 and Peter Umaga-Jensen hit the post with a conversion attempt. Getting so close to the best made me realise we had a really good team that could go places.” In the Premier one final Scots surged to an 18-3 lead. Silverstream rallied to draw level. What was said in the Scots huddle when Silverstream’s Nic Mannix kicked a penalty to tie the scores? “We tried to keep claim. We were telling each other we can do this. We had to be positive and we got a last-minute penalty. It was the best feeling ever winning the final in front of the school.” Scots went onto to draw the National Top Four decider against Hamilton Boys’ High School. Garden-Bachop scored two tries in the final. The second try showcased Garden-Bachop at his opportunistic best. He charged the ball down and was the only one running when he gathered it. “I startled myself. I charged the ball down and knew I hadn’t knocked it on. I thought far out, there is no one chasing me.” Garden-Bachop was called up for a forward pass though. “I run down the sideline and had a three on one. Thomas (Umaga-Jensen) was on my inside and Joe (Boswell) on my outside. The adrenalin was pumping and I passed to Thomas when the easier choice would have been to pass to Joe, but I couldn’t hear him.” The risk and reward approach that Scots played with last year saw them score 116 tries in 21 games. Garden-Bachop crossed for 11 tries in 17 games and later at the Condor Sevens he scored six tries on finals day to earn a place in the tournament team Garden-Bachop says he expects Scots to adopt a similar approach again. “It was fun being given a free licence to attack. It’s allowed the boys to express themselves and let their natural flair come out. I think we will play the same way this year. We have got the Umaga-Jensen twins and Alex Fidow back so I can’t wait to see how things come together.” Garden-Bachop accepts it will be a monumental challenge replicating the feats of 2014, but says by “having fun you never know what could happen.” Garden-Bachop will most likely play fullback, but can cover first-five. The Umaga-Jensen twins can cover multiple positions and locks Henry Mextad and Jarimar Schuster who were both Wellington under-18 reps return. Garden-Bachop is the son of former All Black Stephen Bachop and the late Sue Garden who represented New Zealand in four sports: Rugby, League, touch and basketball with Rachel Umaga Jensen, the mother of the twins. In addition to rugby and sevens, Jackson has played dragon boating, volleyball, handball and athletics at Scots. In Volleyball he was junior-A Captain in Year 10 and plays “on a Friday night with the rugby boys.” “I enjoy volleyball.” Garden-Bachop says, “It’s a dynamic game that tests your fitness and dexterity.” On a Wednesday night Garden-Bachop plays volleyball for the senior-A side. He is an attacking player on the left side. In athletics Garden-Bachop won four events at the Scots College athletics day: triple jump, long jump, shot put and discus. He was a silver medallist in discus at the North Island championships last year. Garden-Bachop explains why he keeps such a busy schedule. “Mum always said to keep busy.” Two Tries in a Top Four Final 1985: Raymond Barchard - St Stephen’s School v Napier BHS 1990: Niki Tuwhangi – Wesley College v Gisborne BHS 1992: Casino Doyle (3 tries) - Auckland GS v Napier BHS 1996: Richard Rasmussen – Kelston BHS v Palmerston North BHS 1997: Sione Kepu/Salesi Moimoi - Wesley College v Palmerston North BHS 1999: Ray Isara - Kelston BHS v Christchurch BHS 2001: Sailosi Tagicakibau/ Tekori Luteru - Wesley College v Rotorua BHS 2004: Sekope Kepu – Wesley College v Christchurch BHS 2010: Milford Keresoma - Mount Albert GS v Hamilton BHS 2012: Dillon Wihongi – St. Kentigern College v Otago BHS 2014: Connor Garden Bachop (Scots College) 2014: Solomone Tukuafu (Hamilton BHS) Georgia Hulls has been going places fast. The Havelock North Girls’ High School Year 11 pupil has just returned from the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Sydney, where she won both the Australian U17 100m and 200m titles. Lowering her own best times of 11.96 for the 100 metres and 24.24 for the 200m - which she set in Wellington the previous weekend at the National Track and Field Championships – Georgia won the Australian 100m title in 11.78 and she won the 200m in Sydney in 24.09. She was also in the New Zealand U18 team last week in Sydney that won the silver medal in the 4 x 100m relay, along with her friend and age-group rival Lucy Sheat from Marlbourough Girls’ College, and Year 13 students, Simone Tafuna'i from Mount Albert Grammar School and Brooke Somerfield from Tauranga Girls’ College . Sheat came second to Georgia in both the 100m and 200m individual events in both the recent Wellington and Sydney meets. Georgia’s success in the two individual events means she’s on her way to Columbia in July to compete for New Zealand at her two chosen sprinting events at the World Youth Athletics Championships, having already qualified for both before the recent Australian trip. “I qualified for the 100m in January at the local track and field meeting here in the Hawke’s Bay called the Potts Classic,” Georgia said. “I also qualified there for the 200m but it was too windy, so I qualified with the right wind in Wellington.” So how did Georgia discover she could run fast? “My grandmother ran for England when she was younger [Jean Hulls, who competed in the pentathlon for Great Britain in the 1950s and 1960s] so I was exposed to athletics from a young age. “I went to the Colgate Games from when I was aged seven to when I was 14, and that was where I learnt to gauge where I was with other people my age. She picked up the winning bug early. “From aged 7-10 you only run in heats, but I won my first proper Colgate Games title in the 100m when I was 10.” Georgia’s father Dean is her coach. “He helps me out a lot as my coach, and we can also bring things home and discuss things together. He is also a hockey coach for Hawke’s Bay hockey.” “I also play hockey, but I have just stopped playing it for Hawke’s Bay and will just play for it for my school this year, so I can have more time to run.” Georgia’s next meeting is the North Island Secondary School Championships in two weeks. “That will be good to keep the legs ticking over. But apart from that it is going to be mainly training through to July.” She has recently stepped up her training. “I used to train about three-four times a week; now we are aiming for a bit more. I don’t go to the gym yet, but we are looking or a personal trainer or a strength and conditioning coach for the winter.” Georgia said that for now she is focussing on the sprints, but long-term she is eyeing up the longer distances on the track. “I think in the future I will move out to the 400m, 800m or the 1500m. I am going to keep doing the sprints until I cannot improve my PB anymore.” Georgia has a Givealittle page to fundraise for Columbia: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/supportgeorgiahulls 12/3/2015 Chris Arbuthnott is aiming for RioChris Arbuthnott was born with an arm that wasn’t formed from the elbow down. The Year 12 swimmer at Palmerston North Boys’ High School hasn’t let his disability hinder him. In fact Arbuthnott was once a keen rugby player, Arbuthnott recalls: “I used to play on the wing. I would often get confused looks when I caught the ball like everybody else” At the age of 12 Arbuthnott decided to take up competitive swimming and was on the podium very quickly when he won five medals at the 2011 Paralympics New Zealand Nationals. From there he was selected into the high performance Paralympic New Zealand team in 2013 and gained international classification at the NSW state championships in Sydney 2014. Arbuthnott competes in the S9 category. This class describes the minimal impairments of eligible swimmers with physical impairment. Eligible impairments would be the loss of a hand or arm or both feet and a significantly limited function of one hip joint. Arbuthnott trains 12 hours a week. He holds the national records for the following events: 50m backstroke, 50/100/200m breaststroke and 50/200m butterfly. In August 2014, Arbuthnott qualified for the Pan Pacific championships in Pasadena and finished a respectable sixth in the 100m breaststroke. Arbuthnott says, “Pasadena was a real learning curve. It was the first time I had competed in a major international race. I was pleased with my result because I was nervous and know I can do a lot better.” Arbuthnott aspires to reach the Rio Olympics in 2016. He may face stiff competition from Jesse Reynolds. The Hamilton Boys’ High School old boy is now based in Auckland and he holds the following national records in the same category: 400/1500m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m, butterfly, 200/400m medley. Arbuthnott says, “I have beaten Jesse before. Our rivalry is a respectful one. He is a few years older than me. We bring out the best in each other.” Arbuthnott says all of New Zealand’s elite swimmers share a special bond because of their shared experiences. Arbuthnott is good friends with Sophie Pascoe and Marry Fisher who are both Paralympics champions. “I really respect Marry and Sophie. They are an inspiration. I am proud to be representing my country. I am grateful for the support that I receive. It’s exciting that we are all doing so well.” 10/3/2015 Mitchell Murray on that 2014 season...In 2014 King’s College appeared to be on course to canter into the Gillette Cup finals. King’s won the Auckland Secondary Schools’ First XI competition and faced promoted St. Peter’s College in the qualifying final for nationals. St. Peter’s was bundled out for a modest 142- a challenge that surprisingly presented King’s with grave difficulty. Mitchell Murray explains what happened. “After a quick start we collapsed. With one wicket left we needed 22 runs to win. My mate Charles Bevan was at the crease and he smashed six fours and we won. He reminds me about it every day.” It was a good thing for Murray that Bevan was able to pull off a Houdini act. At the Gillette Cup Finals in December Murray was the leading run-maker, amassing 310 runs in four innings at the Christchurch staged tournament. On Wednesday all matches were reduced to 37 overs due to rain. King’s faced Wellington Champions, Hutt International Boys’ School (HIBS). HIBS rapidly made up for lost time by posting an imposing score of 241/6. Head Boy in 2015, Troy Johnson belted 125 off 92 balls. His innings featured 14 fours and five sixes. In reply, King’s made a sluggish start. Early wickets tumbled and Murray scratched around initially. “The first 20 runs were really dodgy. I wasn’t timing the ball, I edged a couple and didn’t feel good, and then suddenly things clicked.” Murray obliterated the HIBS attack! He smashed 171 off 112 balls, pummelling 16 fours and seven sixes to guide King’s to victory and shatter the previous record for the highest score in the Gillette Cup finals – 136 by King’s College’s Simon Hickey in 2011. Murray concedes he had no idea he was approaching the record books at the time. “I didn’t have a clue. I was just in the moment. At the end of the game my teammates embraced me and told me that I had made a record score. I was pretty satisfied.” Though King’s got beaten by eventual winners Christchurch Boys’ High School the next day, Murray ended the tournament in grand style. Against Waikato Champions St. Paul’s Collegiate he made 134 not out to win the Player of the Tournament award. Past winners include Black Caps, Brendon McCullum (2000), Tim Southee (2006), and Kane Williamson (2007). Only three players, Williamson (2007), Hickey and Michael Collins (Otago Boys’ High School, 2011) have made two centuries in the same tournament. Murray says his success was extremely satisfying. “I had struggled a bit before the Gillette Cup. My breakthrough innings was when I made 101 against Sacred Heart in 2013. I got a lot of confidence from that, but was still a bit up and down. The Gillette Cup was a great way to end my career at King’s.” Interestingly Hickey and Collins have both played rugby for New Zealand at Under-20 level. Murray’s chosen winter sport is hockey. Murray has been in the Auckland representative system since the age of 10, playing midfield or defence. In 2014 Murray was a member of the King’s First XI that captured the Auckland Secondary Schools’ title. Murray says the Auckland final on home turf against Westlake Boys’ High School was one of his finest experiences at King’s. “We got a hiding in a traditional the week before. We scored right towards the end to make it 5-1. In the final we scored after 17 seconds and dominated from the outset, winning 4-1. There was a big home crowd and they went nuts.” Murray is attempting to combine both sports at present. He has taken the first trimester off university as he juggles his options, but concedes cricket is the more likely pursuit in the future.” “I would love to carry on with both, but I follow the cricket more closely and there seems to be more options with cricket in the future. Already both codes are starting to clash.” In January Murray was a member of the Auckland Under-19 cricket team that won the National championship in Christchurch. He says his favourite cricketers are Alistair Cook, David Warner and AB de Villiers. Murray is a valued wicket. He shares an amusing story about the worst sledge he has received. “In Year 10 I was playing for the Avondale First XI and the short cover fieldsman, who was a Year 13 threatened, to stab me in the carpark. I was going well and he got suspended.” |
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