HOCKEY Secondary Schools' Tournament

Press, Volume C, Issue 29599, 23 August 1961, Page 22

HOCKEY Secondary Schools' Tournament

At the end of the second day'» play in the secondary schoolboys’ hockey tournament, Christchurch Boys’ High School and Christchurch West High School seem assured of places in the semi-finals. In section 1, Linwood High School leads, but needs a win or a draw in the morning to Qualify. In section 3, two unbeaten teams, Auckland Grammar and Taumarunui High School' will meet, with the odds favouring Auckland. The day’s play again exemplified the low standard of the game in secondary schools, most teams showing little conception of the rudiments of control in their trapping and passing. It was obvious that the very few teams that showed control were severely penalised by the left-side barge and stick interference adopted by opponents. Some umpires were wisely countering this illegal play by penalising the offenders with penalty corners when such breaches occurred inside the twentyfive.

Two teams, Christchurch West High School, and Christchurch Boys’ High School, stood out as examples that hockey is a game of skill. In the morning Christchurch Boys’ High School convincingly defeated Mount Albert Grammar by 4 goals to 0, and in the afternoon Christchurch West High School gave St. Kentigern's College a lesson in controlled hockey, winning by 10 goals to 1.

In the morning Auckland Grammar overpowered Papanui High School by 7 goals to 1. Papanui had little answer to the quick-moving Auckland forwards. Auckland Grammar could well win this tournament. Its team moves-with aetermina-

tion, and only a team with a well-organised defence can hope to counter such bustling tactics. The semi-finals this afternoon at Riccarton High School and the final tomorrow could well show some of the most interesting hockey of the year. Irrespective of the result, this tournament has exemplified yet once again that the so-called nursery of New Zealand hockey is deficient in coaches and players to ensure that hockey standards will show the much*needed improvement in technique necessary for this country to have any chance of challenging the supremacy of India and Pakistan in future Olympic Games. • Results:— Section I.—Tauranga College 3, King’s College 2; Linwood High Schoo! 5, Shirley Etoys' High School 2; Rangiora High School 3, Rongotai College 0: Shirley Boys' High School 5, Rangiora High School 2; King’s College 5. Rongotai College 4; Linwood High School 3. Tauranga College 0. Section ll.—Christchurch Boys’ High School 4. Mount Albert Grammar 0; Christ’s College 4. Wellington Technical College 0; Riccarton High School 6. Stratford Technical High School 10; Wellington Technical College 4. Stratford Technical-High School 0; Mount Albert Grammar 2. Christ’s College 1: Christchurch Boys’ High Schoo! 9. Riccarton High School 0. Section lll.—Taumarunui High School s, Cashmere 1:, Gore High School 3, Avondale College 2; Auckland Grammar 7, Papanui High School 1; Auckland Grammar 10. Avondale College 1; Cashmere High School 2. Gore High School 0; Taumarunui High Schol 4. Papanui High School 0. Section IV. Christchurch West High School 3, Papakura High School 0; King’s High School 2. Napier Boys’ High School 1; St. Kentigern’s College 11, Christchurch Technical College 0; Papakura High School 3. Napier Boys’ High School 3; King’s High School 4, Christchurch Technical College 0; Christchurch West High School 10, St. Kentigern’s College