Marist Tournament Starts Today

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31143, 20 August 1966, Page 23

Marist Tournament Starts Today

The tenth annual Marist Brothers’ colleges’ Rugby tournament, between St Paul’s (Auckland). St Bernard’s (Lower Hutt), Sacred Heart (Auckland) and Xavier College, will be played at Gamblins road on Saturday and Monday.

The favourite to win the (tournament for the second consecutive year is Sacred Heart College. The success of this team has revolved to a great extent around five key players, four of whom have been selected to tour New South Wales and Queensland as members of the Auckland Secondary Schools representative team. P. Cotterall became the second successive S.H.C. player to captain the representative side, following in the steps of P. Cooney in 1965. Others in the touring side are B. Gilheely (full-back), K. Coleman (hooker), and P. McCabe, a number 8 forward who should find conditions in Australia ideal for his type of play which is very like that of another former S.H.C. player, G. Davis. The fifth member, the halfback, P. Withy, was unable to accept nomination, having had to leave earlier than expected for America on a Field Scholarship. Although somewhat Weakened by the loss of these players, the Sacred Heart team, winner of the Auckland championship last year and runner-up in 1966, will be all out to uphold its proud record.

Strongest opposition should be Saint Bernard’s, and these two fine teams meet in the opening match. With two good College wins in the Wellington under 19 grade, and narrow losses to the leaders. Onslow College and Hutt Valley High School, Saint Bernard’s will be doing its best to reach the final. Like Sacred Heart, its team has been weakened by the loss of a key player, J. Gollatly, who was chosen last year as first five-eighths for the Centurions Colts team and would have occupied that position again had he not been injured. Nevertheless, the team remains strong, especially in forwards where the team is ably lead by B. Munro, now in his fourth year as a member of the first XV. The lock forward, R. O’Reilly, has been selected for the Centurions Colts team. The teams for the main game on the first day are Saint Paul’s and Xavier. The Auckland team is well balanced with solid, hard-working forwards to pave the way for attacking, play through the back-line, most of whom come from the Pacific Islands. Players most likely to gain

attention will be the prop, G, Thorpe, who captains the side, the loose forwards, S. Anich and P. Ockleford. and the mid-field backs. J. Cheng and M. Paniani. The Xavier team is very light but will rely on its forwards, led by the captain, W. Brown, P. Doody and B. O’Byrne, to get to the loose ball and disrupt any dangerous moves from the oppositino, while giving as many opportunities to the fast threequarters, P. Anticich, S. Preston and P. McGlinchey. On the Monday, the losers play off in the first match, with the final between the winners.