College has rugby form

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 31

College has rugby form

* The Christ’s College first , XV is striding out in front after 10 of the scheduled 15 ’ rounds in the sixth grade rugby competition. The College team, which held no great hopes of glory at the start of the season, has thus far fashioned a perfect record in the competition, including three wins from its three games to date in the schools’ first XV championship. Highlights for the team have been victories over the strong club sides, Linwood (16-14) and Suburbs (19-6), along with a 9-7 win over the traditionally powerful. St Bede’s College. As well, Christ’s enjoyed success on its North Island tour earlier In the season, beating King’s College, 10-3, in Auckland, afed Rathkeale at Masterton.

The Christ’s College coach, Mr Neville Tout, points to fine team spirit and co-opera-tion, rather than individual stars, as crucial to the side’s success.

“If anyone had suggested to me at the start of the season that we’d beat King’s College and Rathkeale and be unbeaten in the sixth grade at this stage, I’d have laughed at them,” Mr Tout said this week.

“But solid teamwork has brought results and now we’re looking forward to next Tuesday’s match against (Christchurch) Boys’ High School.”

Mr Tout Is aware that Boys’ High presents a tough challenge, and that there is always an extra edge to this traditional fixture.

Boys’ High has of its first XV championship

games this season (of the five it has played so far) but by narrow margins. The side has a hefty win, 42-3, over Timaru Boys’ High School, under its belt Notes Mr Tout: "We’ve had some close shaves but if we can beat Boys’ High on Tuesday it will give us a very good chance of winning the grade.”

Christ’s College has another formidable opponent to face later in St Andrew’s College, which is also unbeaten in the schools’ championship. St Andrew’s has accounted for Linwood High School, St Thomas’s College (which beat Boys’ High) and Xavier College with its biggest coup so far coming in the 10-6 win over Christchurch Boys’ High School.