SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19050, 22 June 1925, Page 11

SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

WIN FOR * KING'S COLLEGE. AUCKLAND GRAMMAR BEATEN. GREAT DAY AT EDEN PARK. The popularity of secondary school Rugby matches, particularly between King's College and Auckland Grammar School, was well illustrated by the great gathering at Eden Park on Saturday afternoon," the attendance being estimated at about 13,000. With ideal playing conditions the expectations of bright, exciting football were fully realised. At times the standard reached would have done credit to a representative team. A particularly fine display was given by the backs of the Mount Albert. Grammar School team, which outplayed the Sacred Heart College fifteen, mainly owing to the pace and ability of the back division. King's College had a well deserved victory over Auckland Grammar by 8 points to 3, after a fast, attractive contest, which was very stirring in the second half. Interest. was maintained at concert pitch, for the game was full of thrills, and the spectators gave freo rein to their enthusiasm. The winners, who played confidently from the start, were certainly the better team, and it is a long time since their college fifteen has given a better display. The King's forwards, showing unusual dash, gave plenty of opportunities to their backs, who ontshone the Grammar rearguard on attack, handling the ball cleanly and passing crisply. In the later stages tho Grammar forwards made great efforts to pull the game out of the fire, but stubborn defence by the King's fifteen, coupled with the weakness of Grammar's inside backs, nullified their efforts. Many dangerous passing movoments on both sides were countered by deadly tackling. Fast dribbling rushes by the Grammar forwards in tho last quarter were, stopped .in good style by the opposing side. Vosper Scores Twice. Flaying against the sun in the first quarter, King's set out to win the game from tho outset. Over-eagerness caused mistakes in the first few minutes. King's forwards pressed unts a breakaway by Grammar resulted in a force. Aided by good line kicking, King's worked down to Grammar's line, but the defending forwards, packing tight, cleared The' Grammar backs were not showing to advantage, but when Meredith worked the short side of a scrum Minus gained ground with a dash down the side line. With play in midfield the King's backs got going in a bright, handling bout which beat the opposition, Vosper scoring an unconverted try after a great run. Handling the ball well King's had the better of play for the rest of the quarter. On the teams turning round the King's halfback, McOrystal,, made a good dash from a scrum, but .bis pass went astray and the Grammar backs raced to attack. Matheson tried to teat the King s fullback, Simpson, instead of passing to Minns, and a good scoring chance was lost. Getting the ball from the scrums Kings kept their opponents busy stopping passing bouts. Then the Grammar forwards brightened up and King's had hard work keeping them out, a force bringing relief. Good play by McCrystal put King's on the attack "again, "and when the forwards hooked the ball from a scrum McCrystal set his backs going. Story cut in strongly and sent the ball on to \osper, who scored again. Simpson converted and half-time came with the score: King's College .. .. • . 8 Auckland Grammar .. . . 0 Grammar's Fenalty Goal. Immediately play was resumed McCrystal sent his backs away and a dash by Story looked dangerous, Grammar fore- - ing just in time. A minute later a breakaway by the Grammar forwards, _ with Davenport in the van, had King's in difficulties. The defenders infringed and Watkin kicked a penalty goal. Story was always a source of trouble to Grammar and took a lot of stopping. He beat , the opposing five-eighths continually. Matheson and Minns showed up in a handling bout which improved Grammar's position, but Grammar lost a good chanco through weak tackling after one of the King's backs had fumbled the ball near his own line. The Grammar forwards were working well and more than holding their own, but their backs were not handling as cleanly as their opponents, In the last quarter Grammar redoubled their efforts to fulminate King's five-point lead. Headed by Watkin their forwards swept to the attack. When Watkin was well stopped in a dash on one side of the field, the backs attacked again _on the other, an infringement giving King's relief. Grammar, however, continued to press and speculating by Simpson near the line gave them a chance. Grammar got the ball from the line-out, but their five-eighths failed again and King's cleared. I A series of attack!? severely tested the King's defence in the last few minutes, but the Grammar backs could not get through, and the game ended amid intense excitement with the score: King's College . . . * . . 8 Auckland Grammar . . . . 3 MT. ALBERT GRAMMAR'S VICTORY SACRED HEART OUTCLASSED. Tho outstanding feature of the Mount Albert- Grammar-Sacred Heart College game was the display given by tho winning backs. Mount Albert Grammar opened up play from the kick off and after a few minutes Somervell scored from a passing rush. From then on Mount Albert threw the ball about attractively, and a nice opening by Jenkin let Gilmore over on the right, Butler converting. Shortly before the spell ended Bradanovich, with • i the Grammar forwards right on him, marked splendidly and kicked a goal. Mount Albert maintained the attack vrith the sun in their eyes, and with the forwards getting the ball regularly the backs brought off some dazzling passing movements. The half-time score was 14—3 in Mount Albert's favour. In the third quarter Sacred Heart made their first really determined attack and had Mount Albert defending hard until 'Monk cut off a pass and, eluding several would-be tacklers, ran threequarters of the length of the field to score a fine try, which was not converted. Bradanovich and Larson were prominent in defensive play, but Sacred Heart were hard put to keep the Grammar boys out. In the final spell the Mount Albert backs showed up in beautiful passing bouts and simply ran Sacred Heart off their feet. Tries were scored by Kinnear, Howell and Gilmore, but none wiere converted, and the final score was:— .Mount Albert Grammar . . 26 Sacred Heart College . . 3 "A HARD. CLEAN GAME." \ TRIBUTE TO THE WINNERS. Speakers at the annua] reunion of members of the Auckland Grammar School Old Boys' Association on Saturday evening made frequent reference to the match with King's College. "In view of recent events at Eden Park it is well that I should say nothing about football," said Mr. J. Drummond, headmaster of the Auckland Grammar School. " I said very little, but thought a great deal. (Loubhter.) It was not a pleasure to be- beaten by King's College: it was not a pleasure to bo beaten by anyone. That had survived from his earliest clays. (Laughter.) It was. however, a pleasure to play King's College. The King's College boys played a hard, clean as they always did. (Applause.) Their own boys did their very best. Grammur had their wins and losses, but he had always found they could play as good a losing game as they could a winning gama.