RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9657, 14 July 1919, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

JUNIOR COMPETITION

The best assurance given this season' for the future of Rugby has been the success of the junior competition. Few matches have gone by default and the recruiting ground for senior ranks has been the scene of progressive improvement... The first round for the juniors has just been completed and the players individually and the teams collectively have greatly advanced in tactics. Ashburton "finds itself deservedly at the top of the ladder, and well on top. The team is clean and quick, not too shy of handling the leather, and contains some very handy young stuff. Taylor, McKay, and G. Day are the best of the backs, the first being very cool and reliable at full-back. Bax and Taylor lead a hard-working-'and willing pack. Springburn has probably shown the most improvement during the season of any of the juniors. But they are keen up there and train. The match there on Thursday was one of mat.en there on Thursday was one of the keenest and best to watch this season. Of the Springburn fifteen, L. Williams and McKinnon, an old Christ's Collegian, show well among the backs, and of the forwards, McNeil and Moses aro worthy of mention.

Southern Cross have not done well this season, but that was probably due to the club starting late. There is some excellent stufF coming on in the team, C. Patching being outstanding. He has performed creditably in a senior engagement. Of the forwards Box, Brown and Slade are the pick, the last-named being a great battler. Old Boys, like their brothers in the seniors, possess good individual players, but lack combination. Bonnington is so well ■ placed at full-back that the juniors often forfeit his services to the seniors ,while Miller and Maidens play a very keen game indeed. Among the forwards, Bruce is a strong player, and Christie, despite his being on the light side, works right through the piece. The Technical team arc a new club and have yet to learn to make the best of the latent talent in their ranks. Among the rearguard Jeffs and Stoddart are prominent, while Beech and Garforth are ready among the pack. High School has not appeared much this season, owjng U> the vacation, but the great factor in their success is that they play together, for the team and not for the individual. So far they .have only lost to Ashburton, although, owing to their few engagements, they appear as third in the competition.

Ashburton. Rakaia High School Old Boys Springburn Technical Southern Cross P 6 4. 3 4 3 5 . 5 W 6 .3 2 2 1 1 0 L •1 1 .2 ' 2 4 5 D Pfcs 3 2 1 1 0