RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 194, 30 May 1938, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE' ASHBURTON COMPETITION. OLD ROYS DEFEATS RAKAIA. A further series of matches was played in the competitions of the Ashburton Rugby Union on Saturday. A shower of rain during ihe afternoon did not affect the play. There was a closelycontested match between Old Roys' and Rakaia. at Rakaia, but there were no surprises in the competitions. The principal match at Ashburton was a friendly game between Christchurch Old Roys and Springburn, which attracted a good attendance to the domain oval. Results at a Glance. Seniors— Methven 20, Technical Old Roys 8. Old Boys 7, Rakaia 3. , Old Roys (Christchurch), 23, Springburn 3. Junior Grade— Hinds 3, Springburn 0. Old Boys 6, Metliven 0. Rakaia 8, Allenton 3. Third Grade— Methven 8, Old Roys 0. Celtic 1-5, Hinds 17. Allenton 17, Tinwald 6. Technical Old Boys 13, Springburn 3. Fourth Grade— Allenton 28, Technical B 0. Technical A 30, liiiffelton 0. Methven heat High School by default.

OLD BOYS 7, RAKAIA 3. The game between Old Boys and Rakaia was the best seen at Rakaia for sonfe time. The game was fast and open, with neither side able to score a try. The Old Boys backs were not given many chances, the Rakaia forwards breaking away smartly from the scrum and cutting short many of their movements. When the Old Boys backs did get a run they were stopped by good tackling by the Rakaia backs. Several free kicks were awarded to both sides by the forwards being over keen and breaking away from the scrums too soon. Rakaia won the majority of the scrums, but the ball was often held up in the hack. I. Behrns, in his first game for Rakaia. this season, proved a tower of strength, and often turned defence into attack by good runs and long and accurate line-kicking. Ironside, as half-back, played a good sound game and stopped many forward rushes by going down on the ball. The best of a. hard-working set of forwards for Rakaia were B. Doig and AY. Moore, who did most of the leading. D. Mead (Rakaia) always proved troublesome to the Old Boys backs. Old Boys’ best forwards were Campbell and 1. Smitherson, both being prominent in loose rushes. J. Kelly and Burgess showed some good bursts of speed and seldom missed an opportunity. McCandish played a. good sound game, and his linekicking was always accurate. Good individual efforts enabled Rakaia to get the upper hand at the beginning of the match. An infringement by an Old Boys player resulted in 1 ■ Behrns goaling from well out. Rakaia 3, Old Boys 0. Rakaia continued io press, and a. free kick gave Old Boys a much needed relief. Old Boys backs gained possession and started a good movement, the ball going out to ’the wing, who was brought down by Fleet. Shortly after an Old Boys played intercepted a xmss and an almost certain tiy was averted with a good tackle by Cromie. Rakaia took play to Old Boys,’ line, where they were compelled to force. Old Boys carried play into Rakaia territory, where Behrns gained possession, and with a long line kick again put Rakaia on the attack With a good forward rush, Rakaia swept play over the line, but over-keenness resulted in them being penalised. In the second half the backs on both sides saw more of the ball. Play was carried into Rakaia’s twenty-five, where Old Boys were awarded a free kick in a handy position. McCandish’s kick was successful. Old Boys 3, Rakaia 3. Play remained in midfield for some time, when B. Doig, with AY. Moore :n support, took play well into Old Boys territory, where Doig was caught m possession. Shortly- before time Rakaia were in difficulties when an Old Boys’ kick hit the post and the ball rebounded into play, where, for air infringement, the referee awarded a scrum. Old Boys’ half-back gained possession and passed to Kelly, who had plenty of time to kick a field goal.— Old Boys 7, Rakaia 3. Air K. Hood was the referee.

METHVEN 2G V. TECHNICAL OLD BOYS 8. A win by 20 points to 8 was obtained by Methven over Technical Old Boys'in the match played on the Methven ground. Mothvon put up a good performance in all departments of the game, but the back play of the Technical Old Boys was a little disappointing, t ook at full-back in the first half and second five-eighths in the second half, played well for Methven, while McNeil gave a sound display in the half-back position. Of the Methven forwards CTetney and Brooker were outstanding in a. good pack. Hood was sound and handled well at full-back for Technical Old Boys. In the forwards, Lister put up a tireless performance and was always on the ball. Immediately the game opened, Technical Old Boys rushed the play to Methven’s line where Methven was penalised and flood kicked a penalty goal. Technical Old Boys 3, Methven 0. An attack was set up v by Methven, who transferred play to the other end of the field, where D. Harrison scored from a forward scramble. The try was not converted. Technical Old Boys 3, Methven 3. Methven drew ahead in points when D. Watson kicked a penalty goal.

The first back movement which resulted in a. try was set up by Methven, all the backs handling for ATeKenzie to score in the corner. Shortly before half-time Technical Old Boys were penalised and Watson narrowly missed a kick at goal from the touch line. When play resumed after the spell, the Methven backs showed more initiative than in the first half and some good passing movements took place. From one of these D AA’atson scored a brilliant try which he converted. Methven 14, Technical Old Boys 3. At this stage Methven was obtaining the ball from most cf the scrums. Technical Old Boys wore penalised twice in succession, for offside play and AA’atson kicked two goals, making the score 203in favour of Methven. Putting more vigour into their efforts, Technical placed their opponents on the defensive. In a movement near Alethven’s line. Bradley picked up the- ball smartly and got over near the posts for a try. Ho also converted. Metliven 20, Technical Old Boys 8. Technical Old, Boys kept up the attack, but Alethven’s defence held and there was no further change in the score. Air S. Pcnnall was the referee.

OLD BOYS (CHRISTCHURCH) 23, SPRINGBURN 3. In the friendly match played on the Domain Oval between Christchurch Old Boys and Springburn, the city team proved too fast in all departments of the game for their opponents, who, however, were resolute) in their defence, and time and again quashed raking forward movements. The match was bright throughout, and kept up the interest of a good attendance of spectators.

A series of sti-ong . thrusts by Old Boys soon after the kick-off were frus*trated by Springburn’s resolute defence, but a bright rush down the left Hank by the white hacks could not be pulled up and H. Feary, the second five-eighth scored near the corner. The kick was unsuccessful. Old Boys 3, Springburn 0. Springburn retaliated and xvere awarded a. penalty kick in a handy position, but the shot at goal just missed. The Springburn forwards were putting in solid work and for some time pressed the city team’s line. The Old Boys’ backs were superior, however, and A. C. Cade, the first fiveeighth made several dashing breaks in which he left the opposition standing. Play after varying between the twentyfives for some time was taken well into the Springburn territory by a fine passing rush by the whites in which Rankin, Round and Hadlee figured prominently. After a melee near the goal line an Old Boys forward, N. Stow, fell over to score close to the corner flag. The kick was unsuccessful. Old Boys 6, Springburn 0. Half-time was called with no alteration to the score. Old Boys had had a definite territorial advantage in the first spell, mainly due to neat back-line movements. The forwards, too, were hooking the bail and gaining from the line-out more frequently than the country team,' vho however, were putting in some solid football. Springburn bad ,-overal shots at goal from penalties but a heavy ball made the kicking difficult. Second Spell.

A bright back-line movement by Old Boys soon after the kick-off culminated in N. AfcPliail scoring near the corner. Old Boys 9, Springburn 0. A few minuted later the Springburn winger in attempting a clearing kick sent the ball right off his boot into the hands of the Old half-back, S.' Saundercock, who broke through all defence and ran from well outside the twenty-five line to score in a fairly handy position. The kick missed. Old Boys 12, Springburn 0. Determined attacks by the Old Boys forwards were stayed time and again by the country team. But from a loose ruck in the Springburn territory the city half-back secured and handed to Cade at first five-eighth who broke through brilliantly to score beneath the posts. The kick by Ranlcin was successful. Old Boys 17, Springburn 0. Another neat back movement by the whites saw Round score again, making the score Old Boys 20, Springburn 0. It was not long before the whites were again attacking furiously, and after a heavy ruck in the Springburn twenty-five the Christchurch half-back secured and went over near the corner. Old Boys 23, Springburn 0. It was Springburn’s turn to force the play into its opponent’s territory from the kick-off and an infringement by Old Boys gave the country team a penalty kick from which R. Beckley profited with a good one. Old Boys 23, Springburn 3. Springburn were attacking strongly when time was called. There was no alteration in the score.

Ah- C. W. AA’ellman was referee

PLAYER ORDERED OFF. ' INCIDENT AT METHVEN. An incident which marred the senior match between Technical Old Boys and Methven on Saturday was the ordering off of E. Lillev, a well-known player of the Methven Club, for speaking abusively to the referee, Air S. Pennall. The incident occurred towards the end of the game, immediately after the referee had awarded a try to C. Bradley, of Technical Old Bovs.

JUNIOR CRADE. In a junior grade match at Hinds the home team beat Eiffelton by three points to nil. The single scorer for Hinds was G. Wilson. The Eiffelton team was given no opportunity to make a break, the Hinds forwards completely smothering all their efforts. Eiffelton was, however, very successful in repulsing the attacks of the Hinds team, and taken as a whole the match was very even. Mr E. Eose was the referee. Old Boys beat Methven by six points to nil in a match played at Methven. I>.. Kelly scored a try and A. Boss kicked *a penalty goal. Mr P. Morrison was the referee.

A good last open game played at Eakaia between Kakaia and Allenton re-

suited in a win-for the home team by 8 points to 3. Tries for Rakaia were scored by Iv. Cornelius and A. Richards. R. Douglas converted one. Allenton’s points came from a penalty.

THIRD GRADE. i Technical Old Boys defeated Springburn by 13 points to 3 in a fast match in which the scores did not really indicate the merits of the two teams. Air A. Bennison was referee IN OTHER CENTRES. Christchurch Athletic 13, Sunnvsido 5; Eimvood 17, Sydenham 1G; Air Force 11, Albion 6; University 12, Merivale G; Christchurch 31, Technical 8. Tiniaru—Old Boys 0, Star 0; Celtic 12, Geraldine 5; AVaimate 22, Zingari 4. Auckland—North Shore 22, Grafton 13; Ponsonby 2?, Afarist 13; Manukau 8, University 3 ; Grammar 11, Otahuhu GWellington—Athletic 21, College Old Boys 16; Poneke 9, Johnsonville 6; Petone 21, Afarist Brothers Old Boys 3; Wellington 19, Hutt 16. Dunedin—Southern 10, Pirates 3; University All, Kaikorai 6; Dunedin 22, Alhambra 3; Zingari 8, Union 5; Taieri 25, University B 18. PLAYER INJURED. John Smith, aged 20 years, was admitted to the Ashburton Public Hospital on Saturday, suffering from lacerations to his face. The injuries were received in a football match at Ashburton. This morning his condition was reported ( to be satisfactory.