OPENING OF 1947 COMPETITIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 166, 28 April 1947, Page 5

OPENING OF 1947 COMPETITIONS

FOOTBALL

CELTIC, ALLENTON AND METHVEN WIN Another season of Rugby football, New Zealand’s national sport, was opened in earnest at Ashburton on Saturday when the first series of matches in the Ash- • burton Rugby Union’s 1947 competitions were played. While teams have not yet the polish and finish that can only come with time and conscientious practice, there is reason to believe that Ashburton’s Rugby public will be in for some first-rate football before the season is out. . Superior fitness and consequent combination gave Celtic victory over Rakaia. After drawing with Technical Old Boys last Saturday, Allenton turned this latest game into a virtual rout. At Methven, last year’s champions warded off a strong challenge from Old Boys, who showed superiority in several departments of the game. The junior and third grade competitions were also started. In the junior section there were some closely fought games, two being drawn, Hinds v. Allenton and Mayfield v. Mt. Somers. RESULTS AT A GLANCE Senior Allenton 19, Technical Old Boys 3. ' Celtic 17, Rakaia 9. i Methven 14, Old Boys 9. • Junior - Hampstead 24, Celtic 3. Tinwald 3, Technical Old Boys 0. 1 Methven 20, High School Old Boys 8. Mt. Somers 8, Mayfield 8. Hinds 6, Allenton 6. Springburn 8, Rakaia 3. , Third Grade High School 20, Allenton 0. Technical Old Boys 27, Mayfield 6. Old Boys 9, Methven 0. Celtic Make Good Showing Celtic, gave a good account of themselves to beat Rakaia by a . margin of eight points, 17 to 9. The long period of training that the Celtic team has had, particularly in preparation for the Catholic Rugby tournament at Invercargill over Easter, is having its effect. The team possessed much more life and vigour than its opponents. It was this, more than anything else, that gave them their victory. Rakaia fought back gamely, the game .always -being within their grasp till near the end, but their backs, tending to stand flat-footed, were not up to the thrust of their opponents, while their forwards did not hold together as well as their hard working opposite numbers. g C. Bradley gave a sound exhibition behind the Celtic team, and J. Dwyer, first five-eighth, turned on some speedy bursts, while in the forwards J. Small was always out in front giving sting to the thrusts. During the first spell, both Celtic wingers, R. Newton and B. Barrett, scored, while L. Taylor touched down for Rakaia, making the half-time score: ■ Celtic G, Rakaia 3. rv J Small crashed over after the interval at the head of a toward rush to make Celtic 9, Rakaia 3. D. Huist brought Rakaia back into stnkmg distance with a penalty, until P. Hiuley added another three points and CBradley converted. The Rakaia hal , C. Cromie, scored again ana C. Biaaley kicked a penalty to make the seme at the final whistle: Celtic 17. Rakaia 9 • " ? Mr R. Lloyd was the referee. Attention Were Much Superior Superiority in all departments of the game gave the new Allenton Club a decisive win over TechMiical Old Boys by 19 points to 3.

Their display on Saturday must have been a real encouragement to their supporters. 'A young light virile side, they show plenty of promise of developing into a really toimidable combination. While' matched in the set scrums,. 'Allenton forwards worked tirelessly m the loose, holding together much more effectively than their opponents, who displayed a decided lack of cohesion. Allenton’s rearguard showed quite a lot of speed and versatility with reasonably sound handling. G. Soal was a real asset to the team, not only m that he scored 10 points, but also for his handling and kicking, which was the essence of safety. It was a bad day for Technical Old Boys, who last- week held Allenton to a draw. For them it may be said that their forwards were without the experienced leadership of N- Me. Crea, who was not playing on account of an injury, while a lack of backs necessitated the use of forwards in the rearguard, a practice that often leads to disaster. Constant changes in the rear set-up also did not help matters, a nd on top of this, C. Campbell, their safe full-back, had to leavethe field during the second spell with an in3 lt was not until the second spell that tile real rout set in. At halttime Allenton were up by only eight points to three. The leaders’ points had come from a penalty kick b\ boat and a try by E. Body, converted by Soal. Tilley scored in the comer to give Technical their points. Throughout the spell, nevertheless the territorial advantage lay with Allenton. A. Sparrow 3 and C. Sparrow both touched down in the second spel , Soal converting one. A further' penalty kick by Soal completed Alienton’s substantial tally. Mr D. Kenny was the referee. Win for Methven Though their backs handled more cleanly and their forwards were the master of 90 per cent, of the set scrums, Old Boys nevertheless suffered defeat at the hands of Methven on Saturday the score being 14 to 9 m favoui ot the home side. Generally speaking, the game wes not spectacular, but some ot scoring movements provided bngh and brilliant, football. , P. Holmes showed up m the Methven pack, while D. White, at half toi the town team, played soundly. The ground was in excellent order when Methven kicked off against a north-west breeze. Scoring opened from a scrum infringement m tr.ont ot

the Methven goal, R. Campbell sending the ball between the uprights. From inside Ihe Methven half, W. Maw, winger, found touch in Old Boys 25, and set his team on the attack. P. O’Reilly secured the ball from a scrum a few yards out from the Old Boys line, sending it on to K. O’Reilly, to A. Shearer, who drew his. man splendidly to enable T. Lemon to score. K. O’Reilly failed with the kick.

Old Boys again went into the lead when G. Campbell crossed the line, following a scrum in the Methven 25. R. Campbell failed with the kick. R. Campbell had bad luck when a penalty kick struck the post high up. The half-time score was: Old Boys 6, Methven 3.

Old Boys took the initiative from the resumption of play, until from a scrum in front of the Methven goal A. McLeod kicked downfield and W. Maw, following up fast, secured and carried the hall almost to the line, where K. Shearer touched down. D. Lemon’s kick missed. Methven forwards carried the ball to the Old Boys 25, where P. Holmes kicked ahead, and. following up fast, scored another try. This time D. Lemon converted, making the tallies: Methven 11. Old Boys 6’. Shortly afterwards Old Boys were awarded a free-kick in front of the Methven goal, and R. Campbell made no mistake. P. O’Reilly made a good opening for Methven’s next try, the ball being handled by A. Shearer, A. McLeod and K. Shearer before the latter grounded it. The kick failed. The call of time came with Old Boys on the attack, but with the score unchanged : N Methven 14, Old Boys 9. Mr C. Wellman was the referee. JUNIOR GRADE A draw—six points all—was the result of the match between Hinds and Allenton, played at Hinds. Hinds points came from tries scored by -T. Milne and J. Gibb, while for Allenton T. Soal scored a try and E. Jamieson kicked a penalty. Another drawn match was that played at Mayfield between Mayfield and Mount Somers.- The score was 8-all. J. Kerr touched down twice for Mt. Somers and W. Stevens converted one. J. Harvey and I. Gallagher each scored for the home team, and R. Patterson converted one.

ENGLISH CUP

CHARLTON DEFEAT BURNLEY LONDON, April 26. After a second period of extra time, Charlton Athletic beat Burnley by 1 goal to 0 in the Football Association Cup final, before a crowd officially estimated at 99,000, at Wembley. Play was so fierce that the ball, repeating the*l946 incident, burst after the first half-hour. Charlton won the toss and kicked off with the sun Behind them. The strong defence and wild shooting by both sides kept the scoring down. Duffy, for Charlton, shot, through in the last 15 minutes of the extra half-hour. The beating of Leeds, at Derby, settled the first of this season’s promotion and relegation decisions. Leeds, even if it wins every one of the last five games, must go down into the second division. Wolverhampton, at the top of the list, maintained a one-point lead after an exciting game against Chelsea, in which 10 goals were scored.