BEATEN, BUT NOT DISGRACED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 130, 3 June 1901, Page 3

BEATEN, BUT NOT DISGRACED.

(Grafton, 4 points; Newton, 0.)

The match between Graf ton and Newton was played on No. 1 ground at Potter's. The ground, though slippery, was not nearly so muddy as one might have expected in view of the heavy jrainfall, and the game was fairly fast throughout. The teams turned out as wder:—

Gnifton (black and white): Full-back, ilenwiek; three-quarters, Freeborn, McjKenzie, Campbell; five-eighths, D. Hay; .half, Kiernari; wings, J.Brady and Stirling; forwards, Cueksey, Cooper, Shand, McGregor, Neville, Ilediey and Trevarihen.

Newton (red and white): Full-back, Brash; three-quarters, Roberts, Rowe, Robinson; live-eighths, Woods; half, Rowe; wings, Clarke and Heath; forwards, A. Wilson, Lewis, Hill, Williamson, H. Wilson, McKnight, Hunter.

Mr Peter Mackie, was the referee. Newton won the toss and played with the wind in the first spell. They were the first to attack, within a few minutes from the start, and thereafter they kept the black and whites almost continuously on the defensive. The first attack was neutralised by a weak kick on the part of Roberts, which allowed Grafton to get a breathing space by forcing. From the kick oiit the red and whites came jn again, and Alee Wilson looked like scoring when a Grafton man obstructed aim. From the resultant penalty kick Wilson made a fine attempt at goal, the ball just swerving past the nearest upright. The game was re-started, and again the red and whites attacked, till "Roberts caused a lull by kicking into iouch-in-goal. Grafton rallied for a while, and made the game more even, until presently a smart piece of foot work by 11. Wilson carried the play inside thVir 25 again. Newton pressed their advantage hard, but a scramble on the line resulted in another force by the defenders.

Soon after the kick out Roberts made the run of the match. Getting possession near raid-field he dodged past three or-four opponents until he reached the Grafton full-back. Then he tried to dodge again, and this time slipped and fell, and Grafton sent the ball into touch. Had he been able to keep his leot Roberts must have scored, and the try would certainly have been well aarne.d. Newton continued to press. Another badly judged kick by Roberts ♦nabled Grafton to force, and when the Newton men came on again Hay got his side out of danger very neatly. Halftime was called soon afterwards.

The second spell was played in a steady drizzle of rain and a rapidly falling light. Kiernan, whose knee was troub* ling him, went full-back for Grafton in this spell, Renwick moving up to fiveeights and Hay tc half-back. Playing with the wind, Grafton for the first time in the game assumed the aggressive, but the play was very desultory until McKenzie picked up near the 25 and potted a neat goal, the first and only score of the match. Grafton, 4; Newton, 0. Encouraged by their success the black and whites attacked again, but with no result. Towards the end Newton rallied gamely, but failed to score, and the call of time left the black and whites victorious. NOTES. The match calls for little comment. It was a willing game and stubbornly contested, but apart from some really good work by the Newton forwards the standard of play was not high. Newton had much the best of the game, and had they taken all the chances offered they must have won. As it was, Grafton were extremely fortunate in being able to leave the field winners.

Forward play predominated, and in this Newton easily had the upper hand. The red and white vanguard "made hacks" of their opponents, pushing them in the scrums and running over them in the open. But the combination of the Newton backs was poor, and more than one good chance was thrown away by want of judgment. Graf ton, on the other hand, were very disapointing, some good defensive work by McKenzie, Hay and Eenwick being the only redeeming feature of the team's play. The Newton vanguard showed commendable dash, the two Wilsons in particular doing great work. Of the backs Roberts was very patchy, and although. he made the run of the day, his weakness on several other occasions lost his side a score. Eobinson, on the other wing, and Rowe, behind the scrum, were very fair. On the Grafton side MeKenzie and Hay did the best work among the backs, and staved off more than one dangerous attack. The former practically, won the match for Grafton by his goal from the field. Kiernan was not a success behind the beaten pack, being handicapped by an injured leg.