RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 125, 27 May 1913, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

On No. 2 ground City played with Parnell. How quickly time Tings in the ehiingee. Five short years go the City team was a team, of invinctbles, and Parnell, though not in the first flight, could be depend«*l upon to always extend either City or Ponsonby—the two crack fifteens. What would George Smith, Charlie Seeling, Bob Magee, George Tyler, Joe Twiname, or Lance Todd have said in pronouncing judgment upon last Saturday's game! Verily, it may be declared that both teams were bnt shadows of those former fifteens which were the pride and delight of Auckland Rugby patrons. Nearly 20 minutes after stipulated starting time the teams strolled on to the field. Neither side showed any combination, a chain is never stronger than its weakest link, and the constitution of both "teams was such that the weak links were indeed obvious. First grade matches used to be worth watching in the old days, but if one were to judge -by the City-Paraefl fixture it would seem as if the fine arts were lost. How seldom is seen a display of that clockwork precision with which the back lines started moving to a man, and with iTn4Trrn_r judgment sent the hall from line to Ene in brilliant passing rushes. What of the finesse of the wing forward, the cunning of the hookers, and the lightning-like operations of the smart half-back? Well might last Saturday's ; game between these two teams 'be termed just a, good hearty scramble, and nothing j more.

The redeeming feature about it all is, of course, that there is good material available in both teams —young fellows of brawn _nd brain, who only want to be taken in hand and told that their inclusion in senior rank means that they have got the chance to make good, and that one of the first principles of making good is not to arrive on the field 20 minutes late- With both City and Parnell last Saturday there was a lack of cohesion; too nrnch of e\%ry man for himself, too much shirking of the "fol-low-on" rule, and too much selfishness, or too little judgment when it came to, playing this game for the good of the team. Still, the material was there; while coQectiveiy they failed, individuadly many of the men made good. Hogan, of course, with Sam Magee and the StewaTts, can claim to have proved a right to a place in senior football. A back of infinite promise is Payne, who was as versatile in the open on Saturday as he was quick behind the scrum. Arnott and Moffatfc likewise indicated that they are able to move round to some purpose when they feel inclined. The City pack, in its entirety, would be worth while if it could develop another Boiler Francis to put a little zip into things in general, and make it play as one man in the serum, instead of one against the other. Parnell, likewise, possesses some bright boys. Hanseh is a thorough grafter, and on Saturday played quite a brilliant game. Muir and Miller are promising forwards, who proved that they are not afraid -of anything. Do-son, hailing from the Thames, played his first game with Parnell on Saturday, and did not do badly. Speight, who played for City last year, is doing good work for the maroons this season, and Godfrey, hailing from Marlborough, or somewhere thereabouts, at least indicated the possession of more vim than some others on the back line. Young Edwards acquitted iftmself well, but Cameron is not showing up to last year's form. With judicious coaching, however, the material available may yet be licked into something like shape before the i season is over.

RIFLES LACE COMBINATION.

Contrary to expectations. College Bifles did not put up a very good fight against Ponsonby on Saturday. Many of the Kiflea* supporters had openly expressed the opinion that their " fancy"

would vanquish the Ponsonby representatives without any great difficulty, and had the Bifles played up to the standard •they have exhibited during .their previous two matches this season, the likelihood is that, even if the Ponsonby team were not defeated, the margin between the scores would -have been a very narrow one. Exactly why the Bifles should have stamped so badly it is hard to say. Had it been therr opening match, there would have been some excuse; but it being their -third venture for the season, it was 'only to be expected -that they would have improved all round. The reverse was the case, however. Combination among their backs was sadly lacking. 33id it was this fact that accounted, in a large degree, to the serviceable score put up by the blue and blacks.

Right from the jump Ponsonby demonstrated that their combination was superior to that of -their opponents. It was only a matter of a few minutes before play was confined chiefly to the Bifles' territory, aad when the" dark blue forwards attempted te pcake a name for themselves, they were not sufficiently supported by the rearguard division to be able to do any good. Their pack includes some very solid specimens, and is a. great improvement on last year, when the team was rather badly handicapped through lack of weight. The Ponsonby pack is collectively ateo of pretty substantial avoirdupois, and the result was that neither of the packs had much of an advantage. Any slight difference there might have been was in favour of Ponsonby.

In the second spell the Rifles made a much better showing especially towards the closing stages of the game, when ■they recorded tteir solitary score. There appeared to be some likelihood of the score being added to just before time was called, but the probability did not become an accomplished fact after the blues' initial try. As before indicated, the Ponsonby backs were superior to the Rifles'. back division, although, had the dark blues played.up to their usual form, such would in all probability not have been the case. This superior combination, added to the -useful and consistent work put in by the Ponsonby pack, proved to -be the Rifles' undoing:

Taken ai together, the Ponsonby backs ptut up a creditable performance. McGregor and Murray were prominent in the three-quarter line, the former giving one of his displays as a hurdler. SeJ--3»s, o_sri__' and Frauds put in useful — ."work among the front-Tankers.

LJ Weston, i_a Rifles' captain, did not ~P?*y UP to Ms usual form, missing some good opportrunaaes. Of flic forwards, Beßara, Voaajqey -and. Jacobi ehxrwtd tt»

THE FAILIIBE OF tTNIVERSITT. There is little comment to be made on the Marist Bros.-Univeisity match. From start to finish the game was dominated by tiie Marist forwards, and had their inside backs given them adequate support the points against University must have been big.

The Tykes pack jumped off at a great pace, which they sustained right through the game, and they entirely over-ran the opposition. In the scrums and on the line they • were superior, and once the ball was away from the nick they followed so closely that any 'Varsity back that fumbled or hesitated was at once counted out with great decision. There was "hardly one of the fast-moving pack that was not prominent at some stage of the game, but Downing and Carroll were generally the leaders, though Harris, Barrett, Dennehy, and Cailaghan were frequently conspicuous.

The 'Varsity forwards were completely outclassed despite valiant efforts by Wylie, Bilkey and Bamford to stem the tide. Shepherd is an addition who at times gave the Tykes something to think about, but on the off-side tendency nullified much of hi*3 work.

With McDonald away, the Marist •backs appeared to lose what little cohesion they had shown in previous matches. White and Little did not get into tune at all at five-eighth, and several scoring chances stopped short just when they reached them. In the second spell, Sheehan was brought to inside fiveeighth, and there was some improvement, but not sufficient to make the Marist rearguard a dangerous scoring element. Individually every man did his share, and J. O'Brien's work at full-back was once more very fine. Olsen, at half-back, played an excellent game.

• lie University backs were weakened by the absence of Darby, but even allowing for this, they did not rise to the occasion. They allowed the close following of -the opposing forwards to put them off their game, and their customary nippiness in the reversal of attack was absent. Two or three times during the game Geddes, Gray, Wilson, and Macky gave a flash of their cross-passing quality, and on such occasions it looked as if things were going to happen, but the Marist forwards always got there again in time to smother the danger. The superiority of their forwards always enabled Carroll and Downing to get away fast from the pack and devote some little time to Geddes, with the result that the University's rearguard operations were blocked at that point.

Individ-ally the "Varsity .back pjayed fairly well, and Pearce at full back would have been brilliant had his taking and fielding been just a little more consistently good.

Quite a feature of the game was the wretched place-kicking of the .Marist Bros. Even though the ball was somewhat greasy, some of the short-range opportunities should have been conVerted into points.

The members of the ?forth Shore District Football Club are requested to note that, owing to the death of Mr. E. Ford, a life member of the club, the training shed -will not be open for practice tonight (Tuesday), but will .be available on Thursday night. Players are also requested to wear black arm-bands next Saturday afternoon, as a mark of respect and esteem.