FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 228, 24 September 1918, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY. SATURDAY'S GALA. That Rugby football has lost none of its glamour as the national game, and particularly in Auckland, was illustrated on .Saturday, when the primary se.liools' gala, comprising a scveu-n-sidc competition, was held on the Domain before an interested and large attendance of followers of the code. The play in all gra/les was good, and showed that the Rugby code should be capable of producing some clever exponents in the years to come that will be worthy successors of the far-famed All-Blacks. The arrangements were a credit to the Rugby Union referees and the masters and teachers of Ibe schools, whose organisation of the gala worked like clockwork. In addition, were some well-contested flat races and a drop-kicking competition, which made for suitable diversion. What' formed an attractive feature was the basketball, in which many lino teams of girls competed. The passing or throwing of the leather by the agile players gave zest to the enthusiasm of spectators. The play and the players witnessed served to impress tho fact that basketball, with its natural benefits to voting girls, has become firmly established, and the time is indeed not far off when the games will attract and excite weekly oro-yds of spectators as a counter to the more manly forms of sport. UNIVERSITY THI. CHAMPIONS. The match on Saturday which resulted in the University senior fifteen winning the championship for !01S was one worthy of the senior championship. For the first spell the play was of the very fastest description poe-siblc. with something doing every minute. In the second spell the pace was somewhat slower, but still it was fast, and it was exciting, the ditference between a draw and a loss to College Rifles being only that a kick at 'goal as the final whistle blew sent the ball ju_.t a foot outside the posts. About five minutes after the game opened University rang on three tries in quick succession, all of them being due to the ability of the University forwards to handle the ball in short-passing dashes. Oasparieh scored twice and Ellill'e once in j this scoring spasm, which lasted about ten minutes. Thereafter the College Rides had somewhat the better of the game throughout, Baddelcy scoring a try before half-time, and Wilson getting over ill the second spell, with the result that the game ended in a win for University by nine points to six. The forwards on both sides were fast' and dashing, and there was not one ol them who did not play a fine game. In i general play the College Rilles packj showed rather 'better than did their ; opponents, but the ability of the University seven to handle the ball accurately at "critical moments won them the game by scoring the points and by reversing the run of the play when their side -was in difficulties. Gasparich (rover) was outstanding in this respect, while he set an-excellent example to young players by his sporting restraint from undue bumping on occasions when he had followed up fact and forced opposing •backs to get a saving kick in quickly. He was well supported by Thomas, Elliffe and Towers. On the other side, Harty, Gallagher. Grant. Keepa, and Heard played a fast open game, which prevented the University backs from developing any serious; scoring movements. The back division of College Rifles showed to undoubted advantage in their team work, their passim, being bright and snappy once the ball had got clear iof the scrum, and it was only the slowness with which the ball was got' away in the first place that saved University from defeat. Individually the University backs were safe and resourceful, but their passing was slow and inaccurate, in marked contrast to the crisp clean handline of their forwards. To sum up, it .was the clever handling of the University forwards that won i them the gome, while the College Rides j lost the advantage which their superior | back combination should have given them j owing to delay in getting the ball away from the scrum.