THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 159, 5 July 1920, Page 7

THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.

THREE GOOD GABIES. MARIST BEAT PONSONBY. CITY OVERS-ORE DEVONPOKT. GRAFTON AGAIN" LOPE. MARITIME AT WAIKATO. | The opening of the second r.uin.l for the | Northern I'nlon senior championship pro- | vi.led three games of merit on Saturday I ufternooil. but easily the best of all was j the niat.li In which Marist 111-others de- ; fented Ponsonby by eight points to f..ur, after an exciting tussle, that brought enthuslasin Io the hearts of about, five j llioiisanil people. The supporters of the | i-ode were spin tliw ilav. for ..i,other three j nr four thousand were on Victoria Park i to .-oe Cltv put lievonporl down b.v a margin "f lit t.i .".. This game was good to watch. lon. fast lv movement and -iisul.uty hard nil the way. The Newton Rangers got the upper hand of Grafton on the Domain, winning the game by 21 to lafler some very fust. play. The Maritime team, which had its hyeiliiy. wenl souih to meet U.wer Wnlkato nt Ngaruawahii. anil succeeded in defeating them by .11 to -JO, after a gnme that was considered to be the li<_*t exhibit ion of the code ye.t seen in the delta town. rent nt Ihe game In this centre. The championship table now stands. Points Ch. P. W. li. 1.. For Agsi. Pis. Maritime .. - fi ill :'..". 1_ ■Cltv 7 .". •_ lIS. 7S I<. 'Newton 7 4 1 _ OS SI SI Marl. I 7 .'! 1 .". 7", .".7 7 P.insonbv . .. 7 2 I -I 103 so lie yon pot I 7 -.'* 1 I is XXI .(.irafton 7 7* ."*• 144 • Default. It is possible that the games credited to Poix.-liv nn.l Miirisl may be .hanged Marist played r.irgill ~n Saturday, after the League had refused lo register him until he obtained :i clenrance rrom Australia. •MARIST OIJ> BUYS V. PONSONBY. Till". CREENS WIN. Bright sunshine and lhe prospects of n good exhibition of the League code attrac ted n irowd estimated nt .-lose ..n ."..I WO In the liomain 'on Saturday, t.. witness 111" several games iliat were foilgh: ou: on this grounil. The 'Marist Ponies go was the more Important of lhe two lhe other being Newton Grafton Accordingly It caused no surprise io see I lie crowds ilia: lined the bank in the vicinity, ami the sidelines. The game was fast and Interesting, taking on considerable interest as li progressed, anil raising the cntlin-laMn of i,he respective sections of bitrrn.-kers i.» v high pitch. Maris!., finished on the big end or the eight four points tally. crossing their opponents' line twice and tintcliii'fi a goal from one of lhe tries, as agalnsi two goal* from penalties by their opponents. The wearers of the green com piled all their points in the first hair, and Ponsonbv their tally in Ihe second half. Tin. winners held lhe up-er hand up to lhe spell, but in the second half, despite assaults Into their opponents' territory 'Ponsonbv had the .best of this spell, and on several occasions went very cose lo scoring, in fact their supporters at one stage thought that they had ncc.implish-.l Ihe lask when K. Mdlrogor lunched down after several or the defenders had railed lo force, but the ball was brought back, and the pressure was renewed from a scrum. 'K. M.llregor was noticed 1., have a very serious talk with Referee Ripley a little la.or. Ii was only a herculean de fence, fought out right on the line, passing from t!he corner to right in front, nmlil.it treat enthusiasm of tile spectators. thn. kept rlie Ponies from crossing, it was nothing io see a bl'ie anil black playei make a dive from the ruck for lhe line and finish up on the ground with thf respective teams fighting the issue out around him. The Ponies' kicks repeatedly came ii possession of the ball from scrums, bill the greens made "certs'' of iheir meu lhe rushes Invariably passing alroosl straight ncross the field. Cross accounted for'f'ons-onhv's points, but taking the kick ing ns a whole it was not of ihe best .han.es or both sides enhancing theii scores from this source being numerous With the exception of the foregoing goal' Ghent was the oulv other player to pilo the oval within lling stood out as easily the most aggros sive player on Ihe tiel.l. 'Repeatedly hi turned defence into attack for his side In opening up play in an amazing manner Emerging from the ruck he would ".real through, dodge a couple of opponents, bu so sudden were the breakaways that In variably lliey went unsupported. .-tor mont was likewise a tower of strength t. his side, his weight and speed serving hill well. Ghent and McN'amara were likewls. conspicuous. For Ponsonby the Moiirogor brother and Delgrosso were repeatedly .e?n put lln; ill great work for the Ponies. The blue am blacks were undoubtedly seen to l>ette advantage in ihe se.-ond half, when lhe; tried to improve their position. I Realising that if a big section of til I crowd was permitted to remain on th i ground during the game there would i. difficulty the officials nf the League sen ! them across to the bnnk. but they relume. I when the gnme reached an exciting stage and by encroaching on the playing are; caused the officials some Utile concern . They almost complelelv surrounded th players on iwo occasions—when d'on-onh ] penned Marlsts down on their come, : Another .great disadvantage was the bin i light that the final singes of the gain I were fought out In. | From lhe slil.llne one could not ditTerer itiate between the phi vers Klectric litrh: In the vicinity shone out some .'.insld.i I able time before the game concluded. CITY Y. SHOT.:-!. I A GOOn HARD ("•AMK. : City put on 19 points against Ihe scored by Devonport on the Victoria Pnr_ but the difference in points, though it r< presents fairly accurately the difference i merit between the teams, vet doe.- nc give a complete idea of the speed and hart ness or the game. Each thirteen had il inst shnre of attack, and quite a few v I the I'itv points were made via bright burst I Hint changed the tide of (he game with 1 lightning speed. I All things considered, the City luu-k div sh.ii was brighter and nippier than th 'others, though G.slick, when he was pu j from the wing to half position for Shore, i the second spell, played one of the ho* games on the field. Stewart, or Shon proved himself, but otherwise there wet too m.mv mistakes. But the pack froi o\er the water was a fine combination, pu tine the others iv the shade. Helnliilc Wallers, and Nelson were the best. O the Cltv side Paki played a great game ii ■ luose forward. i NEWTON BEATS GRAFTON. I A FAST GO.

Newton Rangers have a way with them of keeping a game open and setting a pace that is fast, and on Saturday Grafton, putting up a hotter grame than usual, readily took up the gauntlet thrown down by Iheir opponents, with the result that the match was keonlv fought and fast. At half lime Grafton led by a couple of point*., though when the play was over Newton were winners with 24 points against 13. The second spell in particular was very lirelv. with Woollev. the bnck. and Bennett and Collins, the forwards, doing best work among the Grafton men. while for Newton Bass and .lames, of the pack, ami Poison, lhe half, were brightest. MARITIME AT NG ARIA W A 111 A. Maritime _l. beat I.owrr Waikato 20. For the winners. E. C. ..rev (111. McGregor |2). Avery (21. I.ang .2). scored tries, and E. .'. (irev and Sutton converted one try each. There was an attendance of dose on 2.000. and the match was the finest exhibition of the game seen at Ngaruawahla. It W3S- a splendid football day. and great enthusiasm was shown by the spectators. Second Grade.—Maritime 21. l.eat Mangere 4. Third tirade. —Manukau 14. beat Point Chevalier 2. Fourth Grade.—Manukau 5. beat Richmond 2. Fifth Grade. —Manukau 9. beat Maritime 3. Sixth Grade.—Manukau S. heat "aritlme ..: Ponsonby T'nited 3, beat City o. A try was scored by A. Moore. KING COI.XTRY GAME.. (From Our -Own Correspondent., TACMARCXUI. Saturday. In the League competitions Tanmarunui defeated Tongariro by 5 points to 2.

IXTERPROVINCTAL MATCH. WEI.I-INIITON V. HAWKED BAY. (By Telegraph.-Special to "Star.--> WELLINGTON, this day. The return League mat.-li Wellington v. Hawkes 'Hay was played on the Bnsln Reserve io-ilay in Hip presence "f 13lX> .qjeeraror*. I'lay during the flint spell was n<it g in ki.-kinir. main- «Tinmua)!Ps anil much 1 l.vose forward play. Mnrt'-rs ilnprnve.l in ' the wenind half. »'.>nii> fine passing lionw at j' interrals niacins the gnme more Interest- "j ing. f Wellington had thp advantage for the k most part. !>ut toward* tin- close thp visitors * livened up. only to make ihp play of their opponent.* more vigorous. ■!><o .-..n.-llilllns >Ui>!<>< vtm PXrltlne. ■ Tries for WcHlngion wern s.-ort-.l by ' IMllock. Uleliy. Sallilmry. ami Xi.bolls lull iiTirnnrenwli. Burrow* and M.-farthy s<-oi-p.l frir» for llan-kf> Bay. one lipliir converted ; by Klmllay. The final si-ore was:- \ Wpllinrton V- « Hnwki'-s Hay » a I.KAia'K TESTS. i AI STKAI.IA WINS ACAIN. I ■1\ I'OINTS TO s. ' SVIINKY. July 4. In wiunliiK ih" Bernini 1..'a K .ip f.«.it. 3 1l : tns: match, and lnrlflenlally the ashes hj!•.miils in S lusirnlln (ivcr>ha.-!o\vpil th<- | KnpllshDieii :il most |«ointn »t the Kame vc-lerdav Ovr-r ."ill 0(10 ppo]i|p witnessed | ih,- malch. w>ii,h was i.lay.-.l in ideal weather, ih.injrli thp grtnind was srp.isy. a< , the result of recenl rain The KngHshmen stnrled wrll. and for a lone t.nip it was , an\-l»odv< Riiih sldrs keenly felt , ihpir and as a result played a Hose and careful (tauii- to Hie detriment : or litllllaiii-y. (iroin.w .rpened Hip Fi.-orlnß , with a petisilrj- ki.k. Frax-r f..lion-Ing with a Riial from a mark. Mius e<lll.i!liltiE the senn-s: KtiKland. _: Australia. L , . Homer then initiated n hrtlHnni pa»«inß effort down t!ie wins I'olter jt»lllns across: Australia. .'.: Kn«lni»l. i. KtiKlsr. I replied . with a fine rally uil the opposite wins, a . mix tip ending in Johnston s.orinc but (ironnw failed lo .■.invert: Australia. •>: \ [inula nd. .V I'lay :ii times hecan c verr I fast, despite the heavy Rrnuml. anil both . sides wr-r.- responsible Tor flashes of ■ ..lav one ending in rnrnsworlli (Australia) K'-ttlnc over Ihe line. Hrrge failed intn the kiik: Australia, s: Knßlaild. .". ..asInud repliml with the pn-sin- gem oT Hie maiih. Ihe backs frevserlng three.piarters of th« Held tin (ialljipher (tot across (ironow's kick at c>al tnl.-s»d. and the score a; half rime was: Australia, 8: , f.nsland. .S In ihe sei-onil spell, after a lengthy perini) o' level pece'.HK. the Australin t«cks ra.-e.l down the "field, an.l Harder, Inln ["arnsworth. and then regainIn" the hall, scored under the posts. Horder converted: Australia. Kf: F.uslnnd. S. Ve<t scored later, lull IHoriler tnisseil with the kick nt goal: Australia. Ifi: ?:neliind. «. iThe cable tnes-axe dires no: state how the other five points were obtained i>.v Australia.)