RUGBY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 131, 4 June 1923, Page 8

RUGBY.

I CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS. GRAMMAR'S GOOD "WIN. j BIG WIX BY NEWTON. SOME UNEXPECTED RESULTS. J The Rugby championships wore played again on Saturday, on heavy grounds, ! but the weather was dry, though cold ; and Taw. Despite tlio strong counter-, attraction there was a crowd of over | 3000 spectators at Eden Park to witness j tho Graminar-Grafton and Marist-Pon- i sonby games. It was confidently expected that Grafton would make it a very close | game with Grammar Old Boys, and for | half of the match there was not a great j deal in it, the spell coining with Gram- ■ mar leading by S points to f>. But in ; the second spell Grammar proved, too j fast and clever for the colours, and they won by 10 points to 8. The game showed j flashes of bright, open piny, but was not i so consistently good as had been expected. In the Marisl-Ponsonby game the forwards of Marists proved too solid for i the Ponsonby pnek, who were Kept hard j at defence for the greater part of the j game, and the diarist backs siiowod good i combination in finishing oft' the attacks, j Marist won by 11 points to nil. At Victoria Park, the biggest win recorded by them for years was put up by Newton, who defeated Eden by 21 points to 3. Avondalc was the scene of unusual excitement when the home team, playing a consistently hard and solid game, had College Rifles in trouble, and it was not j until just in the last minute of the game ■ that. Rifles got the try that, enabled i them to leave the field victors by 6 points to 3. Another outside ground on which one of the leading teams just struggled through was the North Shore Domain, where University had some element of luck in getting home a winner by 9 I points to fi. A feature of the-gamc was | the tackling of the home team, which disorganised the University attack. GRAFTON V. GRAMMAR. Gru-mmar oponod -with o breozo behind them, and within tho first few minutes of play hail I!vp points up ns the result of Batty Kcoriiiß from n close forward rush, mill K. Ifwersen converting the try. Immediately nice passing work by the Grafton bnrks. with Woolley and Cnoke prominent in niakinc openings, hail Grammar at their line, but a force resulted. Ployiloll kicking too hard. Grafton wore attacking when hich kicks with the wind cot Grammar out cf trouble, anil rrontloe mulled U hlKh take at his line, for Wripht to come on the scene anil send a pass out to V. BndeJey. who scored na he was tackled. Hwernen kicked n poster—Grammar S, ttraflon 0. To the end of the quarter Grammar held the advantage. On changing rminii the whites still dominated play unci an indiscreet savins kick was marked by V. Badelpy close up in front of the jroal. but he failed with the kick. Grafton battled clear, and a lons line kick pur them on the attack. Grammar were clearing when Woolley mid .lohnson cot away in n nice two-handed bout, and the latter, aftor beinp broupht down, recovered to send the ball to" Boon, who scored. Cooke Roaled —B—s. Livelier play saw Kcary and Ilelander load a rush to near Grammar's line, to lose the advantage by olTsi.lo play. Asain Grafton name at It, and Cooke made an opening, but held too lons and Grammar cleared, (irafton hnd the whites pinned down to defence till half time, hut could not score again.

Grafton were going to the attack in opening the second spell when their fullback let them down again, and K. Ifwcrsen Just missed a long shot at goal. Grammar opened it up, but failed to get through, and Grafton cleared. C. Badeley. K. Ifwersen and Thomas were conspicuous in a line handling bout to the Graftou line, where a knock-on stopped them, and Ifwersen again appeared in a great run that was spoiled by Peebles knocking on, but immedlatley afterwards a sharp pass out gave N. Ifwersen a try near the corner, lhat his brother failed to convert — 11—5. Almost nl once Grafton returned the compliment, B-rjii. Cooke and Hughes getting near the line in n passing bout, where Ilughos dribbled on and the ball was sent across the line per foot for Helander to come on the scene and score a try. Cooke failed to convert —11—S. Lively open play on both sides went to Grammar's advantage, iind a long sustained forward rush ended in Batty scoring a try which V. Badeley converted—Grammar Iβ. Grafton S. Opening the last quarter Grafton again livened up, and in open play had Grammar defending, hut the whites soon cleared and gave the colours a turn at defence In fust hard play. Eventually Wright got the ball away near the Grafton line, and K. Ifwersen kicked across to Thomas, and V. Badeley came outside him to take a difficult pass beautifully onehanded and score at the corner. He Culled to convert the try—Grammar 19, Grafton S. Play was lively and full of incident as Grafton made desperate efforts to reduce their deficit, and eventually a bout by Bucklnnd. Boon, Cooke, Woolley and Johnson enabled the latter to score n corner try which was not converted—l 9— \l. In the rnlly Cooke injured his collarhone and had to retire. The game ended immediately after with the score: Grammar Old Boys 19 Uritftou 11 Mr. J. Hall was referee.