THE LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 115, 18 May 1925, Page 9

THE LEAGUE CODE.

PONSONBY'S RUNAWAY WIN. DEVONPORT'S INGLORIOUS DISPLAY. J VICTORY TO MABISTS. • WIXS FOR ELLERSLIE AST) I RICHMOND. A crowd estimated to be about 8000 | invaded Carlaw Park on Saturday in anticipation of witnessing a gTeat contest between Ponsonby and Devonport, ' i and the whole SOOO must have been ■' disgusted with the wretched showing of the men from across the harbour. i No senior grade team in the competition i has this year been responsible for such ' a poor display, and from the opening to jthe end the Devonport men were com- ; pletely outclassed, and played like a I lot of novices. J?o one-sided and devoid of interest was the contest that long i before the end many of the spectators '.wandered off to have a look at the game {between Marist Brothprs and Athletics lon No. 2 ground. I'onsonby without ' ] being really extended won by 40 points rj to s. ; Playing on No. 2 ground at Carlaw ';Park'Marist. Old Boys did not cxperii ence any great difficulty in winning from Athletics by 18 points to 5. However, the winners' form was not particui larly good—not as excellent as it has ' been during the last few weeks. Ath- • letii-s were unfortunate in not having the I services of Timmins. one of their threeI quarter?, and also Lang at five-eighths. At the Domain a clean and close game i between Kllerslie and Northeote saw . the former win by 10 points to 11. while at. Victoria Park Richmond scored a comfortable win over Newton by 21 i points to 0. ' MARIST 0.8. V. ATHLETICS. Dufty kicked oIT for Athletic and the ydi low arid blues immediately attacked, b'lt 5 Dufty to accept. Dufty endeavoured to i work his way through and in passing to ■ another player. Carroll got thp leather and dashed down towards Athletics end. A j try thpn came Marist's way in a rather , peculiar manner. .Tones, Athlptic's fullj hack, picked up tbp ball a few yards off i i his line and it slipped out of his hands 1 as he wns wheeling round. Singe was rirht on him and look thp hall from him 5, Athletic 0. Following the half-way kirk. (Jallaughpr sot possession and made a ' Croat run a lons the line, hut. was stopped J hy Mason. Marist were then conceded ' .Tnhnston puntPd high and rushing up, Gregory goalcd. Marist 10. Athletic 0. Carrol went off the field at this stage r I with an injury to his wrist. After being hptnmed in for quite a long period. . Athletic got golns:. Hadley, Herring and '• Mason, also Wilson-Hall being promof tly Tykes, and were forced back, a . scrum occurring right on the linp. Singe placed the hall on the right side of the • white line, performing the" hat trick with three successive tries. This time Gregory t failed to add the extra points. Marist IS 3 Athletic 0 SECOND HALF. Athletics started off very well, the for- - twenty-flvp. In attempting to take a pass 5 from McGregor. Hadley knocked the ball right into Gregory's hands, enabling Mari ists to rlcar. It rcrlalnly was hard lurk ' I for Tinrllpy whou hf wss fo near fhc lino. > Marists' backs flashed up, Foss and Molloy going in tlie direction of Athletics' end in 1 flnd O'Brien then dribbled up and another , try for thp crreens Took**fl pasy, hut Singe 1 over. Jones forcing. Dufty made a ppectartular dash down tnidneld and passed across to Molloy iAthletics). This player rropjjpd the linp. but fell on .1 (junrtot of 1 Marist men and could not force the ball -j down. A scrum was ordered five yards r out. resulting in the greens getting away . again. By a brilliant piece of -work. Graham broke through, and getting the > bnll from 'Wilson-Hall after .i raldflcld 'I nearly over the line, fell, hut 'before - ' grounding ho passed to Draffln. The V T I latter was pushed out richt. on the corner. . Marists attacked but. did not get. far, for Dufty managed to secure the leather, nnd making a great run, went right through and scored the best try of the day. He converted also. Marist 13; Athletic f>. A minute later, following a Marist forward onslaught, Molloy dashed away from Inside of Athletics" twenty-flve and successfully evaded both Dufty nnd Jones. who tried to hold him up. Gregory added the embroidery. Marist IS 9 Athletic 5 Mr. Saunders was the referee. DEVONPORT V. PONSONBY. exchange of kicks seeing a penalty awarded n against the blacks, and Delgrosso placed '<■ a tine goal for Fons/inhy. A little later '. the ball travelled out to Littlewood and the blacks' full-back, making a weak attempt. to tackle, Littlewood ran over to seorP. Delgrosso failed with the shot. However, three roinutes later, Donovan gave the ball to Gardiner and the burly three-quarter scored in a good position. This time Delgrosso made no mistakp, and Ponsonby led scored his Second try, which Delgrosso goalcd. and the "Ponies' - led 13 to 0. The next, score was the result of a beautiful passing bout started by Peckham. the ball being "handled in turn by six of the Ponsonby backs for Delgrosso to score and goal. Dlxon, who was playing a great game for the blacks, was responsible, for the. first score for his side. He took the ball through on his own, only passing to O'Brien named to fcoi'p. Laing goaled, and the score read: Ponsonhy 20, Dcvonport 5. When they enme out for the second half. Ponsonby wpre soon adding to their score, and from some close play on the line Gardiner whipped the ball Ion t to DpIgTOSFO who vfls over to score ,in a flash. A few minutes later from

some loose play, Paynp scorpd. Gardiner fallpd to goal nnd Ponsonby led, 26 I to -i. Cole was tbp nest to score, nnd then j Dplirnssn followed suit, nndthe total read: J ronsonhy ."2. Devonport. r>. Lon-ry was ' endpd further trips were scored hy Fazan and I'ayne. wblle Delgrosso converted one, ' the final score neing: j Pnnsonby 40 ; Devonpnrt 5 NEWTON V. RICHMOND. Xpwlon played with the sun behind them and Richmond were quickly on the ' defensive, T. iranlon putting in pood work I at full hack. Ilylnnd also beinc eon- • spicuous in grassing opponents who looked ! like getting through. A free kick almost ! from mid-ticld yielded Newton a Ronl ' secured by Clark, and a mimite later Richmond flashed down field, Avery nipping 1 ' across. Newton pressed and though T. ' Hanlun attempted to relieve, his pass was 'missed, making matters look dangerous for Richmond. An infringement gave Clark I another chance and with a free kick he put over a splendid goal. Newton 4, i Richmond 3. Richmond continued on the ' defensive aDd the Newton forwards got '■ going, Anderson getting possession and beating everyone. Clark goaled: Newton 10 Richmond "■ Midneld play followed I and then Kettlewell, getting possession cleverly in an awkward pass, raced down--1 field "and although grassed and almost ' smothpre<l on the linf he wrigsled across. Just before half-time Richmond jot up as far as Newton's twenty-five, where W. •Hanlen -placpo , a penalty gnal. making the half-time score: Newton Rangers 3, RichI mond Rovers S. j Newton was soon on thp defensive, '. and then W. Hanlen, with a flash I of ingenuity which pleased the Epec-

tators, made an imaginary pass, and dashed away for the line thirty yards off, succeeding in bullocking his way across. He followed up with a fine goal. Newton next spent about, two minutes in Richmonds area, when the defenders broke away, and, Newton's defence being pierced, KettleweU, who had followed up quickly, scored in the corner W. Hanlen adding the goal. Richmond now had.the hardest piece of defence their line calling forth every ounce of their energy The ruck gradually moved out about" twenty yards, when the leather was kicked high over the line. Avery lumping to get possession and forcing. Richmond got. going again', and Hyland passed to Little, to Bass, to Hing, to KettleweU, who scored. Richmond Rovers 2t ELLERSLIE V. NORTHCOTE. After a good, clean, hard game on the Domain Kllerslie United defeated Northcote, by 10 to 11 to-day. From start to Sfof was' KSTt V/cifint^Gene^ly^speTk 3 in" both teams were inclined to hold on to the ball too much. Consequently many promising chances were spoiled. The first score came from a pretty piece of play during which Khand. of Ellerslie, travelled fast up the side line and passed to Williams who in turn passed back to Shand, who scored. Ellerslio again attacked. Brisbane making a splendid opening for K. .lobuson to score. Sband added the goal points Nortbcote were going strongly, whpn a free kick given against Ellerslie enabled Wilkins to put the ball over the liar. Kllerslie S, Northcote -. Half-time saw no alteration to the score. Within a few minutes of the kick-off Ellerslie rushed their opponents and R. Johnson registered three more points. Shand converting. Still attacking, EUersIle kept their opponents at bay and Pouley scored a good try. It was now Northcote c turn. Forrest securing, puntPd well down and found the line. From the resulting melee Thomson scored, making the totals 16—5 in favour of Ellersfie. Again Northcote came away in good style and Pennvcooke dropped on the ball ovpr the line making his side 8 points to Kllerslip's 10. Shand. for Ellerslie. made a great run across the field and transferred to K. Johnson. The latter got over amidst applause. Ellerslir 19. Northcote S. Kllerslio's defence was solid, hut was penptrated hy Fitzgerald, who scored ttie. final try of the gamp. Just then the whistle blew, with the stores: Ellerslie 10 Northcote H SECOND GRADE. Richmond 11. beat Manjrere 0. Tonsonhy A 21, beat Newton 2. THIRD GRADE. City 26. beat Xorthcote 3. Xoi- I.vnn 18. beat Ponsonby A n. Otabuhu 10. beat Coromandel United 5. Parnell S, beat Kingsland 0. THIRD GRADE A. New Lynn IS, beat Ponsonby 0. FOURTH GRADE. Richmond 23, beat Kingsland 3. FIFTH GRADE. Athletics 14. beat New Lynn 0. PoDSonby 10. beat Ellerslie 0. AthleticS, drew with Ellerslie S. SIXTH GRADE. City 29, beat Athletics 0. SIXTH GRADE A. Richmond 27. beat Ellerslie 5. City Iβ, bPat North Shore S. SIXTH GRADE B. Richmond 22. beat Northcote 0. Ellerslie 36, beat Richmond 0. SOUTHERN MATCHES. DDNEDIN. Christian Bros. A IS, bear. Kaltangata 12. Athletic 24. beat Pacific 5. City 31, beat Christian Bros. B 3. CHRISTCHURCH. Marlets n. beat Addington «. Hornby 12, beat Marists B 5. Sydenham 36, beat Linwood 5.