RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 188, 11 August 1925, Page 14

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

SCHOOL BOY REP. TEAMS.

The following teams will practice nt Eden Park at 3.30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week: — A Team. —Speer, Morris, Ilickey, Pollard, Allen, Costello, Farrant, Si!vn, Hughes, Halllwell, Everitt. Splcer, Schultz, D. Stewart, W. Hinton. B Team.—<McKeuzie (New Lynn), McLeod (Vauxhall), Barr, Mnrtin ipßeresford), Curtayne, Agnew, O'Hughes, Barry, Collins, Lingham, Seagar, Beamish, Mitchell. Reserves.—Clark, Bass, Rutherford (Devonport), Sinclair, Speer (Curran Street), Moyes (Bayfield). STUDENTS AT ONEHUNGA. Though winning by only a small margin, University really had a comfortable victory against Manukau Rovers, who were as usual handicapped by the weakness of the back division. Fergusson, Albon and Austin showed up well, but the balance failed to harmonise. As usual the forwards played with plenty of dash and Houshan, as rover, put Id. a lot .of good work. University, on the day., were a well-balanced team, and their passing, though frequently ineffective, was quite spectacular. Hopkins was in fine form, so also was Olscn, and Blakey at full was always safe.

COLLEGE TO HEAVY FOR SUBURBS.,

A substantial advantage in the weight of their forwards save College Rifles the win in their match against Suburbs at Avondale on Saturday. Suburbs had proved themselves a hard team to beat on their own ground and it was expected that the Rifles would have to give of their best to avert defeat. The local players, however, were without the services of Baker and Consedine. the two heaviest and hardest working members of their pack, and the team which took the field was by no means a representative one, the absence of Grey In the backs being-badly felt. From the kickoff, Suburbs made the paxre nnd within a few minutes of the Urst whistle had obtained a three-point lead as the result of a successful kick from a mark by Vallanee. Throujihout the spell the reds' held their lend, but early in the second lnilf the forwards and backs alike showed Mpis of easing up. The College forwards met with but little opposition and before the end of the came the blues had piled up nineteen points, the final whistle finding the scores 111 —3 with College in front. OllJespie was safe as full-buck for the bines and made but few mistakes. The three-quarters showed pare but faulty handling spoilt a number of movements. Kirk played a great game behind the scrum, but the five-eighths showed a tendrney tn hanp; on too lons. The forwards were evenly" matched. As full-back for Suburbs, Don did Rood work in the early rtages hut faded away towards the end of the third spell. The threequarters were not Impressive. Somerville and Harry both showed to advantage the last-named player bMng particularly danserous. Vuliance played his usual good Kamr. The forwards were unable to set going nnd could do little against the'r heavier opponents.

CHARITY CUP WINNERS.

By ben ring Mar at Old Boys on Raturdnv, the Ponsonby seniors carry off the Charity Cup for the season, as well as the Gnllnher Shield, nndl it only remains for them to win the Pollard Cup in order to scoop the S3nr,°r .i 1? s r aßo "' s honours. This last will probably be the most difficult feat of all, for the competition will be played contemporaneously with the representative matches and Ponsonby is likely to have more of their players engaged for the province than any other team Of Saturdays game there is little to Ray other than that it was a good hard game, with Mnrists relying on their forwards chiefly, and their backs specialising in spoiling work. On this occasion the I'onsoiiby pack, though losing Dean at the B ,\} r L ,h, ' p " me n,KI McWilliams later (both being replaced), held their own better than the last time they met Marists and at times it was a battle royal. Whitburn, Palmer, McWilllame, Rigbron and McCarthy were all prominent at stages of the game for the winners, and McGlnley. Mardonald, the Peters brothers and Riuch stood out for Marists in keeping Ponsonby Notwithstanding that tho ground was greasy, and the ball nt times bard to handle it was tho Ponsonby backs who kept Marists defending for the greater part of the game, especially in the second spell. The only weak player of the rearguard on the day wns McGregor, whose defence failed at times. Foster played well with Me.Janus, and Lucas gave his wings, Matson and Syme, as many chances as could reasonably be expected, and each of them managed to get past the defence once Hook played an excellent full-back game The defence of the Marist bncks was sound all round, and Brodie showed up, especially in fast tackling and interepptious, but the'v never at nny time looked dangerous as a scoring combination.

KING'S 0.8. AND GRAFTON.

Grnfton were not at their full strength on Saturday, nnd the closeness of the "ame with Kings Old Boys has to be discounted accordingly, but the reds must be complimented on the good game they m;ide of it. Lighter in the pack than their opponents they held them well, while their backs particularly in the last spell, played as well ns Grnfton. On.- of (be best players on the ground wns Stewart, in the Grafton pack. lie was always on the ball, nixl did some excellent dribbling, and capped off his efforts with two tries. iHardgraves. at full-hnclc. plnyerl a Rood game too, while A. Cooko outshone the rest of the backs Maxwell. Sheen and Teape played well among the King's bncks. who in the concluding stages showed some dashing combination.

THE CANTERBURY GAME.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The first hi? game of the Auckland representative season will be played at Kden I'ark on Saturday, when the' fanterbury team, which made such a fine bid against Ilawke's Kay for the Rnnfurly Shield ln.st Wednesday will give the Auckland team its first renl testing of the season. To date the Aueklanders have had wins against Poverty Kay and Thames, but the (teams for those matches have not been generally looked on as the province's host, and it is nnticinntod thnt the game against Canterbury will indicate what Auckland's chances will be later against Ilawke's Bas and Wellington. The experience of Canterbury, in losses by IS—24 acains' Ilawke's Ray and by (i—S against Wellington, show thnt the South Islanders are a formidable lot. 'Meantime the Auckland team for the match has not yet been announced, and there is widespread interest among enthusiasts, and quite a diversity of opinion as to what the placing of the players will be. The feeling is held, however, that the province has the material for a sido that should lie .lble to just more Ilinn holrl its own against Canterbury. Whatever the result, it seems quite certain that the game will be a great one. Canterbury Ji'ave to play Wairurapa to-morrow, and it js quite possible that they will save some ,of their best men for Auckland hv spelling ,them on the occasion .of the Wairarapa Same.