THE RUGBY GAME.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1926, Page 14

THE RUGBY GAME.

NOTES AND GOSSIP.

SATURDAY'S SENIOR MATCHES

An endeavour is being made, with gome prospect of success, to arrange for the Xew Zealand Maori team to play in Auckland before sailing for France.

Since their inception in 1897 there have been 21 inter-island Rugby games played. Twelve have been played in Wellington, four in Christchurch, two in Auckland, and one each in Dunedin, Napier and Invercargill. The locale this year is Wellington.

George Dickinson, the All Black and Otago live-eighth, has donned the blue and black jersey of his old club (Kaikoraii again after a year's spell. He will be very welcome indeed, not only to his club, but to Otago as well.

Ray Bell, the well-known Southland and Maori player, who recently underwent an operation for appendicitis, has made a good recovery.

L. Cornaga, ex-Petone scoring man, now plays on the wing for the Lin wood Rugby Club's senior fifteen. He went to Christchurch from Wellington last year. Cornaga is a good stamp of threequarter, being solidly built and possessing a fairly good turn of speed (says the "Christchurch Star"), but he appears to lack the dash that is essential to a winger if he is going to prove a consistent, scoring man. Cornaga can be classed as a fairly good three-quarter. but with the brilliant Elvy on the other wing he suffers considerably by the contrast.

Thus '■Full-back" in "Otago Times": "Stevenson is one of the. best full-backs playing in Xew Zealand to-day, if not the very best, and I think he is that." A big compliment, but no doubt wellearned. The Otago University Xepia reached a high standard of play last season, and by all reports is as sound and as versatile as ever.

E. McGinley, the raking forward who played for North Shore, and later for Marist Old Boys, has not turned out locally this season. He is going to Sydney on May 14, and may take part in the Rugby games over there. Grammar Old Boys had more than their share of casualties in the game against Ponsonby on Saturday. In the that spell they lost Badeley, Wright, and Coodacre "with leg strains, and in the second half Gardiner, who had replaced Badeley, suffered a concussion by collision with another player and a goal-post at the same time, and had to retire, while Low al6o had to go off as the result of a slight concussion incurred in a tackle. Loss of players by casualties is no new thing for Grammar, who had 30 players in their first fifteen last year through the regular men being injured and having to be replaced. When Anderson hurled himself across the 'Varsity line in the second twenty of last Saturday's match for a brilliant try it was noticeable that he was bleeding profusely from the scalp. Referee Meredith sent out an S.O.S. to the "Zam Buk" men, who promptly patched up tbe speedy College Rifles forward, and he was going like a small tornado for the rest of the game. But the damage to his top-piece necessitated a couple of stitches when it was all over. All Black Lance Johnson, formerly of Wellington, is putting in a few weeks in Christchurch prior to going on to Hastings on transfer. In Hawke's Bay they doubt if there will be room for Johnson in their representative tfam. It would be a strange experience for a man who has captained Xew Zealand to find himself omitted from a provincial side, but it goes to show how strong the Bay really is. The writer has been advised from an authoritative source that the report of Jock Richardson's retirement from the game through his reported acceptance of a secretarial position in Invercargill was premature. Richardson will be playing in Southland this season and will be eligible for selection for the All Blacks. Ponsonby has made another flying start in the senior competition by winning the first two matches. The points to date are:— Pts. Cn. P. W. L. D. F. A. Pts. Ponsonbv ... 2 2 — — 51 11 4 Marists .... 2 1 — 1 J Grammar ... 2 1 1 — if }■> - Col. Rifles ..2 1 1 - J Grafton .... 2 — 1 1 11 40 1 University ..2 2 — — 14 _o —

PONSONBY FULLY EXTENDED. The Grammer-Ponsonby game on Saturday fully realised expectations in the matter of "thrills, for the Old Boys performed up to their old traditions, while Ponsonby were at the top of their game. But for casualties among the Grammar players the game would probably have been in doubt right up to the last minute. An unfortunate epidemic of ricked ankles, however, deprived Grammar of the services of Badeley. Wright and Goodacre in the first spell. With an improvised back combination the whites carried on so heartily with their task that Ponsonby were kept fully extended to win by 14' to 3. Pace and dash on the part of the Grammar pack promised early to make trouble for Ponsonby. and right to the end of the game the blue forwards were kept doing their best. With Knight. Potter, Clark and Co., right on top of them all the time the Ponsonby forwards rarely got time to indulge in their characteristic handling work till the whites tired at the end of the game, At the same time the blue pack fully matched their opponents in dash, and the result was a rare duel of fast forward work. As usual, when they are up against a strong forward combination, the Ponsonby pack played well together, and individuals were hard to

pick out. Matson, the All Black wing three-quarter, made his first appearance of the season as a rover, and his style of play was naturally rather a combination with the backs, and occasional solo dashes from the scrum side rather than tho orthodox wing forward game. While this threw more on to the other members of the forwards than would have been the case with a regular forward in the position, it made things easier for the backs. The outstanding player for Ponsonby in the game was Hook, at full-back, whose saving was without a blemish, ami whose game ia playing up with

the three-quarter line when his side was on the attack was clever and effective. McManus, at half-back, got through a very heavy day's work with credit,-and time and again he shifted the play from defence to attack when the opposition threatened trouble. So far as attack went, the Grammar backs had few opportunities, for when their forwards went away in their forays the other side usually Managed to smother the effort in the ruck, before the hall could be got away to the backs for a finishing effort. In defence, however, they all did a deal of excellent work, with Williams and Ifwersen most prominent. Both teams made the game exceptionally fast and open, with the result that spectators were kept constantly on the tip toe of expectation.

RIFLES NARROW SQUEAK

Over-much offside play on the fringe of set scrums, line-out and loose rucks, marred the I'niversit y-College Rifles match on Saturday, and the respective lni'lf-backs, Kirk and Cashmore. are entitled to a certain amount of sympathy for a gruelling they would not (and should not) have received, had the control of breaking forwards been just as strict as it might have been. With this exception. Referee Meredith handled the game in a workmanlike manner.

College Rifles had a narrow squeak from coming away with a division of the spoils of victory through being caught out of position by a "quirk-fire University passing rush in the closing stages of the game. Miller had a glorious chance to equalise the scores, but under the stress of the occasion missed an easy kick. At the same time Collet: Lifles would have been unlucky not to have won, in spite of the brilliant attempt by Mac-ken, Freeman and Brooker to pull the game out of the fire, as College Bides had held a distinct advantage on the run of play up to that stage. The winners' scrum work must have continued to give food for thought in responsible quarters. It is still somewhat ragged, and the. ball was not coining away as cleanly as it niisrht on Saturday. Anderson. " who scored all three tries for the winners, has a fine turn of pace, and played a dashing game in the loose. His next task should be to brush up his scrum work. Fogarty worked hard throughout, and by taking full advantage of the controlling official's leniency in respect to coming round the scrum, proved himself a constant thorn in the side of the opposition. These two were the outstanding forwards on the side of the Dark Blues, but Gallagher and Lawn also showed out well at times.

.Sheen at first five-eighth played a sound, solid game, getting few chances to open up the play, but nevertheless being always in his place when wanted. Teape made some brilliant openings on attack, and appeared to be tackling soundly at the start, but his collaring fell away later on. Spencely played i\ solid game on the wing, and Kirk at half was exceedingly (and effectively) busy from start to finsh. Johnson, who has returned to his old club after a season in Wellington' senior football, played a useful game at centre.

Keen toiled like a Trojan on the fringe of the 'Varsity pack, but must have been more than a trifle disconcerted to find that some of his packmen appeared to have designs on his position. This is going to be one University's troubles unless the forwards pull themselves together—there were too many "shiners" in the pack on Saturday. Apart from Keene's fine game in a roving capacity, there was little that was out> standing on the side in the way of forward play, with the exception that Miller was a consistent and valuable toiler throughout the game. Mathias also caught the eye at times, and appeared to be working solidly. The inside backs were not as effective as they might have been; largely a result of standing too deep and not moving up on the, run for their passes. Even on defence, they gave the College Rifles' backs altogether too much room to work on. Butler at fullback was very safe, and Macken also did well on, the wing, but witli Freeman, it seemed 1 to be just a question as to whether he was stopping them as well as he might have done. Some of his attacking work was very good.

ELLERSLIE V. SUBURBS. Playing on their own ground, Ellerslie registered a win against Suburbs, two unconverted tries giving them an advantage of six points. The game was evenly contested throughout, and right up to the final whistle there appeared a chance that the visitors would snatch a last minute victory. Tin's, however, was not to he, and despite strenuous efforts on the part of the Suburban players, they were unable to open their scoring account. Early in the first quarter it was apparent that the teams were very evenly matched, and the struggle was at no stage one-sided. The local fifteen made the pace for the first half, but then showed a tendency to ease up, with the result that Suburbs had slightly the better of the closing stages of tho argument. In Sturmey, a former Taranaki player, Ellerslie ha? an excellent back. Making his first appearance on Saturday, he came into prominence within thirty seconds of the kick-off, and with anything approaching good luck would have scored a fine try. The dead hall line, however, decreed otherwise. Irvine at fullback, was safe. Of the forwards, Otway stood out by himself. Although the "smallest of the pack, lie proved himself a champion for work, and was continually in the picture. Suburbs, when they settle down should make a 1 >i<L to regain their last season's reputation. That they have good material is undoubted. The forwards are a big lot, Abel and Consedine being perhaps the best. The rearguard has not yet got into working order, and it is hard to say how it will shape. A. Lamb was conspicuous hoth in attack and defence. The team, wliieh was handicapped by the absence of Vallance, stayed well and was unlucky in not scoring at least one try. A CLEVER TEAM. Possessing a fast and clever set of backs and a hard-working pack who handle the ball equally as well as the rearguard. Training College have made an impressive and successful debut in the ranks of senior football. Certainly they J are light, but this fact apparently does j not restrict their scoring capacity." Their i backs work like a well-oiled machine, and the sparkling display they ga\e against .Manukau in the second half on Saturday would have aroused even the most blase followers to a state of high enthusiasm. Shore should he their only serious proposition in the B grade, and it is just doubtful whether last year's winners are strong enough to stand up to the whirlwind tactics of the blue and whites. It should be a great game when they meet on Saturday week. Training College have had two good wins, aud on each occasion they have shown that they know » deal about l__^ame.

In Maingay, Training College have the i best half-back in the B grade section. IHe wastes no time in whipping the ball '■ away, and loses no opportunities to open up the play. Two of his openings on Saturday were responsible for tries. Myers, the second five-eighth, is clever, and on nearly every occasion he cut out his vis-a-vis. The outside backs are fast; they run straight, and both the wings are good scoring men. At full-back Me* i Lean, a Xew Plymouth High School boy, ;is very safe, and leaves nothing to ' chance. Cummings and Wills headed 'all the blue and white forward sorties, ■ and Willis, the rover, made successful . openings for the backs. I Davis and Amohanga, the two fiveeighths of the Manukau team, stood up to most of the work on Saturday, and lif it had not been for their sure tackI ling the score registered against the team would have been even bigger. ! The Bloueher brothers and Pascoe did | most of the work among the forwards, land quite often broke up the blue and white attacks. SHORE'S EASY DAY. For a quarter of an hour on Saturday ! Xewton flattered their few supporters at Victoria Park, that if they could not quite hold their own with North Shore they could at least keep the score j down. They started off vigorously, and by their dash smothered the opposition attack. But it was only a flash in the pan. The absence of Dave Reid was felt in the Shore combination, but by the end of the first spell they had found themselves. When they did they were much too good for the opposition, and - long ere the game ended the Newtonians I were broken in condition, and could i not respond with any spirit. The longer | the game lasted the faster became the rate of scoring, and just before tha 'whistle blew the tally reached 40 to nil. exactly tho same as had been recorded in tbe Newton-Training Collegs ; match a week before. | On this record there should be a • stirring contest when Shore and Training j College meet. I D. Reid was absent as the result oi ■ a sprained ankle sustained in train- | ing. It will keep him off the playing , field for ten days or a fortnight. | Unless Xewton intends to accept without protest the humiliating woodan spoon at the close of the season, the members of the team will have to undergo a system of intensive training under a competent coach. Individually the ! players show 7 plenty of promise, but they have neither condition nor combination. Also, if the club has any j supporters they might be asked to j lend a hand. On Saturday, Shore, who ■ needed no assistance, were urged on by numerous partisans, but Xewton had to carry on and take a severe ; drubbing without ever a cheer or word lof encouragement.