RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 108, 10 May 1927, Page 14

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

HIGH-CLASS CLUB GAMES.

9FECTACXTLAR AND EXCITING.

*THE INCREASING MAORI PLAYER.

The judgment shown in keeping Graf-1 ton in the top division and at the same time promoting Training .College was seii-ntioiially justified on Saturday. Ginf-in }\\>t pipped Grammar Old Boys for tin win, and the youthful teachers' tea:n .-urprised everybody by playing I*oll !Mii>y to a draw after a brilliant game. In both these matches the ■ttimUml of play was above the average cf the final games of last year, and an equally clase of football was played by Col'.cjrc Rifles and North Shore at tlie Showground, the latter team showing a quality that foreshadows something extra special when they meet Training College next week, and Ponsonby on the following Saturday. It is many years since Auckland has liad so large an element of the original Xcw Zealander in R the senior club ranks. W. Barclay, captain of the Maori team in Britain and France last year, turned out on Saturday for College Rifles." His touring companion, Haupapa, though billed to appear for Ponsonby, has not yet turned out for that club, though Pelham, another of the Maori tourists, is Ponsonby's fullback. Then Grammar has Turei, of Te 'Aute, and Batty, who played for North *(Maori) v. South last year, in Grafton's .ranks an- to be found the e:c-Te Aute players Hum, Seymour and Wanoa, and ;yet another of the lads of the famous aative college is Grace, a North Shore forward. None of these teams, however, has so distinctly a Maori flavour as is possessed by Manukau seniors, in which the Maori and pakcha appear fifty-fifty. On Saturday, Manukau included in their team Amohanga, Te Paa, Kahu, Kare, e Turei and Rata—quite a strong representation of the first New Zealander. The staging of the Fonsonby -Training Colleg game on No. 2 ground let the spectators out of control on Saturday. .They encroached continuously over the •ide lines, the efforts of officials to hold back madly excited partisans being futile. On one occasion two lady spectators were toppled over when the game converged on them, and they were lucky to escape with just a less of dignity. Hoping off Nos. 2 and 3 grounds at Eden Park seems more than ever desirable. There was an unusual incident in the City-Manukau game. A Manukau ruch swept along the side line and near the twenty-five the line umpire put up his flag. The refere failed to see it, and the rush went across. Mr. Stretton awarded a try, and the ball was being taken out for the kick at goal when his attention was drawn to the flag. To the surprise o fstudeats of the rules he altered his decision, several Manukau members protesting. The positions of the Senior A section teams now stand:— A SECTION*. Points Ch. P W L DForAgstPts Ponsonby 2 1 — 1 37 14 3 TTniversity ... 2 1 — 1 11 83 Marists 2 1 — 1 14 12 3 Grammar 2 1 1 — 2G 23 2 Crafton 2 1 1 — 25 26 2 Shore 2 1 1 — 20 20 2 Tγ. College ... 2 1 — 1 15-20 1 Col. Kifles 2 — 2 — 11 42 0 PONSONBY V. TRAINING COLLEGE. TT'ere should be no lack of patronage for Kugby this season if contests like Ir '.ii Saturday's one between these two t( r.u; can be staged regularly. It t< .nod with thrills from start to finish, a '. would have been much better staged on No. 1 ground, where the excited spectators would not have encroached consistently on ,the field of play/ Two quick penalties in easy positions, which Matneson turned to good account, gave Training College a confidence in themselves that set the whole jteam off at the top of its form. In footwork and following-up their pack was tireless, and the backs, in defence* .particularly, did splendid work. Still, with the score nine to three in their favour at half-time, the studentjteachers, though playing splendidly, .were not expected to win, for Ponsonby As a recognised "second-spell" side, and '3n the latter half of the game the blue fend blacks set out determinedly to pass jtheir opponents' score. For most of this {period they held the upper hand, and Shough they could only make a draw of git at the final whistle, on the general Tnin of the play the draw was one 'ilightly in their favour. The Ponsonby backs showed to better ffed vantage in handling and in making Pelham was always reliable land Lucas was at his best, often badly beating a very solid defence. Berridge i> wined to be the weakest link in the ,Vha.in, with an inclination to hold on too Song. McManus , final score was a piece Spf fine opportunism, of which the College backs should have been forewarned Iby a prior attempt. It would be hard h> individualise forwards on either side. "sXwn evenly-matched packs gave a fine•Spirited hard display of fast, open [i'ootball that kept the pace a "cracker" Outstanding in the College defence was the work of Meyer, while Minns, on the wing, has both pace and .■pluck. The return game will certainly ■excite much interest. I RIFLES WELL BEATEN. • A'orth Shore's victory at the expense pi College Rifles was dear cut, and a triumph for the fifteen from across the jrater. For a team which is playing its first season in the A division of the eenior grade to score so decisive a victory over a fifteen of the calibre of (College Rifles is a performance of which .the victors may well be proud. Few of the fairly large crowd ,of enthusiasts yrho went out to the Show Grounds had any thoughts that the much-boomed Bines' back division would fail to score against the opposition, which was known not to be at its full strength; but such proved the case, the blues not register-, ing a single try. Shore, on the other. $and, displayed a form which would do them credit even towards the end of the season, and succeeded in crossing their opponents' goal-line on no fewer - than four occasions. It was a case of a team with a better tack of forwards scoring a decisive vicjuwy, lor no one will dispute the claim jthat the Shore van were in fine nick, and Along way ahead of the opposing seven. tffe PfPer the College backs lootart for*uanble enough, including in JWition

to Sheen and L. Johnstone (whose cleverness and ability to make the most of any openings that come their way is undoubted), Barclay, the captain of the Maori team which toured France last season. This star Maori player was in the centre of the three-quarter line, with Johnston and Sheen in the five-eighths positions.

Shore were without the service 3 of both their regular wingers, D. Reid and Holmes, and looked a weakened team. But from the opening whistle Shore went all out to demonstrate their right of victory, and except for a short period iluiing the third quarter, when two excellent penalty kicks by Pilling put Rifles in the" lead, never looked like losing. The Shore forwards are a beefy lot, and on Saturday were at their best, Clarke, Reid, Smith, Meikle, and Page getting through a lot of work. Solomon, as rover, was also in splendid form, although over-eagerness on his part occasionally resulted in the greens being penalised. Among the backs, Mouatt proved himself a nippy player, while Johnston, as the last line of defence, was very sound. All the other backs did well, the emergency wing men, O. Johnstone and Walsh, acquitting themselves creditably. Owing to the inclusion of Barclay in the Rifles' rearguard, several alterations were neoessary, and Wilson was given a try on the wing. Kjrk, behind the scrum, was given the ball only on rare occasions, and had few opportunities of getting his well-proved backs in aetion. Pilling was in good form, his kicking being very strong. The College forwards, as a whole, were disappointing, although there were occasional fine individual efforts. It was a case of the Rifles being beaten bv a better team.

GRAFTON'S FINE FINISH,

Though not a classy exhibition, the game between Grammar and Graf ton was full of interest. The teams were evenly matched, with the score board favouring first one and then the other.. However, at the opening of the last period the Grammarians established a definite lead. Their forwards, with Batty and Knight leading them on, literally ran over the opposition. Grafton were obviously up against it, and after several narrow escapes the inevitable occurred, and Batty got over. This gave his side a lead of three, and — with the play going tho way it was— apparently the game as well. However, all was not over, and Grafton staged a great come-back in the last three minutes. This despite the fact that they were then a man short. Noakes having had to retire. They rushed the ball to Grammar's 25, where twice in quick succession Ruru, with fine dash, threatened to score. The Grafton barrackers were on the tip toe of excitement. All their hopes centred on their speedy wing. "Give it to Ruru," they yelled with extraordinary unanimity. Out came the ball from the scrum, but for a change, timing his manoeuvre to perfection, Lockie left his opponents to watch Ruru while he dashed across the line. This evened the score, and all eyes were on Stevenson as he took the kick. The angle was fairly acute, and there was a cross wind to contend against, but the Grafton back made no mistake, the ball going straight as an arrow, whilst Graftonian cheers rent the air.

The winners thoroughly deserved their victory for both back and front they played keenly and well. Finlayson and Compton were again conspicuous forward, whilst in the backs Ruru was the bright particular star. Two new players were tried out in Seymour, centre three-quarter, and Wanoa, who was in the forwards' back row. Both acquitted themselves well. Grammar tried a change in the back division. Lurei was brought from full to wing three-quarter, and the alteration was not successful. The Grammar backs were not at their best, and many of their passing bouts were of the "straight across the field" order. For the.;:fiTst half the forwards seemed to be at sixes and sevens, and it was not until the last part of the game that they played up to reputation. FORWARDS PLAY BACKS. It was only in the last quarter of the Marist-'Varsity tussle on Xo. 1 Eden Park that anything like good football was seen. Play had been dull most of the way through, but it livened up then and some bright individual and combined efforts roused the crowd. It was largely a duel between the Marist forwards and the 'Varsity backs. Hun after run was made by the all blue backs, but each time the tackling of the Tykes' van was sound and it was seldom that a Marist back missed his man. The inside men, Wright, Stoupe and Letton, did a lot of solid work when theiT citadel was in danger. The same trio gave a spectacular exhibition of attacking work several times in the fast last quarter, uncertain handling further out spoiling one or two promising movements. The Marist forwards are a bustling lot. Thly have three hard workers in C. Hadley, Cotter and Wood, a splendid trio who made things hot at times. Marist did most of the attacking in the last 20. Half a dozen times they were unlucky in not getting across, their handling again letting them down. Once a forward got over after Butler had taken things too cheaply, but he was called back and "Varsity cleared after a scrum. All through the game the 'Varsity back machine worked fairly well. Cashmore lost no time in getting the ball away from the scrum. Time after time it would shoot along the line to the win<% but Johnston and Loft are hard men to get past. Bradanovitch, *Varsity's first five-eighth, made a couple of brilliant individual bursts and so did Stoupe, the man who played opposite him. Stoupe, by the way, is a newcomer to Auckland football, having played mostly in the Waikato. He is a solid type of player runs straight, kicks well with either foot, and tackles solidly. He holds on to the leather a bit too long just now, sometimes forgetting that he has a gcod man outside him.