RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 13

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

PONSONRY BEAT GRAMMAR. SHORE FIVE POINTS UP ON TRAINING COLLEGE. MARISTS AND GRAFTON DRAW. Even with a greasy ball and a soaking ground, with water inches deep in places, and rain pouring down, Rugby at Eden Park on Saturday was remarkably good. They heavy downpour at the etart of the Ponsonby-Grammar game on No. 1 did not keep the fans away, a big crowd turning up to watch the struggles. All through the match the Grammar forwards had Ponsonby bustled, and it was only in the last few minutes that the champions could get across and convert their try. Shore and Training College, who staged the big match of the day, treated the crowd to a fast and exciting exhibition, the seasiders getting home with a converted try to nil. On No. 2 Marist and Grafton had a hard forward struggle, each side kicking a penalty. There was a difference of five points at the end of the College Rifles-Univereity game out at the Showgrounds.

PONSONBY BEAT .GRAMMAR.

The Grammar forwards kept up a bustling game throughout the contest with Ponsonby that worried last year's champions in conditions which were against fast and accurate handling. >ot that the Ponsonby vanguard could be disregarded, for there were periods ■when they had the Grammar backs Dlavins desperately to save. The first scoring chance that seemed likely was a penalty shot by Turel that Just missed, and there was no score at half-time. After Grammar had several times just failed to score from torward tactics, the Ponsonby backs at the close of the game opened up play, and after n . e , ,iKv,? bUllant bout ended in Camffiick dribbling over> and scoring for Short 6? Gramml? 6. Tbe eßded: p ° ne ° n >»-

SHORE V. TRAINING COLLEGE.

a was ad nel mostly between the Shore forwards and Training College backs, with Matbeson endeavouring to take advantage of penalty shots caused by occasional oftII iJHX on - Bho «>e part. Both sides narrowly missed scores in the first spell and « r Z*LA Ot V ntU the thlrd twent y that the flrst and only score of the game was registered by D. Reid for Shore, after a dashing •010 run. The try was converted by M. S™ d ;i P*?* ,, .*,* oicce « , «>na> breakaways bv ?jM n & g CoUe « e ' the North Shore pack mm» ?k "ecendancy for the rest of the «ame, though failing to score again.

i GRAFTON V. MAKIBTS.

t>7*ll* U £!Li W i ae charact «le«l throughout oy very even play, with fortune constantly vhSSRSL" tfie r l ßult of 'nd'vidual effort farlv Tn \l2 eCOr,n ? ,n •««• »»■« spell, but early in the second a penalty goal by SiT™"!? P«t Grafton in the lead The? had rather the better of things from this S£a?*» b !!l ? ear th , e c,OBe <* the g?me a a. Loft and the

COLLEGE RIFLES' FIRST WIN.

fles re T° rdw * thefr first win hi iifffH , ? awakened University team fj " to 11. The absence of half a dozen ?Ll e re « u ,l arß ? f tbe student team had its effect on 'Varsity's combination. In the J r «t "P*U. for the Rlflles tries were scored M»"fy. Spencely and Fo|arfy! two $ belng by Pilling, while B ™* er scored a try for 'Varsitv Thl students showed to* better advantage in S ? ? «a y C % D th°e n n e Sve^t^