PONSONBY PREMIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 189, 12 August 1929, Page 14

PONSONBY PREMIERS.

DEFEAT OF DEVONPORT.

LOW SCORING, HARD MATCH.

COMMENT ON PLAY AND PLAYERS

The League club championship, which carried with it the Monteith Shield, was won by Ponsonby after a titanic struggle with last year's champions, Devonport, at Carlaw Park, on Saturday. Between sunshine and shower the game was carried along, and the players wallowed in nuid that was ankle deep.' One could hardly imagine more atrocious conditions for a shield final, but nevertheless 11,000 spectators prepared for the elements "and a great game were thrilled by tho tenseness of the struggle, which, was punctuated by rapid forward exchanges and occasional bright passing bouts. On the day there was little between the teams, and though western suburbs clinched victory by a penalty goal and a try, possibly a draw would have more equitably represented the merits of the thirteens.

To say the least, Ponsonby can be regarded as exceedingly lucky even to have ever reached the final. Through a memorable season they have twice been beateii by Devonport, which up till a few weeks ago were going great guns and looked invincible. Then they suffered a series of setbacks, and first City and then Mariste —two teams hopelessly out of the running—accounted for them. Meanwhile the Ponies were more or less resting on their oars and developing their combination in a number of lees strenuous contests. How well they have succeeded was demonstrated on Saturday —they won the championship for the first time for several years. Shore was beaten but not disgraced. They played their traditional game, and while their bacl ■, did not function as well as usual, their forwards held their own, and in the looso a slight advantage. They also revealed their defeneivo qualities in true light, for territorially there was no questioning that Ponsonby held tho upper hand. But it does not necessarily follow that tho team that has the r.un of the play with it is the better of two sides. Finish and ability to penetrate . the defence aro tho determining factors in football, and Ponsonby lacked matchwinning polish* against a great 'defensive side. Their only try came as the result of a fortuitous set of circumstances, and tho weight and dash of Gardiner, their big Maori forward. Delgrosso's boot made the score s—o, the Pony captain landing a penalty early in the first stanza. Sparkling passing under the conditions under which the players laboured was , out of the question,

but nevertheless some really bright handling bouts were provided^ Ponies' chain were tho more enterprising, Mclntyre, fed liberally by Stevens, sending them away repeatedly. Tho little half played his usual good game, and on defence was

as sound as a rock. Dclgrosso got through a wealth of work in the five-eighths line, and his positional play and ability to judge the trend of the. play saved his eide repeatedly. His cool head and well-directed kicking beat off tho invaders time and again. Thompson played up to form outside tho captain, defending well and being conspicuous fo rstraight running. Pviley was brilliant at times, though his scope was restricted by the watchfulness of his vis-a-vis, Beattie, and combined well with his wingers, Winters and P.

Skelton. Several times he got round Winters to make an extra back, and the pair frequently harried the opposition by their understanding of each other's tactics. Skelton again impressed for his speed and dash, and was unlucky not to score when he broke away to outstrip all the opposition except Shore's custodian, Trevor O'Leary, who got him ball and. all. White, at fuli-back, struggled through a hectic defensive day. Fortune favoured him quite a lot, but one thing was that ho did not'let his side down. His kicking could be improved on, and he is on the slow side- in his movements. , Trevor O'Leary was the scasiders' best back. Ho was as game as a pebble, tackled like a little hero, and used judgment in his kicking with either foot. The fact that he was forced to play full-back owing to L. Simons having been placed on the bank for the rest of the season, however, was unfortunate, for it seemed to take all the sting out of he marine suburb's attack. Seagar at first five-eighths was as resourceful, as usual, but hie partner, Rhodes, was not a good connecting link with the threequarter .line; his passes being, erratic when on the move. Beattie- showed up favourably both on attack and defence. Len Scott was the choice of the wingers, though hampered by an injured mouth that compelled him to wear a mask. Coughlan played a fine game behind the pack, and stopped rush after rush by going down to it. It was the forwards who made the game, and they were exceedingly well matched. Every man worked with a will, chased everything and tackled like demons. For Ponspiiby, Fagan, Skelton, Gardiner and Payne caught the eye most; while Ruby,' Rule and Dixon were most prominent for the losers.