PONSONBY OPPORTUNISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 127, 1 June 1931, Page 12

PONSONBY OPPORTUNISTS.

The old Rugby rivals, City and Ponsonby, had a hard go at the Show Grounds on Saturday afternoon, and the latter won by 11 points to 3. Playing against the wind in the first spell Ponsonby had a lead of five points at the change-over and there were expectations that with the advantage of the wind they would finish with a fairly good margin, but City forwards made the game hard and close and Ponsonby only added another three points. City showed themselves to be a much improved combination and they look like a team which might upset things as the season progresses. The forwards play a hard game and the backs are playing better together. One thing which contributed to City's good showing on Saturday was the splendid line-kicking of Carter and Berridge. Time and again they gave their hard-battling forwards relief by welldirected kicks into touch.

The Ponsonby rearguard did not show championship form. Generally Frankham ran too wide of the scrum and the passes from back to back were telegraphed and lost ground on many occasions. However, when Solomon joined in between Frankham and Cammick he usually endeavoured to use his weight to make an opening and sometimes succeeded. A strange feature of the match was that all of the tries scored were runaway affairs, that of Stehr's being scored from well over the half-way line. It was a mistake for him to take the kick at goal himself for his run was a strenuous effort. Jamieson's tries were those of an opportunist of the best Ponsonby tradition. He was the star back of the day. Solomon played a fine game and other Ponsonby forwards to show out prominently at times were Bunting, Gallaher, Summers and Palmer. On the City side Carter, Berridge and Stehr were the pick of the backs, who will have to come in more quickly to be effective. Kerr-Taylor played a good game against a hard opponent on the opposing wing. The pack was a hardworking one which held its own against the blues in the scrum, the loose and on the line-out. The forward rallies were hard and willing but nothing more. There was nothing to which any exception could be taken. Where all played so well it would be unfair to individualise any member of the City pack.

GAMES IN THE SOUTH. PALMERSTON NORTH. United 10. beat Feilding 0. Kia Toa 12. beat Old Boys 11. Feilding Old Boys 3S, beat Massey College 6 ' WANGANUI. Pirates 19. beat Marist 13. Technical Old Boys 16, beat Old Boys 3. Kalerau 12, beat Ratana 3. MASTERTON. Old Bovs 10, beat Red Star 3. For Old Boys Falkner and ward 6Corea tries and Falkner potted a goal. For Red Star Petersen scored a try. Carterton 12, beat Masterton 0. PAHIATUA. Hamua 12, beat Alfredton 6. FEILDING. Feilding Old Boys 38, beat Massey College 6. CHRISTCIIURCn. Merlvale 25, beat 'Varsity 3. Sydenham 14, beat Athletic 13. Christchurch 17, beat Linwood 5. Old Boys 19, beat Albion 6. WELLINGTON. Marl6t 10, beat University 8. Poneke 12, beat Old Boys 0. Wellington 18, beat Berhampore 0. Oriental 9, beat Eastbourne 6. Petone 6, beat Athletic 0. Hutt 17. beat Mlramar 6. Senior B.—Hutt 6, beat Onslow 0. DUNEDIN. University A 20, beat Union 0. Dunedin 8, beat Taieri 6. Zingarl 14, beat Pirates 6. Kaikorai 12, beat University B <$. Southern B 0, drew with Alhytiferfr

GRADE GAMES. SENIOR B. Otahuhu 23. beat Roskill 0. Marathon 18, beat North Shore 0. SECOND GRADE.' University A 17, beat Grammar A 0. College Rifles 6, beat City 5. Ponsonby 38, beat Parnell 0. North Shore 11. beat Northcote 6. Newton 8, beat College Rifles Colts 5. Otahuhu 8, beat Royal Naval Reserve 3. Manurewa 10, beat University B 0. THIRD OPEN Suburbs 6, beat Panmure 3. Howick 20, beat University 8. Penrose 3, beat Waitemata 0. THIRD INTERMEDIATE. Grafton B C. beat University 0. Technical 0.8. 11, beat North Shore 3. Manukau 3, drew witli Dilworth 0.8. 3. Marist 0.8. 3. beat Grammar B 0. Grammar A 31, beat Eden 0. City boat Ellerslie by default. Grafton 38, beat Marathon O. FOURTH GRADE. Manukau 12, beat Otahuhu S. Marathon 33. beat Grammar 0. Technical 0.8. Colts 19. beat Parnell 11 Ponsonby 23, beat Manurewa 0. Ellerslie 20, beat Penrose 5. FIFTH GRADE. Grafton 31, beat Panmure 3. Technical 0.8. 5, beat Otahuhu 0. Suburbs 32,' beat Roskill 0. SIXTH GRADE. Eden 16, beat Otahuhu 3. Suburbs 6, beat Manukau 3. Ponsonby 3, beat Technical 0.8. 0. JUNIOR BOYS.

Seniors. —Suburbs 3, drew with Ellerslie 3. Intermediate.—Suburbs 0, drew with Marist 0; Manukau 8, beat Otahuhu 3. GAMES IN THE PROVINCE. CAMBRIDGE. United 16, beat Karapiro 6. For United, Giles and Cusack (2) scored tries, and Tapper kicked a penalty goal and converted two tries. For Karapiro, Sherry and Hastie scored. Hautapu 6, beat Leamington 3. Miller scored for Hautapu, and W. Bourke converted. Stacej scored for Leamington. Juniors. —Leamington 3, beat Matangi 0 ; United 3, beat Tauwhare 0. Third Grade.—High School 8, beat Matangi 3. PUKEKOHE. Patumahoe 9, beat United 3. Ramblers 6, beat Old Boys 0. Juniors. —Patumahoe 9, beat Ramblers 0; High School 9, beat Wesley College 8; White Star 9, beat Old Boys 0.. TE PUKE. United 6, drew with Huamai 6. Papamoa 9, Maketu 9.

TAURANGA. European 27, beat Maoris 12. Juniors.—European 12, beat Maoris 3. MORRIXSVILLE. Kereone 12, beat United 0. \ Waitoa S, beat Terriers 5. Juniors.—United 11, beat Kereone 9 ; Terriers 3, beat Springdale 0; Waitoa 8, beat Te Puninga 0. Third Grade. —High School 10, beat Terriers 0; United 14, beat Kereone 0. THAMES. Physical Training 12, beat College Old Boys 4. City 12, beat Ramblers 9. Juniors. —Physical Training 6, beat College Old Boys 3. WHAKATANE. Waimana 6. beat Apanui 3. Juniors. —Whakatane 6, beat Taneatua 3; Apanui 20, beat High School 3. TE AROHA, Terriers 5, beat City 0. Gemmell scored and McLaren converted. Juniors'.—Terriers 6, beat City 0 (J. Winton scored two tries) ; Elstow 0, beat Hot Springs 3. For the winners R. Stockley scored two tries. Kinn one; and for the ldsers Gardiner scored.

HUNTLY. Seniors.—Taupiri United 6, beat Waikare 0; Renown 7. beat Eastern 6. Juniors. —Huntly Revellers 6, beat Ngaruawahia 3 ; Renown 9. beat Huntly 0; Rangiriri 0, drew with Wacrenga 6. Third Grade. —Waikare-IS, beat Huntly High School 5. Schoolboys' Rugby.—Huntly 0, beat Ngaruawahia 3; Rakaunianga 21, beat Rotowaro 0. OPOTIKI. Country 7, beat City 3. WHANGAREI. City 3, beat Hikurangi 0. Old Boys 9, beat Karamea 5. BAY OF PLENTY REPS. The Bay of Plenty Rugby team to play Poverty Bay at Gisborne nest Wednesday has been selected as follows :—Full-back, E. McKay, captain (Opotiki) ; three-quarters, McKenzie (Te Puke), Keepa (Apanui), Garlick (Taupo) ; five-eighths, Kopu (Apanui), Corbett (Te Puke) ; halt-back, Steel (Rolorua) ; wing forward, McGoughan (Whakatane) ; forwards, Moore (Rangitaiki), C. Newth, N. Webb (Opotiki), E. Jones (Taupo), Tangira (Apanui), Rogers. Rotorua), D. Parkinson (Opotiki). Reserves: Harawera (Whakatane), Wallace (Rotorua). Walker (Apanui).

TAURANGA REPS. The Tauranga Rugby Union has selected the following teams to play Thames at Thames on Wednesday : —■ Seniors.—P. Ngatai, A. Tassell, K. McLeod, R. Ainslie, K. Kurtis, R. J. l J helan, Ake, J. Duncan, R. Mirrielees, D. Jlountfort, E. Heke, I. Tungitu, W. Mansell. C. Cameron. B. Folley. Reserves: F. Olsen, Bidois, Kingi. Juniors. —H. Rayment, J. MeKee, I'. Sander, M. Tangitu, J. Macpherson. M. Curtis, W. Merriman, D. Macleod, E. Llovd, R. Dixon, S. Smith, C. Faulkner, M. Washer, K. Tarawa, J. Plumraer. Reserves : Honrana. R. Hammond, M. Hartnell. Three football teams from the High School will also visit Thames. TE PUKE REPS.

The Te Puke representative team to meet Rangitikei on Wednesday is as follows: — H. Kelly, W. Webber, H. Dare, Tait. R. Cleary, J. Cooney, Potene, Donovan, Horn, Wickliffe, S. Ollivier, P. Webber, Jacksou, Whiteside, W. Raymond. Reserves: W. Corbett, R. Palmer, McNaughton, E. Lemon. 'VARSITY TOURISTS. SECOND SYDNEY WIN. SYDNEY, May 31. The New Zealand University Rugby football team, defeated the Navy yesterday by 22 points to nil. The winners ecored 6ix tries, of which two were converted. There was a disappointing attendance. The Navy team, which was playing its first game together, offered an unexpected and stubborn resistance by adopting defensive tactics. The Navy forwards, winning the majority of the scrums, gaining frequent possession in the line-outs, and scrumming and tackling well, held the opposing pack, but the backs lacked combination, and with the consequent bad handling were unable to- take advantage- of their opportunities.

The teams were as follow: — New Zealand: Backs, Bush, Mackay, Ruru, Thomas, McKechnie, Ewart, and Pryde y forwards, King, McCurdy, Hodge, Barker, Dixon, Peacock, Diederich and McVeagh. . The Navyr Backs, Showers, McGuire, "Walsh, McKianon, Rigney, Parker, and Jolly; forwards, McXicholl, Carr, Lewis, Fryer, Marks, Hatlierall, Rankin, and Perry. New Zealand led at half-time- by S points to ml. The scorers were Mackay, Peacock, Ruru (2), .King and Thomas. Bush converted only two tries and missed three penalty, kicks. The outstanding players were Mackay, Ruru and McKechnie, among the backs, and Hodge, Peacock and Barker among the forwards. The Navy, realising McKechnie's. potentialities, paid him particular attention, but he survived the gruelling teckling.- His resource was rei sponsible for two most brilliant tries.