RUGBY CLUB DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 99, 29 April 1935, Page 12

RUGBY CLUB DAY.

EDEN PARK MATCHES.

GRAFTON BEATS MANUKAU. PROMISE OF BETTER THINGS. Once again there was the thud of boot on ball and the chcer of a Rugby crowd at Eden Park on Saturday when the Auckland Rugby Union's club day, to aid financially the various local clubs, was held. Although the afternoon was fine and warm, the crowd was disappointingly small. Those who did not journey out to the park to watch the preliminary canter missed some bright entertainment, for there were some delightful flashes in the GraftonManukau match, the main attraction.

On one day's play it is impossible to judge, but the football displayed by the champions of last year, Grafton, and the runners-up, Manukau, gave promise of better things. There was action all the time, with the backs of both sides fanning out to attack determinedly. Grafton won by 20 points to 13, but they were not quite twice as good as Manukau. Grafton rattled on 13 points in the first spell, and deserved every one of them, while Manukau could score only a' meagre three.

Another 13 points came Grafton's way in the second spell, while Manukau scored 10—two converted tries. It was Grafton's match all the way in the first spell, and there was a suspicion that the Manukau forwards were not working as hard as they might have. It was a different stoi'y in the second, when the teams attacked on each other's goal lines alternately. Strenuous forward play ruled for a time, with the backs contributing colour with an occasional delightful dash down the paddock.

Killeen's First Appearancc. Tliero was much individuality in the match to commend itself. Onlookers watched with eager interest the play of B. A. Killeen, the former Wellington five-eighth, who has joined up with Grafton. The spectators, perhaps, remembering his devastating play against Auckland in 1933, expected too much f»r an opening game. Killeen was not brilliant; he played the sound, orthodox football of a sound second fiveeighth. Ho rarely attempted the spectacular, but intuitively he did the correct thing. He scored 10 points, two tries and a field goal. He had the compliment paid him by Manukau of finding himself, in the first half, opposed frequently when in possession by Brimble and Fulton. But he was never at a loss to know what to do.

As the game wore on and the Manukau backs swung into action, a player of real merit revealed "himself, and 'the crowd kept asking, "Who is the Manukau centre ?" The player was W. Fulton, a Thames Valley rep. who distinguished himself last year in the Thames-Auck-land match which was played as a cur-tain-raiser to the North-South trial game. Like Killeen, Fulton is a big acquisition to Auckland football. He has wonderful determination and a safe pair of hands. All through the first spell Fujton played centre three-quarter, but in the second he went to second fiveeighth, where he was more successful in dropping Killeen than Brimble had been.

Many Changes. Many experimental changes were made among the Manukau backs in the second spell, and Grafton also made two replacements. Dick, who had given good service to Grafton at centre tbreequarter in the first spell, was replaced by Norman Ellis, the former Eden star. Ellis played splendidly. Both Grafton and Manukau seem to be possessed of so many good club players that it will take two. or three matches before they have sorted out their men and decided on their regular fifteens.

H. F. McLean, the All Black, was chosen captain of Grafton at a team meeting in the dressing shed before the match started, and L. K. Heazlewood, who has captained Manukau for several seasons, again led that team on the field. Heazlewood, incidentally, played an almost faultless game at full-back, his line kicking, always a big feature of his play, being unerringly accurate.

Tries for Grafton were scored by Killeen (2), Fras'er, Currey and Savoury, while Paton kicked a penalty goal, Killeen dropped a goal from the field, and Roddick converted two tries. Manukau's points came from tries by Pepper and Wicklund, both of which were converted by Heazlewood, who also kicked a penalty goal.

An ' Overwhelming Win. Grammar overwhelmed College Rifles and gave them no quarter at any stage in their match on No. 2, Eden Park. The Grammar forwards, ably led by A. Knight, gave their backs a feast of the ball in the first spell, with the result that there was a procession of Grammar backs to the Rifles' goal line. There were many pretty movements. Apparently convinced that they could do just what they liked with Rifles, Grammar decided to change their tactics jn the ■ second spell, and made it mainly a forward game. They made no secret of what they proposed to attempt, and occasionally a forward remarked casually, "Now we'll screw the scrum.'' And they did. Grammar ran up 34 points.while Rifles tried hard, but without result, to score.

A curtain-raiser at Eden Pnrk was played between Eden and University 15, Eden winning comfortably by 17 points to nil. The match provided some bright flashes. Tries were scored bv Lowrie, Wakefield (two), Purdv anil Megerney. One was converted by Phillips. J At St urges Pnrk. Otahuhu fought a hard game against Technical Old Boys, Otahuhu -winning by 11 points to 3. Other games resulted: 'Varsity and Marist drew, 2-1—24; Pousonby beat North Shore, .36—3. THIRD GRADE. Otnbuhu 21, bent Technical 0.8. 0.