RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 146, 22 June 1936, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

GRAFTON BEATS PONSONBY. BIG LEAD AT INTERVAL. BLUE AND BLACKS FIGHT BACK. Ponsonby, "who up to Saturday promised to go through the Auckland Rugby Union's Gallagher Shield competition undefeated —only one round is being played—had their colours lowered by' Grafton, 1934 champions. The latter opening vigorously and after scoring 21 points in the first quarter, still held that lead at the Interval, when the board read 24—3. The blue and blacks, however, fought back gamely and when time was called had worked off all the deficit except four points. Grafton meantime had added another converted try, and I<lie game ended 29 —25 in favour of Grafton. Marist Old Boys, with an eleven-point victory over University, maintained second place on the championship ladder, and' is really equal with Ponsonby, as the latter side has yet to have a bye. The remaining three games produced wins for Grammar Schools' Old Boys, Manukau and Otahuhu—the last-named team beating the 1935 champions at Sturges Park. Results of SatuVday's matches: — Grafton 29, beat Ponsonby 25. Marist 24, beat University 13. Grammar 18, beat Training College 6. Manukau 36, beat North Shore 3. Otahuhu 17, beat Technical 8. Positions of the teams: — Points. Ch. P. W. L. D. F. A. Pts. Ponsonby .... 8 7 1 — 171 93 14 Marist 7 6 1 — 130 50 12 Grammar .... 8 5 2 1 143 96 11 Otahuhu 7 5 2 — 94 G9 10 University ... S 3 3 2 152 124 8 Grafton 7 3 2 2 109 90 8 Technical .... 7 2 4 1 <>9 7(> •> Manukau 7 2 .4 1 71 66 o College Rifles . 7 15 1 52 l-(> 3 Training College 7 16 — 6S 111 2 North Shore . . 7 1 G — G4 210 TEEMED VITH THRILLS. a Those who saw Grafton brilliantly upset I'ons&nby the championship, leaders in the big match of the day w-ent away from Eden Park on Saturday with memories of one of the most thrilling club matches seen for seasons past—and the memory of those glorious, thrustful attacks will live. Those who were unfortunate enough not to see the clash missed one of the richest • Rugby treats that has Tieen tfirned on in club football for years. „ All through the season to date the standard of football has been exceptionally high, at least 50 pei; cent better than last year, and its richness has deserved better public support than it has received. All matches on No. 1 ground have produced their particular exciting phases, but the pinnacle was reached on Saturday with the meeting of Grafton and Ponsonby. It was a match that simply teemed" with thrills and brilliance, a match that sent the seas of enthusiasm running mountains high. Grafton were right out after Ponsonby's blood. In the first two minutes Ponsonby had swept along to a pretty try, but that burst was merely a flash, in the pan, and thereafter until the end of the first spell they were shaded in every department, , and looked an inferior and disorganised side. Grafton were irresistible. Their forwards, playing magnificently, took complete command to display craft, precision and a wonderful virility that scattered before it a sorely-tried and often effete defence. Good and spectacular as were the efforts of the Grafton forwards they did not reach the dazzling heights to which the backs aspired and achieved. Given a.' superb service from the base of the scrum by Arkle, the Grafton backs launched one devastating attack after another, and with Pearman at first five-eighth running fast, straight and true, the whole back line moved along in glorio-us array, sweeping to a procession of minor victories. ' Over 20 points were scored by Grafton in 20 minutes —a feast of try-getting—in which the forwards collaborated brilliantly with the backs* and shared in all the honours of success. It was, however, to the brilliance'of Pearman and Killeen, a devastating five-eighths line, that Grafton owed "much of its success. The pair showed a perfpet understanding of one another's play, they " conjured,'", side-stepped . and swerved thelriway through t6 ; paralyse the Ponsonby backs. In this respect Jamieson was blameworthy, for his old fault of hanging off his. man came to light once again. At the end of a spell in which their hurricane tactics swept all before them, Grafton were 21 points up and were given the ovation they richly deserved when they walked to the side-line. A team of weaker flesh and less spirit than Ponsonby would, under the circumstances, probably have accepted the inevitable. Not so Ponsonby. Their recovery efforts were amazing. They started off the second spell at a pace that gave the impression this was the start of the match. 'So great was the pace that it was not surprising to see paseses go astray ant! combination falter in the race of fierce defence. Ponsonby's efforts to save the day 'were just as praiseworthy—in a different way— as Grafton's first-spell avalanche. Three minutes before time Ponsonby were five •points only, behind Grafton, and the Ponsonby' supporters'had high hopes of a draw. The Grafton defence never gave the impression that it- would break again, and • those urgently-needed points never came. So ended a slashing match. " * MARIST AGAIN ON TOP. ' v. • ■■ • — ■ In an attractive game played as ■ a .-•curtain-raiser at Eden Park, Marist Old Boys .carried too many guns for University % Jtnd won comfortably by 24 points to 13. The light blues flattered their supporters by getting first on the board a few minutes after the kick-off, but. thereafter they'were .never in"the'hunt. Marist, despite a few readjustments in the team, were at the top of their form and proved superior in all departments. Huuley was absent; his place as hooker being taken by Fitzpatrick, who gave the men behind a good share of the ball. In the loose the Marist pack gave a fine,-exhibition and with fast dribbling rushes kept the bjues defending most of the time. The rearguard, too, was functing well and staged many bright movements. It was a great day for Curtayne, who was the spearhead of most ofr Marist's, successful attacks and of several that just missed. At goal kicking he made ofie bad miss, but compensated by ttvo successful conversions, while his line kicking was™also effective. Bell-Booth, too, had a full share in the thrills, for two/of his three tries ■were at the expense of Ron. Bush. On the first' occasion the 'Varsity full-back was, for a wonder, out of position and the Marist winger was into his stride, so quickly that the opposition was left, standing. On the second. Bush was waiting for his man, forcing him to the sideline,-but- as he ducked for the tackle Bell-Bootli swerved sharply Inwards and got away with it for a great try. With their forwards beaten, 'Varsity made valiant efforts to open" up the game, but despite occasional snappy bursts their movements rarely got far. Their handling was poor and the Marist tackling deadl3', so that their speedsters were well bottled up. Just toward the close of the game Hayman found an opening and gave a taste of his quality with a fine breakaway which let Tljomas in for a try. With the game going as it did, Bush had a strenuous time. He was as good as two, men to his side, going at top from start to finish, while his magnificent line kicks were invaluable. For Marist tries were scored by Bell-Bootli (3), Hardy, Cooney and McGrory. Two were converted by Curtayne and one by Cooney. 'Varsity's score comprised two tries by Thomas, both converted by Bush, ■who also kicked a penalty goal. GRAMMAR SUPERIOR. Able to cross the line only once. Training College found Grammar too good for them in forwards and backs, with a defence too strong to penetrate and an attack too fleice to withhold. It was not on the. whole a .parkiing ga,me, played in wet-weather style in the first spell. A slippery ball and sodden turf foiled clean handling, but several times the whole of the. Grammar back lino swung away in devastating movements. The lack of such combination was their opponents' biggest, failing. A close, evf'n spell, ' with flashes of individual brilliance, was the first half. First blood was for Grammar, when Knight crossed after Corner and King had paved the way. Then from an off-side Hare kicked to equalise the score, but Mcßeath, playing a rattling forward game, put Grammar three points up just before half-time. I'oints came quickly Grammar's way in tlie second spell, during which play offered manv more thrills. The game opened wjp, and tlie best try of the day eaine when A. Brown, Grammar front row man, showed great speed to tear through the opposition as he followed up a high kick and raced liver the line. There was no stopping Grammar now; Spittal, Gillett and then A Brown again crossed the line. A determined last-minute attack saw Fletcher try foe- the teachers. Seven tries—and not one converted. A drenching shower in which, the game got

under way may have been the reason, but kicking throughout the game was unimpressive., except, perhaps, for occasional work by Hare, College full. In Grammar's backs Fletcher, McKay, King, Spittal and Flett were outstanding as a relentless combination on the attack, and in individual work. Corner fed his men splendidly in tricky conditions. Grammar forwards had all the weight, and evc.rj- man jilayed well, Knight, Mcßeath, A. Brown, Buckley and Gillett being prominent. Scrum honours, however, were fairly evenly divided, though College's tendency to pack a little too high oftc.n had them forced back. Caldwell and A. P. Spittal were among the best of the forwards. The College backs failed to make good concerted use of the ball when they got it, however, and they were mostly in the limelight in solo work. Fletcher was prominent in speedy breaks, especially in the second half, while for tireless defence Silcock did more work than anyone else. Shaw and Grant were also good. MANUKAU'S BIG SCORE. From the very first stages of Manukau's encounter with North Shore there was no question as to the ultimate result. The Manukau backs played quite orthodox football, the ball flying out to tlie wings time after time, and yet the Shore rearguard was continually puzzled, and when iirimble or Anderson elected to cut through for a change, they were little short of baffled. Tlie game was far too one-sided to have any attraction for the spectators, the only bright period being late in the first half when good work by the North Shore forwards had their opponents penned in the twenty-five for a few minutes, but Smith and Wiklund took the ball upfield and Sayers managed to cross tlie line wide out. Even the inclusion of Jessup, a smart five-eighth from the Grammar Club, failed to stiffen up the poor defence of the North Shore backs. Jessup was unfortunate enough to have to leave the field injured eai;ly in the game. In the forward divisions the position was a little more stable, the extra, weight of the Shore pack enabling it to hold its own, and a much more even battle ensued, although Manukau still had slightly the better serum. Smith, Wikluud, l'earce and Godfrey headed the Manukau rushes, and Castaign and Smith were prominent for Shore. FlnlaySon was the only back to show much form for tlie seasiders, although Jessup was tricky until lie was injured, and Waters was sometimes handy in defence. For Manukau the hard-running Brluible was a great asset. His dodging runs gained a good deal of ground anc' he was seldom found wanting on defence. Elliott showed good judgment in the full-back position, his steady sifpport of the back-line being a feature of the game. McLaren was sound without being brilliant, and Sayers oil the wing impressed by a safe pair of hands and some brilliant attacking runs from openings he had made himself. Shore received a severe setback at the very start of the game, Manukau scoring within the first half minute after a typical run by the elusive Brimble, who did all the work and sent on to Anderson. Other points came from tries by Pearce, Wiklund (3), 'McLaren, Sayers (2), Smith and Schubert. Wiklund converted two and Skipper one. Finlayson - scored for Shore. OTAHUHU OUTPLAY TECH. 0.8. Superior back play gave Otahuhu a welldeserved win over Technical Old Boys at Sturges Park by 17 points to 8. The game was a spectacular one, in which, the red and blacks brought off many spectacular passing movements: Technical, in the second half, dominated the scrums but the smashing tactics of the Otahuhu killed all the green movements. Otahuliu's first half score came from a try scored from behind the scrum by Moyle and another by the same player. Loose play enabled Hedge to secure and, drawing the nicely, he completely fooled them all by in-passing to Moyle. Lash enabled McAdam to go over for Technical by sending him a long pass in a good scoring position. . Otalruhu put on 11 points in the second half as the result of a clever try by Carroll, one by Jones as the result of good work by Brown, which Andy Beyer converted, and a third try by Herb. Pearson. Technical's second try came from a movement by McAdam, which gave McKenzie his chance to go over. Lash's kick was a good one. For Otahuhu Beyer again gave a sound display. Brown was a 100 per cent improvement, and Pearson and Williams were in every movement. Carroll's try was an outstanding effort and Hedge was easily the best five-eighths on the ground. Moyle was brilliant. The forwards played as a team, with Rountree, Lllburne, Ross and Jury prominent. j" For Technical Reid played a. fine game at half prior to his injury. Lash and McAdam were the outstanding backs, the former showing great judgment in his passing. Murdoch failed to impress. Prior to going up to centre Turbott was sorely tried at full-back, but came through with credit. Raymont at full did well, but badly misjudged his fielding when Jones beat him to it. Cooper, McKenzie and August were the pick of the forwards. Mr. J. Finlayson was referee. GRADE GAMES. SENIOR B GRADE. . University won by default from Takapuna. Suburbs 12. beat Eden ; JO. Parnell 3, beat Marist 0.8. 0. SECOND GRADE. University A 11, beat Grafton A 9. v Northcote 27, beat Grammar 0.8. 19. Otahuhu 6, drew -with College Rifles 6. THIRD GRADE. • .Grafton 27, beat Training College 10. Grammar A 32, beat St. George's 0. Otahuhu 33, beat College Rifles 0. Technical 0.8. 15, beat' Training College 3. i Manukau 6, beat University 3. ! THIRD INTERMEDIATE. Grafton 11, beat College Rifles 3. Marist 5. beat Otahuhu 0. Parnell 6, beat Eden 3. FOURTH GRADE. Newton IG, beat Parnell 3. - Northcote 29, beat Otahuhu 0. Suburbs 12, beat Shore 0. Manukau 12, beat Grammar 6. Panmure 3, beat Ponsonby 0. Marist 0.8. IG, beat Takapuna 3. FIFTH GRADE. Parnell 29, beat St. George's 0. Technical 0.8. 5, drew with Manukau 5. Ponsonby 35, beat Northcote 0. Suburbs Colts 15, beat Eden 3. Marist 24, beat Grammar 0. SIXTH GRADE. iMarist 16, beat Takapuna 3. Eden 2G, beat Manukau 6. JUNIOR BOYS. " SENIORS. 11, beat Newton 5. Suburbs 0, beat Eden 5. INTERMEDIATE. Northcote 26, beat St. George's 0. Eden 8, beat Shore 3. Marist 20, beat Manukau Colts 0. Takapuna 38, beat Otahuhu 0. Manukau 6, beat Newton 3. ' - JUNIORS. Takapuna 14, beat Northcote 3. Ponsonby 8, beat Suburbs 0. Manukau 6, beat Newton 3. Etlen won by default from Parnell. SECONDARY SCHOOLS. SENIOR GRADE. Sacred Heart 14. beat Takapuna Grammar 6. THIRD GRADE. Seddon Technical 14, beat Sacred Heart 0. Otahuhu 15, beat Mount Albert 8. FOURTH GRADE. Takapuna Grammar 5, beat Sacred Heart 0. FIFTH GRADE. Mount Albert 17, beat Telinical College 8. Mount Albert B 6, beat Dilworth 0. Otahuhu 14. beat Sacred Heart 3. "Auckland Grammar 2S, beat Takapuna Grammar 0. SIXTH GRADE. Auckland Grammar A 14, beat Takapuna 3. Auckland Grammar B 14, beat Takapuna, 0. ■.*! Otahuhu B 23, beat Technical 80. SEVENTH GRADE. Otahuliu Techft'cal 0, drew with" Ancjc>. land Technical 0. ; AFTER 30 GAMES. GRAFTON JUNIORS GO DOWN. When University beat Grafton, leaders in the junior competition, by 11 points to 9. it was the first defeat suffered by Grafton in 30 games.