STILL IN FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 133, 7 June 1937, Page 12

STILL IN FRONT.

PONSONBY'S WIN. HAY'S SPECTACULAR TRY. GRAFTON DOWN THE LADDER. I Ponsonby by their victory over Grafton in the big match of the Rugby day at Eden Park on Saturday held their place on the top rung of" the championship ladder, with Manukau trailing only one point behind. Grafton are five points away from the leaders, but they have a match iu hand. Excellent football under difficult conditions was provided for the surprisingly big crowd winch watched the big game. In a biting wind and in intermittent showers Ponsonby and Grafton played a match that was rich in incident. The climax was a thriller. Ponsonby's centre three-quarter, Hay, won the match in the last minute with a sensational burst through a bewildered. defence. Manukau, by one point, managed to scramble home against North Shore at the Showgrounds. It-was a close shave for Manukau, and Shore are to be commended upon their showing "against such solid opposition. College Rifles, who went down to Technical College Old Boys on No. 2, Eden Park, contributed most ot the sparkle to a game which was bright in patches. Grammar throwing the ball about as they would under dry day conditions, overwhelmed Training College at Northcote, while Otahuhu, on their home ground at Sturges Park, managed to stave off a strong challenge by University. Marist bad the bye. were:— Ponsonby 9, beat Graf ton' 6. Otahuhu 12, beat University 8. Grammar 28, beat Training College 8. Technical 14, beat College Rifles 8. Manukau 9, beat Shqre ,8., Competition ladder: •«•««••.-•• Points. Ch, r. P. W. L. D. F. A Pts SSnl:::::? l~ i 1?! • % a •::::: s\l I 1 i f Grammar 6 4 2 7« «T a Technical 6 2 3 l « « £ University .... « \ % \ |« f | Marist 6 2 4 84 ins 2 North Shore .7 2 5 _ ft 21 i Train's College 6 _ 6 — 11 io2 4 College Rifles . 7 — 7 — 68 134 Z TYPICAL VICTORY. r„^l* r ho,dln « a territorial advantage tor the greater part of their match against PaT n f?jA the B ,^ ar attraction at Bde" Park, Grafton collapsed and faded towards the end. In thelasttwo minutes Grafton allowed Hay, the Ponsonby centre three-quarter to slip through their ranks in sensational style and score a try which brought victory. * wmcn "Ponsonby's luck again," ruefully reSi r « d „, aD £ rdeDt Gr »"on supporter whet SS*W whlßt le went, and Ponsonby had v^^ d n n f more , sensational last-minute victory. But was it all luck? In those iJJInhT* il nal minat <™ Grafton contributed much to their own downfall. They looked aad were a. beaten and bewildered team when Hay set off on his dazzling race to the goal line. He ran through the Grafton forwards without a hand being laid upon him; he swerved Inwards and outwards to leave the slowly-moving Paton hopelessly standing. No real effort was made to bar his w*y. Admirably led by H. P. McLean, who, until his retirement with a broken thumb a quarter ot. an hour before the end, was an inspiration to the forwards, the Grafton pack held sway for the greater part of the first spell, and a good deal of the second. In spite of this Ponsonby won a bigger share of the ball from set scrums, ruck and line-outs, and Frankham, playing solidly, was given plenty of opportunity to send his backs away frequently. Fast breaking by the Grafton forwards caused D. Solomon to move across field, with the result that these attacks were easily smashed. But Solomon played a great game, shaded only by the brilliance of Killeen. Solomon's defence was again magnificent. Time and again he saved the Ponsonby line. Killeen was in brilliant mood. He conjured, side-stepped, swerved and sold the dummy Judiciously and effectively. Up to- the -highest standard, his defence was a complete answer to his critics. His all-round display was 'excellent,' in spite of the fact that be was hampered' by Pearman. ... *. *. ■ J "

, Ponsonby's second, grade full-back, McGruther,. showed great nervousness, and "got his side into a deal of trouble, but in the end he did the right thing at the right moment, and sent Hay away on his thrilling burst to the goal line. Hay was at the top of his form. Ponsonby's forwards took complete command in the last ten minutes. Their best itbroughtout the match .were Bond, Knight, Johnson, Eraser and F. Solomon.

Grafton back line always looked more dangerous on attack than Ponsonby's, especially In the three-quarter line. Dick was back among them, to reveal a flash of his old determination. Prentice and Killeen collaborated in several fine thrnsts, bnt Pearman had a day off. Without McLean and Anderson the Grafton pack were ineffective. They badly needed a leader. Ponsonby's points came from tries by Hale and Hay, and a penalty by Hay. Killeen and Prentice scored tries for Grafton. MANUKAU HARD PRESSED. In a scrambling game at the Showgrounds Manukau beat North Shore by the narrow margin of 9 points to 8. The conditions for play were deplorable, as the ground, was completely saturated with the heavy rains, and some extensive bare patches were soon converted into a mass of mud through which it was almost impossible to kick the ball more than a few yards. Players who slipped into this greasy mess emerged la a ' filthy condition and with jerseys that conld not be Identified. Periodically heavy, cold showers swept the ground and intensified the discomfort of all concerned. Under the circumstances neither side could give of their best, but. the lads from the Shore certainly showed most resource, and usually held a territorial advantage. However, when it came to scoring the weight and experience of the Manukau forwards, notably Wiklund, Pepper and Pearce, were sufficient ;to torn the scales against' the younger team. > Features In the gam£were the fine handling and kicking of Littlejohn, the Manukau full-back, the general superiority of the North Shore : rearguard; '-and the fine place kicking of .Marshall,'-their five-eighth. For the winners tries were.- secured .by, Boyce, Pearce and Beere> while North Shore's score consisted of a try by McKinley, converted by . Marshall, and a penalty goal to the credit of the same player. TECHWIGAVS EARLY LEAD. The first spell -?of /Rifles game on .Ko r '2.. ground provided bright football, despite the greasy conditions.. Technical were a"t/worJcVfrom; .the start* and 'by'half-time !-Were jtl; points in the lead. -Although their opponents fought hard in the second half-Technical held the lead to the last ten minutes. Then the' Rifles worked into the grec.u twenty-five and stayed there until Svenson scored. From the kick out Rifles rushed play to the Technical line again and Griffiths scored. It was a great rally that the beaten team staged, but the Technical defence afterwards held dourly. Essentially a.forward game, it was natural that several men in both packs should stand out. The best forward on the field was Mate, of Technical, who seldom made a mistake. Mulvihill, : too, played a fine game, although at times he appeared a little over-confident. Other Technical forwards to show up were Apps, who never lr.t up all day, and Montgomery. In the College Rifles pact Batty was the best man, with Stewart and Pike shining occasionally. Byerley played his usual excellent game for the winners, handling beautifully In spite of the greasy ball. McAdani was the best back.on the field, placing stab kicks..perfectly and drawing the opposition away from his three-quarters time after time. Vear'saved the College Rifles line often, and played the best, game for the losing side. The- winners' points came,from tries by McAdam, .Thompson and Byerley, /Bowrey-"kicking a penalty, and converting the 'first try,." * Svenson ' and Griffiths scored for Fines. Roddick converting. iMWIx-Tflm .-..;■<

GRAMMAR'S PINE HANDLING. Even the 'weather could not stop Grammar's back line swinging into action swift passing rushes, when the team met Training College on a heavy ground at Northcote. A victory by Grammar was expected, and it was realised to tie tune of •28 points to 8 ; but where it might have been thought that under the conditions points would come almost entirely through the work of the solid Grammar pack, it was the back line which did the majority of the scoring. There was an abundance of forward play, and the white pack's efforts led directly to two tries; but the energy of the forwards was mainly aimed at solid support and continual heeling of the ball out to their backs. In the second spell, during which it rained almost unceasingly, the backs reached great heights, and handled in a way that was amazing under the conditions. On- the left wing Spittal finished off these passing -bouts in brilliant style, gaining three speedy tries during the game. Flett, at centre, gave strong support and made fast dashes; while King and Stehr, the five-eighths, worked unselfishly and well, keeping the opposing insldes under close control. It was a difficult day for the halves, but Cato made a sound job of it. A. Brown led the hard-working pack, and won two tries. Others were scored by Walton, Flett and King, who converted two. In tie set scrums Coady won the ball for Training College on almost every occasion. Grammar used its weight, however, and the emergence of the ball was. often delayed, giving ample time ' for the Grammar inside backs to come up and smother the openings made. Edwards, at half, did his best to solve this problem by slipping- round the scrum on occasions. Fletcher impressed with his dash and good defence. The forwards brought the only try, Burke scoring, while Fletcher converted it and kicked a penalty. MOYLE TURNS SCALE. The game between Otahuhu and 'Varsity at Sturges Park had many bright moments ,and although the local side just managed to win by a dropped goal, the points being 12 to 8, they would have been unlucky to have lost. The home side superiority was in the team work of the backs, who played good football, their defensive work being outstanding. Each man marked his opponent and got him, whereas the 'Varsity rearguard on numerous occasions tried to anticipate play instead of going for the man with the ball and were made to look foolish by the manner in which Law son, playing first five-eighth, cut three and four men out, and went through in great style. In the forwards 'Varsity had the advantage in weight and gained the ball from a big proportion of the scrums, but the red and blacks shone in the loose and line outs. Grant scored Otahuhu's only try, which came from a piece of play by H. Williams. Moyle converted and also kicked a penalty and potted a fine field goal. It was MulvihlU's speed that gave his side their try and he had the hardest of luck in not equalising scores when his drop kick, hit the cross bar. Bush converted the try and kicked one of his long range penalty goals. For Otahuhu Halliwell was very sound. The three-quarter line was always dangerous with Pearson outstanding. Lawson was the thorn in the side'of 'Varsity, and Moyle behind the scrum gave, his best exhibition to date and appeared In a new role as goal kicker. The forwards were a hard working lot, each man doing his bit with the team's "iron man," H. Williams, LUburne, Johns and Wepa prominent. Bush, at full-back, was 'Varsity's strength ,and played a great game, his goal from 50 yards bring a fine effort. Kirkland, on the wir.g, and Hayman were good on attack, but Mulvibill was the pick of the backs, starting many attacking moves. Keld, at half, got through a lot of work, but found the opposition a little too quick. In the forwards Armitage, Drake, McVeagh and Caldwell were the pick. GRADE GAMES. SENIOR B. Eden 11, beat University 0. Shore 3, beat Takapuna O. Suburbs 6, beat Northcote 3. SECOND GRADE. f Technical 018. 11, beat" Otahuhu 5. Shore 3, beat Takapuna ft. Grammar 0.8. 9, beat University 8. THIRD GRADE. Manukau 19, beat Newton %■■■■-'• Grafton 14, beat TechriicaLiO.B. 3. Training CoUege 15, beat College Rifles '3. INTERMEDIATES. St. George's 6, beat Ponsonby 3. Training College 3, beat 'Grafton 0. Suburbs 11, beat Otahuhu 6. Northcote 12, beat Takapuna O. ParneU 10, beat Technical 8. Marisi 8, beat Shore 3. FOURTH GRADE. Suburbs 0, drew with .College Rifles 0. Manukau 43, beat Shore 3. Technical ORIS, beat Manukau Colts 3. Takapuna 11, beat Grammar 5.'

FIFTH GRADE. Marist 6, beat Otahuhu 3. Suburbs 26, beat Shore 0. Manukau 9, beat' Technical 0.8. 3 Tamakl 9, beat Panmure 0. SIXTH GRADE. | Newton 20, beat Takapuna 0. . t Suburbs 11, beat Eden 9. -*' Manukau 11, beat Parnell 9. JUNIOR BOYS. SENIORS. Newton 9, beat Suburbs 0. 'Marist 19, beat-Manukau 5. INTERMEDIATE. Eden 11, beat St. George's O. Suburbs 32, beat Tamakl 0. Newton 12, beat Takapuna 0. Northcote 9, beat Parnell 5. Ponsonby 41, beat Shore 0. Manukau 12, beat Waltemata 0. JUNIORS. Newton 12, beat Suburbs 0. - Manukau 12, beat Eden 0. Takapuna 18, beat Otahuhu 0. Shore 15, beat Northcote 0. SECONDARY SCHOOLS. SENIORS. Grammar 5, beat Mount Albert 0. King's College 17, .beat- Takapuna 0. JUNIORS. Seddon Memorial Technical College 13 beat King's College O. THiRD-GRADE. Sacred Heart 23, beat Mount Albert 10 .Auckland Grammar 9, beat Sacred Heart %;: FOURTH GRADE. Sacred Heart A 11, beat Mount Albert A, S. & Otahuhu Technical 34, beat Sacred Heart T^^T r <>*5FTH GRADE. Auckland Grammar A 11, beat Sacred Heart A3. * Sacred Heart B 27, beat Mount Albert Mount Albert C 15, beat Sacred Heart C. SIXTH GRADE. Sacred Heart A 3, beat Mount Albert A O. Sacred Heart B 9,. beat Auckland Grammar B 3. Technical 9, beat Sacred Heart C 0. Technical A 11, beat Takapuna A O. Mount Albert B 12, beat Takapuna B 6 -. . SEVENTH GRADE. Heart A 16. beat Tehnical A 0. Jletrt*B?o *6«inmar Br 27, beat Sacred SACRED HEART BEATS OLD BOYS. A Rugby match between teams representing past and present pupils; of the Sacred 2!SiLJi **' P la y ed during the week-end. 9 poinfs to 3. W the t * eßent pupils by GAMES IN THE PROVINCE. TB KUITf. Pioplo 6, beat Te Kuiti 0. United defaulted to Nebenehenui Te Kuiti Juniors 15, beat Piopio thirds 0Te Kuiti Juniors 15, beat Waltete 3 Third Grade:—United O, ;drew with Wallet* o. ' ***$*'■ THAMES. ; Marist. Old Boys (Auckland) 3, drew with. College Old Boys 3. Physical training 9; beat Huimai 8. . Juniors.—High School 11, beat College ;01d Boys 0; Physical Training 8, beat Ramblers 7. - ■ -. '"f- ---| >;,: . . ■ HAMILTON?;* Technical 12, beat Old Boys 5. ~ Maria* 8, beat Cambrid*e Stars &

AUCKLAND TEAMS.

REPRESENTATIVE fixtures. TWO GAMES NEXT WEDNESDAY. Mr. J. H. M. Mnir, sole selector to the Auckland Rugby Union, has chosen the following teams to play at Eden Park on the King's Birthday :— v. Waikato. Pull-back—W. Hare (Training College). Three-quarters—K. Byerley (Technical), B „, A » KUleen (Grafton), J. Dick, (Grafton). Five-eighths—L . Curtayne (Marist), L. Cooney (Marist). Half-back—D. Solomon. (Ponsonby). Forwards—A. Brown' (Grammar), H Bond (Ponsonby), C. S. Pepper (Manukau), J. August (Technical), W. McGrory (Marist), F. Hull (College Rifles), R. Anderson (Grafton), F. Solomon (Ponsonby). Reserves.—Forwards: C. Passmore (Graf- , L>rake (University). Backs: W. Frankham (Ponsonby), A. Spittal (Grammar). ▼. Thames (cnrtain-raiser). Full-back—Brighouse (South Auckland). Three-quarters—G. Hewitt (South ' Auckland) H. Pearson (Otahuhu), C. McKinley (North Shore). Five-eighths— Brady (Suburbs senior B) A. Prentice (Grafton). Half-back—E. Moyle (Otahuhu). forwards—W Roddick (College Rifles). A. Mcßeath (Grammar), T. Pearce (Mannkau) H. Wiklund A - Balley (Marist). W. Smith (Manukau), T. Bunting (Grafton) : R " Mate (Techni(Grammar). Backs: D. Arkle ■(Grafton), ISchubert (Manukau). « a S ? n I by P'?y erß have been chosen, as that club is sending a team to Hamilton. intermediate reps. TO PLAY AT HELENSVILLE. Players selected as Auckland intermediate Rugby representatives to play a combined fifteen at Helensville, the headquarters of Birthday-^- ra Sub " unloit - on the King's Backs.—Meßae (Technical): King, Davis, Oziinne (Parnell) ; Tait (St. Gecrge's) ; Meharry (fakapuna); Powers, Hetherington (Manukau); Mutton (Northcote). Forwards.—Steen (Technical); Gregg, Hewitt (Manukau); Warne, Upson (Parnell); McDuff (College Rifles): Bourke (Ponsonbv); Price (Takapuna); Watson. Hawkins (St George's); Johnson, Hendl (Northcote); Farndon, McKeown (Grafton)