COLLEGE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 17

COLLEGE DAY.

LEADERS TO MEET.

SEXT SATURDAY'S MATCHES,

COMMENT ON CLUB GAMES.

It ia fitting that the secondary schools Rugby competition will virtually be decided on College Day at Eden Park next Saturday, when Sacred Heart and Mount Albeit Grammar, now equal in points, will fight out the issue. The Sacred Heart side suffered its first defeat on Satarday, when Auckland Grammar bustled them throughout, kept their backs hemmed in, and eventually won a stirring college came by 8 points to 5,

Seddon Memorial Technical College also surprised in their game with King's College, making up a half-time deficit of 6 points in the second half, and eventually drawing the game. In the second spell the Technical forwards excelled themselves. Grammar Forwards Prevail. Grammar's forwards paved the way for the team's win on Saturday against Grafton by their eolid rucking work which kept their opponents on the defence tor the greater part of the game. Two of the team's scores were got by A. Brown, whose pace in backhig up in midfield breakaways proved the deciding factor. Lockington, Don and Brown were out-

standing in the loose. Grafton's pack made spasmodic forays, several of them arising from McLean's penchant for snatching the ball from an opponent in the line ruck play.

A feature of the scoring was that two of Grammar's tries, coming from a back breaking through and swinging an in-pass t£ a forward, wore near the posts, while for Orafton it was a forward who made the opening for two tries before sending to an outside bark to cross at the corner. The resultant goals for Grammar from (ill easy position made the margin of the win.

Manders' alert backing up throughout the same brought its reward of two tries to a winger whose play was always sound. Probablv the hardest worker of the Grafton backs was Arkle.

Wagstaffc was the outstanding attacking back for Grammar and was over a menace to the opposition. Kinti's positional play and good handling at full-back were bijr assets to Grammar, though «t time* hie line-kicking was below his iieual form. Ponsonby's Fine Finish.

Ponsonby ran true to form by cracking on the pace towards the end to beat Xorth Shore in a swamp-like ground at Devonport. North Shore had the advantage for two-thirds of the game; then Ponsonby extended themselves and toward the end Shore had difficulty in keeping them out of their twenty-five.

Star of the game was M. Uato, Shore half,, who whipped the wet ball from the base of the scrum and sent it on cleanly throughout the/, game. He otten slipped around the eidfe of the scrum and started Jus- backs going- that way. Shore's only try came from , 'his opening. Other backs who impressed were DaVe Solomon, again a tower of defensive', strength for - Ponsonby, Ramsay, who showed more enterprise than "usual, Coughlan, fk junior, who was a sound fullback far Pottsonby, and Kelly, the stocky Shore five-eighth, who tipped over Solomon consistently throughout the first spell. ,-. ' Despite the mud the handling was good —but there lay the weakness. Had either side contented itself with hard booting along the ground it would have benefited considerably; Dribbling was difficult, ae the ball wairinclined to stick and be overrun. Botji .packs etuck to their work. Outstanding occasionally were Massey, Webb and Whillans (Shore) and E. Batty, JJond'-ijUjd Kerr-Taylor (Bonsonby). Tn the 3ine-but»-.Webb seldom foiled to influ*3ce thV fSH-of. the , ball. ■ filyfield wae a'strong link in Shore bnckline.'. One of his runs, from his own line to halfway wae a brilliant effort. He side-stepped and fended off about five opponent* before swinging a pass infield, which Webb, who had followed up, behind, collected. Webb was tackled.

Other highlights were the fine, tackling of McKinlay. Shore's Maori winger, and the upeed off Ken Moees, Ponsonbjr fiveeighth. RMfh TaetfM. '

There were no beg-pardon* between the Manukau and Technical teama when they clashed at the Showground* on Saturday'. Early in the eecond epell it wm evident that several players were more concerned in playing the man than the ball. One incident led to. another and despite the strictness of the referee, Mr. G. Peace, in giving penalties for late tackling and other infringement* the latter l>ait of the game was marred by rough tactics on both sides. Indiscriminate kicking and flying fists became prevalent and in the last ten minutes Mr. Peace sent off Cleave,, Kei and 'Montgomery Irpnv- the' Techmeai" team -and Birtwhistl* and Way, oi Meuuketi, for alleged •; \ %? -f. i ; ■ Long before these' ihei Jents occurred Manukan had a clear eupefiority chiefly through the fast dribbling rushes' of their forwards and their allround, deadly tackling. On the day W. Smith was the outstanding player. He was alwaye in the forefront of the Manukau attack and -kept up a faet pace 'from start to finish, ftehntot , too, was in fine form on the wing and none could get paet him. His try'came fr&m a short but brttliant dash.

E. Hedge, former representative fiveeighth, was the really bright spot in the Otahuhu-College Rifles game at Sturgee Park, hie try bringing the only pmnte scored by either side. This player seems right at the top of hig form and liae been playing well every week. On Saturday he was the mainstay of the baekline, as once the ball went past him mistakes were numerous. Time and again hie speed and tactical eense were called on to cover up errors. Hedge exploded short-range kicke well. ; and\ his itry wae easily the neatest seeri *i Sfrurget iPark this/ieeeon, "-:V > C3i j Bunting' wae the • outstanding man'jS •the College Rifles (tide. In -the second? epell hie iide had Otahuhn -badly bustled and Middleton, who came up from fullback, had the local defence hustled. One Spectator Too Many. . -, Somebody in'Otahuhu own» a dog who knowev-"hi*; football," but Unfortunately last Saturday'he let the home aide down and played for College Rifles, He went into serums and line-outs fearlessly, to the delight of the onlookers) but "when |Maseey, Otahuhu'e winger,- -had β-clear iron in forf a certain try;? the dog Jumped l for tlie ball and knocked it away.'