North Shore On The Top Rung Of The League Ladder

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 193, 16 August 1941, Page 1 (Supplement)

North Shore On The Top Rung Of The League Ladder

Richmond Beaten 10—3

Scale Turned In The Second Half:

Papakura Finds Success At The End Of A Long Lane: Ponsonby And Newton Win

With splendid forwards, who played in an untiring way right to the end, North Shore, after being behind at the interval, shaded Richmond in the second half and won by 1 0 points to 3. This result made North Shore the leader for the Auckland Rugby League championship, with still a match in hand Papakura's long string of losses came to an'end at last, when it surprised by beating City, considered one of the strongest teams of the competition, by 5 points to 2. The other two • games, which have no bearing on championship honours, were won by Ponsonby and Newton.

KORTH SHORE PLAY Ml UPHILL GAME

The teams were:— Richmond: Magill, Savers, Tittleton, B. Lowther. Williams, Solomon. Webb, Davis, Broadhead, Metcalfe, Mackintosh, Mitchell. Potter. North Shore: Smith. Greenwood, Scott, Wilkie, Clarke, Chatham, McArthur, Hunter, Graham. Scholes, Rutherfield, Field, Petersen. Richmond opened up the game like a team sure of itself, the forwards showing speed and dash in the open play and the backs joining in with fast interplay. Richmond was trying a new back arrangement, with Williams behind the pack and Webb at first five-eighth. Good combination was tihe result. Shore crowded its covering defence on Solomon, but he was showing cleverness in breaking through and was swinging the Richmond threequarter line into action. Shore was playing up to its best tradition for valiant defence, and V. Scott in the three-quarter line and Smith at full-back were seldom at fault. With play at the Shore end Clarke broke clean, kicked ahead, got the ball again and connected with Petersen. The latter swung wide from a scattered defence and then in-passed „tp. Clarke. The Shore five-eighth ""lad* an open road, but Tittleton saved Richmond with a diving tackle from behind. Two penalties came Shore's way, but from fairly short range Scott missed both y- chances to, gather points. Solomon opened the way for Richmond's first score with a diagonal break, sending to Tittleton, to Sayers. The wing, with a great burst of speed, made , the most of an overlap to cross and score by the flag. Smith kicked a penalty goal to reduce the Richmond lead. The half-time scores were:— Richmond 3 North Shore 2 Shore played in an intensive way when the second half started, McArthur passing with snap and precision, and Chatham and Clarke Bloving with speed, and opening up the play for their supporting backs. On the Shore wings Wilkie and Greenwood were playing with dash, the latter showing an elusiveness at times which caught the fancy of the crowd. • , Shore set up a long-drawn, intensive attack, which tried Richmond sorely. Play was swinging to and fro across the Richmond twenty-five, with thrust from all angles. In the midst of it all, Richmond was penalised, but Smith missed the goal shot and the chance of getting Shore into the lead. There came another free to Shore, and this time Smith's shot hit the post high up and rebounded outwards—a narrow escape for Richmond. The next Richmond escape was when Smith tried for a field i?al, the ball going just outside the post.

The heavy ground had much to do with slowing clown the play in the second half, but the game was always even. From a scrum near halfway Tredrea raced on the open side, sent a timely pass to Green, and Emus raced for the corner to score a well-deserved try. Good combination was a feature of this movement. Emus failed to convert. Newton 11, Marist 6. Play brightened up considerably and both sides did equally well on attack. Kendall got Xewton out of a tight coiner after Barchard and Brady had got within seor ing distance. Up against an improved Xewton team, diarist was repelled with sound tackling aud a good run by Taripo was halted with a fine tackle by Kendall. The Xewton backs got moving again and Burton and Tredrea were associated in a nice passing bout which went close to a try by Emus. Finally Marist made a great effort to retrieve the position and Smith scored a good try after the inside? backs bad done good work. The game ended: Xewton 11 Marist 9 Mr. E. Pope was referee.

.Shore hammered away until 'Clarke dived over at the posts to Kore.and Scott converted. Richmond played in an all-out way "try and bridge the gap, and exciteJMnt ran high as the Richmond J«*s, in fast inter-play, sought hard JP r f,J gap in the Shore defence, but We Shore backs held Richmond off. «ear the end the great Shore pack SgJJ.to the Richmond end, and ■~**J Hur whipped away a blind-side $*» for Greenwood to race in at the «gand score. *«e final scores were:— North Shore 10 'Richmond 3 UP"" G. Kelly was referee.

★ mm IMPROVE IN tJSSLMME WITH MARIST

PAPAKVRA SURPRISE: BEATS CITY IN TENSE STRUGGLE

Early exchanges favoured City, and for a time Papakura had a busy time defending its line. Good play by A. Donovan resulted in MeManus being held up on ■the try-line, and Morris went close to scoring. Papakura made the play for its forwards, and did well to drive City back. However it was only a temporary advantage, for Brassey gained good ground from a'nice run by Burgoyne, only to be pushedinto touch by Wellin. Play was very ragged, and after Clarke had missed two penalty kicks, the City full-back sent one over to open the score aiftar 25 minutes' play. City 2. Papakura 0. Down the wing W. Jackson, a forward, dashed to go close to scoring, after MeManus had made the position fairly easy. Papakura gained good ground as the result of a nice run by Wellin, who was the best Papakura back. Wellin next received from Halsey . and beat all but Clarke, whose tackle would have brought down an international. City continued to press, and had the advantage at half-time. City 2 Papakura "

i*fcl« well deserved their success a"™"* Manet, and the play of both teams improvement. Who » B °P ene d up well against Marist. A»<». ere P llnus a couple of their usual 12*+ A good run bv Emus placed j"7™ on the offensive earl.tr. ana and Laurent carried plav well into ! Mtt li* . territor 3- However, MeLeod (j^u i ®," 8f *t forwards, and Hughes and j^™> v .'prominent in a good passjng Nwton had the better of the EJ&."** Tr»drea made a fine opening E7vl**>inK to Everitt. The forward gjV«U*ton over to score a good try. Igconverted. Newton 5, Marist 0. |g?wMr good Newton movement saw Sr"f e *° halfway, where again Tre- ' j2L* n<l Everitt raced np to support. fcSEkX 88 the last to handle, and the scored a clever try. Emus <B£J° convert. Marist hit back, and ,g£™an and Bart-hard swept over the JWfflpn. Simpson snapped up to score £*. near the posts. McLend missed an g*>.goal. Marist did better as the •§£: Progressed and McWilliams and )^jV. n * to scoring. Zimmerman ■iEy«J M wa y towards the Marist line, •feaST**? 1 pass to Laurent cost NewMTiFfc .McWilliams scored for Marist J* nwftnae the scorrj' were: : 2f*ton ... g • *«irt .:.:::::::::. e

The Papakura forwards made a good impression early in the second half, and kept City busy defending. Burgoyne led an attack, and Pinfold gave good support, for T Hogan to be thrown out at the corner. Clarke got City out of trouble, and good play by H. Mataira and McManus gained ground. The game was much below the usual standard, and neither team showed anything like first grade football. Leading the Orty forwards in a sweeping offensive waa Kokaua. a Fijian, who had previously shown good form After Citv had had the better of the game the v Papakura pack took play to half wav. Burgess, at five-eighths, then kicked through and beat Clarke, to score a trv near the posts. Well in converted Papakura 5, City 2 This was the nnal score.

TWO GOALS BY KAY SAVE DAY FOR PONSONBY

Mount Albert held the advantage in the opening phase of play, and carried the attack to its opponents' end. Carter made a penetrative run in the .centre of the n.ld, and sent on to Hetherington, to Moore, for the latter to cross wide and score. The Ponsoulby reply was some good flashes of inter-play, with Kay and Riley speedy and thrustful. . At this stage both sete of forwards were fighting hard for possession in the scrums, and honours were fanly even. Brady was sending away good passes from the base of the scrum, Clements and Moore were teaming well Morgan was going straight in the centre, and Cowley was allowing great speed on the wing. The greater enterprise wm on the part nf PoMonbv, but solid Mount Albert various attacks> g£er-full-back proving a very valuable last link and rising to every call made on him. The half-time scores were: Mount Albert | Ponsonby • •; Ponsonby opened the second half with suEed attack, and. endeavoured to open out play to the winjrs. In one pa* ■ ing move the ball went via al the insKie K toT Riley, who was driving hard at the Mount Albert line when Carter stowed him with a brilliant diving tackle <?n the Ponsonby side the youthful wl was nlaving a fine positional game s°f«lKck. Ind was constantly, eavmg h Kay'kitked a penalty goal for Ponsonby, to reduce the Mount Albert lead to a ■"pSwSb?" drove into the lead when Rilev worked in from the right wing and RUejr ™°™*\ .. , wh ich Hughes gatheve.l and thSS«S in a diagonal line to Mo.m e t' Albert forwards raided hard at the Ponsonby end, and Tristram.with a 1 , a -t«i«J the lead to Mount Albeit. t, \vlirans? i the e Ponsonby half, gathered an and went over to score toi Ponsonby, and Kay converted. The final scores were. Ponsonby •■• g Mount Albe:» • Mr. J. tvi ovan was referee.