RUGBY FOOTBALL

Auckland Star, 28 June 1943, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

NAVY TEAM DEFEATED

GARRISON'S GOAL-KICKER

An outstanding feature of senior Rugby matches on Saturday was the scoring of 26 points by J. A. Gibbons, the Garrison centre three-quarter, against Army, in the curtain-raiser at Eden Park. Gibbons kicked seven penalty goals and scored and converted a try. He was outdone on the call of time in not registering all his team's points, as McCarthy, second five-eighth, scored a try. Gibbons' goals were all good efforts, varying from wide to fairly wide angles. He missed only three kicks in the match, the last in attempting to convert the try from in front of the post's. Garrison won the match by 17 points.

A thrilling contest was -provided by Marist and Navy in the chief encounter. After being 10 points in arrears at the interval Marist rattled on 24 points in the second spell, while Navy failed to score again. Technical Old Boys had another win, this time at the expense ot Grafton-Ponsonby. -„_.,♦„ ,„!„ MT.E., which has so far failed to win a match, kept Manukau, the leading team, down to a nine-point margin. The matches resulted: —

Marist 24, beat Navy 10. Garrison 29. beat Army 12. Technical Old Boys IC, beat GraftonPonsonby 9. Manukau 9, beat M.T.P. 0. Sailors Tire.—With both teams playing last, open football the match between Navy and Marist provided a thrilling contest. *""*■"£s! a 10-point lead in the first spell the Navy side tired perceptibly to the latter stages of the second spell, but by this time Marist. had K? ol™ fi thl field to"thTothe.? The Marist forwards played splendidly as a pack in the second lalf, while the backs, who were always a dangeious set in the first spell, came right into their own after the interval. Lee, Rae, Bavchard and Neary were always working well together while Sorenson played a fine game at full-back. Fitzpatrick played an outstanding game in the Marist forwards who, however, all did yell. Among the Navy backs Webb, half, and Hurdley first five-eighth, came through with decided credit both on attack and defence. Oram, Wright, Stapleton, Williams, and Nlven, upto the time of his retirement in the first spell, were well in the picture in the forward line. "Kicked Oft the Field."—Army's defeat at the hands ot Garrison can be aptly summed up in tho term that the soldiers were "kicked off the field" by Gibbons. The forward exchanges were keen and lively, while both rearguards frequently came into the picture in bright movements.

Technical Old Boys' Win.—Scoring the only two tries of the game. Technical defeated .GraftonPonsonby in a keen tussle. Tho latter team Included Pearce. the former Auckland forward, who was ordered off late in tho game, and Paton. at full-back. It was a strange sight to see Paton standing around while Edwards took the kicks. The latter missed four shots at goal in the first half, but was more fortunate in the second spell, kicking three penalties. sharplin, who played a sound game at full-back for Technical, added 10 points to the score. He kicked the best penalty of the match. Prom 40 yards out and 10 yards from the touch-line, he potted a beautiful goal. Roe, who played for the Technical College School fifteen last year, played a sound came at first five-eighth. He and the half-back, McLean, helped to keep the dangerous TetzlaS In check.

Death of C. J. Sldford.—After an operation at the Auckland Hospital the death occurred yesterday ol Corporal C. J. Sldford, well known in many athletic circles, and one of last year's Auckland Rugby representatives. At the Takapuna School he was in the first fifteen, and champion in swimming and in boxing at his weight. Later he took an enthusiastic part in surf club activities with the Takapuna Club, and was also one of the founders of the Fiha Club. For a time he stroked the North Shore senior rowing crew. In the winter he played Rugby for Ponsonby Club, and last jear Jor the Garrison military team.

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

The Auckland Rugby League's senior championship was advanced a further stage at Carlaw Park on Saturday. The principal match of the day, between City and Marist, was a great struggle, with City a single point in the lead at the end. Results were:— City 12, Marist 11. Richmond 23, Otahuhu 0. « Newton 26, North Shore 20, Manukau 24, Ponsonby 7. Uphill Game.—Marist played an uphill game against City. The latter was leading by 12 points to 3 at half-time. From that point Marist had- the better of the play, and when the end was close wanted a converted try to win. Amid excitement it got the try. and L, Simons took the shot on which hung the result of the game. He made a good attempt but the ball went just wide of the post. The three Marist tries were got by Costello, who was outstanding in the Marist backs. Richmond Wing.—Playing at right wing threequarter "ior Richmond a-gainst Otahuhu, Harkins showed exceptional ability in attacks and scored three tries. He has good hands and a nice turn o£ speed. In earlier matches he was tried at five-eighths, but it appears that he can do better in a position where he has more scope to work in. Lack OE Finish.—All through the match against Richmond the Otahuhu team showed a- fatal lack of finish, although some of the Individual effort was exceptionally good. Speedy was very sharp in his play at half-back, both Morris nnd V. Cordon showed penetrative skill at flve-elghlhs and at right wing three-quarter Simons, who is very consistent In his play, showed dash and determination on the very few occasions that a real chance came his way.

Clever Forwards. —After watching the easy way in which forwards scored tries against Fonsonuy, one is convinced that Manukau have the best type of League forward in the code. There is an forwards make every effort to open up ' the play. At least five tries came from the excellent passing of the forwards, and Ponsonby was bewildered at the speed of the big men. The whole set played like backs, and while this type of tactics are continued, it will take a really great team to Thompson and Rudolph each scored two tries and the pair showed how easy it is to handle the ball. Thompson was especially good in the loose, and is again going the right way to be the most prolific forward scorer in the code. Rogers is another forward to impress with his speed and good passing. Shilton is perhaps the most improved forward in the game, and knows all there is about the last man down in the pack play. Ponsonby introduced a new forward to the code in F. Gilbert, who is round the six-foot mark and carries 15 stone well. Gilbert showed up well in the loose and is a decided acquisition. Hull and Sullivan battled well among the Ponsonby forwards, which could not be blamed for the convincing Manukau win.

Goals Bring Paints.—Newton never fields the same rear division twice in competition games, but against North Shore the backs had all to do with winning a well contested same. Kangi, Gregory and Newa were .missing, and the rearrangement o£ the inside backs proved a success. Richards, who usually plf.ys on the wing, went a splendid game at five-eighths, as did tSilva, who is also a three-Quarter. Cleave replaced Rangi behind the scrums, and although lacking size, he gave excellent service. Some good goal kicking was witnessed in the game. Silva kicked four goals for Newton while McArthur, who is not often seen in the role, sent over five goals for North Shore,

DAVIS CUP HOCKEY

Although the championship competition is nearing an end, the winner Is still in doubt. Wesley-United, by Its defeat of Somerville (2 —0) enhanced its position, and University's win over Air Force (5 —2) still keeps the students in the running for the honour. It would now appear that the Uhiversity-Wesley-United clash will be the deciding match, as the winner of this game should be able to retain its lead in the remaining engagements.

Training College registered the highest tally of the day against Papakura (G—l), and Owai Rovers easily accounted for lit. Eden (3 —0), while a close game between A.S.C. and St. Luke's ended in a draw (3—3).

Wesley-United Too Good.—The Somerville-Wesley-United match provided plenty of thrills for the followers of both sides, and it was evident, rlgllt from the .opening bully, that the eventual winners were "on their toes," the keen bustling tactics of the forwards doing much to upset the back division of the Somervllle team. O. Slaney, S. Cowperthwaite and I. Burton were the pick of the winners' vanguard, while in the half-line, which gave great support to the attacks, H. Pyfe and W. Miller were outstanding. B. Howard, the goalkeeper, played what was perhaps his best game this season.

Somerville's lorward line lacked its usual combination and lost a number of chances through slow circle work, while the cohesion and understanding between the front and half-lines was also below the high standard set in earlier games Over "eagerness contributed to some of the failures at scoring, especially in the second spell when keenness to make up the leeway resulted in faulty positional play among the halves who were then unable to support the attacks. The veteran full-back, Cliff Smith, made his first appearance this season, and although obviously not as fast on recoveries as in former years, nevertheless took his share of the brunt of the defence with his,. partner (also another young veteran), C. statnton.

Two All Blacks In One Team.—When St. Luke's held A.S.C. to a drawn game, it had the services of two old elub members who hold impressive records in "rep." hockey. They were none other than E. G. McLeod, the ex-Auckland and Wellington half, and S. Robertson, also an Auckland "rep." for quite a number of years. Both have worn the Silver Fern of New Zealand, and although they have many years of hockey behind them, their coolness and experience had a beneficial effect on the younger members of the team.

Teachers Too Good. —In the game against Fapakura the sound rather than brilliant teamwork of Training College kept the Army players on the defensive for the greater portion of play. Despite some very fine work by the Army rearguard, the big tally of 6 goals was hoisted against it, and the severity oi the attacks, ■ coming from an quarters of the Training College vanguard, was k& SiWsurtrs»% tsses that Papakura had a goalkeeper of Butler's nhiiitv otherwise a much higher score would have resulted. In the circle Wyatt again proved n dangerous shot and collected four goals. ForsL., right wing, made many good advances, but 'undid much of his work by going too far and centring too straight. Such tactics allow the defenders to get back into position. He would ereatlyimprove his work by following the way York, the left wing, sends in his centres. Kirkham was the best of the Papafcura full-backs. Hβ "retted and stoppr; well, and, making full use of his reach, often Snapped the ball away from the attacker. Palmer, inside right, and Grimmer, inside left, .were the outstanding forwards.