CITY CHAMPION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 251, 23 October 1944, Page 7

CITY CHAMPION

PONSONBY DEFEATED

CLOSE OF LEAGUE SEASON

The Auckland Rufrby League's season was finished on Saturday, when the champion of champions match was played, with the result that City, the club champion, beat Ponsonby, the Roope Rooster winner, by 15 points to 11, to win the Stormont Memorial trophy.

Fast and open football was featured. City showed superiority in the forwards, particularly in the set scrums, and for that reason the fast Ponsonby backs saw less of the ball than usual.

City Backs Rearranged.—The City backs were rearranged for the occasion. In the absence of A. Donovan, the half-back was Cunningham, who was rated as a promising scrum-half in Northland football before coming to Auckland. The fiveeighths were Silva and Salaia, with Cossey, usually a five-eighth, in the centre position. It was an arrangement which added sharpness to the City inside back play. City had speedy winga In Matthews and Taylor, the latter giving a very bright all-round display.

Pew Chances for Speedy Wings.—With more of the ball, the Ponsonby backs would have been seen to better advantage. The positional play of the inside backs, Kay and Jordan, was excellent, but throughout the game they were hampered by a planned, swift covering defence by their markers. Under those circumstances fast wings in Roy Nurse and Nordgren got few chances of the openroad kind. The latter got a brilliant solo try from an up-and-under penalty kick taken by Kay, and can be rated as the fastest wing in the League game.

Mataira Outstanding.—The great forward of the match was Hawea Mataira, a veteran in years, yet still one of the best forwards in the game. Packing as the left prop of the front row in set scrummages, he kept within the four corners of the rules when the ball is put in, but the left foot swing, which he has developed, was of great assistance in getting possession of the ball. It was largely through Mataira that Lohenet, the Ponsonby hooker, was often beaten. In open play Mataira gave, on several occasions, a wonderful demonstration of long passing into the hands of supporting City backs. In raiding play Gee was a City asset.

Ponsonby Unlucky.—Ponsonby was unlucky in that Bailey, one of its best forwards, was absent through injury, and before the game was over Mullett was hurt and had to go off. Hull was the outstanding Ponsonby forward for allround play, Mullett was in everything up to the time he was hurt, and Fielder and Hardwick were prominent in the open play.