RUGBY FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 214, 4 June 1919, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL

/.\.;:'-^r~^: J ,'7;T-----,: r . WELLINGTON DRAW WITH MAORI TIONEERS ,

A POOR GAME

The first ro'presentattve game of' the Taigby season was played on the Athletic Park yesterday' afternoon, when Wellington met. the Pioneer Maori Battalion fifteen. There was. an attendance of about.sooo. spectators.' The ground in good condition, but a' chilly whirl blew from the north, making the con.ditions as far as the onlookers.were concorned none- too pleasant. • The match •whs (drawn, each side -scoring three points. .From'/a spectacular point of view the game was poor, tho play .being ■marked, by very : few splashes -of brilliancy-. .; Tlie Maoris had tlie advantage in weight all round, but particularly so ■in the forwards. Taking everything into consideration, Wellington • did very well .to.draw,.for the Maoris lost several good opportunities of scoring in tho first half. ;At the- same . tinVe, Wellington 'should •have done better in the sbcond • spoil. Throughout- tho game -they indulged in ■more, kicking than-appeared to be neceafearjv and in this; way' &' number of excellent chances wore thrown α-way.-There .was very - little back, play during the game, but "in this respeot Wellington .-were Superior .to .the visitors,, whose passing lacked finish. Tho Maori forwards, lowover, were a'vigorous lot, and- they mads the play open. - ; ' -'' ■ "Following, were the teams:— , ; Wellington.-Full-back, Malin;- threequarters, M'Arthur, Corner, Helev; fivc•cighths, Jacksbh, -Algar; half, Pollock; forwards, . Gnir - (wing), Bruco, Parker, Beard, Patoh, Kent, Byan, and Marks. Maoris—Full-bubkj-Corporal .-Edwards; three-quarters,; Lieutenant. Wilkinson, iieutenant.W.' Barclay,. Sergeant Mnpu; ' five-eighths, i Sergeant :.F. ..Barclay, Sergeant: .Kodgere; halves, - Lieutenant' Jacobs, .Captain; Vercoo.; forwards, Serjeant Tui Carroll, Private Hitigetbn; Captain J. II.' ; Hall; Lieutenant Ormond, Corporal. Pirihi, Lieutenant Auhana, , Corporal Tβ Urupii. •;.. '..'•■■'.. ... ■■■'• ■• ■■ ■ ■••• ■ .'■

Wellington Score Fr.oni a;Mark. ■;. ' The Maoris kicked offi.n&iiinst a fairly strong bfeeze; arid ..thov Wellingtoii " Jfor■wards'immediately earned the play- into the; Maori, twenty-five. The home ttaui got into;a striking , position, - but WilJrinson found .the line-.nicely,: Pollock • subsequently ..-took-- , a haudy. inark and Jaclcsoii: was. given; the kick,-, which... he successfully placed between, the :.ii|) : rights. Wellington: 3," Maoris 0. The Maoris kept -Wellington busy in' .their-twenty-five', for some time, .until: "Jl Arthur intercepted, and dashed down ..the line into the MKori' territory. -Welling ton's 'respite; was.:: only . tejmporaryj for the Maori' forwards, wire keen,- and. they Boon changed thp.yenlie. Orico , again': Way shifted, acrossi.the -.and a •ecramb'le tb'ok ■. iilri.ee-in'.iriidfleld:?-. l'atoh opened up by a , dribbling/movement,, and -Algar did some gooi following up. ,Al- - afterwards made A 'fiile: -atte'mp't-at potting: a. goal.■-from ;the. field,, his; ti.ck beirig just a trifle wide. The succeeding' play : was not'marked by' 'anything of particular.'iiote 'except' .a emaxi . breAfc away by-Gair.-.'Thd-latter sent tile bail on to Pollock, who; although.he.badiidt :far '.to go;. fbiih'd'-'it impassible.-to■ &et through. AVellinßton-; were-now attftokIrig with.vigour, 'and-the , game'took on ft- more , interesting aspect.-.. Unir.imss.cd a, great opportunity of scoring, lint. 1 filer o : n 'tho • Mtibrii;lost a -hr greater, one. JackSbh: dropped: a-,.pase,.. h-nfl .the Uiion ■forwards' immediiUely; dished in ■ aim dribbled clean oil-their =own right ■ between the Wellington ■ posts. They .lied it'absolutely witliin tlieir-power to score as they like'di : for tlie. nearest.-Wellthg-toil man: was yards behind. : However, some confusion arose'.between , -, several of the meii as to which of them should'.full on the:ball, .and in .the' interim..:-M-'Ar-thur dashed tip from , , nowhere and kicked the ball "dead.".,,lt was^n , mosteudden move on Sl'Artlmr's ~pai;t,:.'.iind ■ thn spectators were astounded./at,-.the fact that the Maoris did not score an easy' try. A .few minutes. t& terwards,'' .the.... jiaorfe.. - lost anot!i« good chance. ■Vyilkihson 'gdj;, and carried-through well into the. Wel-lington'twenty-five. ■■■ There he-was surrounded, so-"that-,hfe-.Kicked.across to the wing. Np'rie of the Maori.men was sufficiently handy,' h'bwevef, "but Algar got the ball;-'and nt once found the- line. JacobY was , doiiig. sbme very useful work for the Maoris, iit this a linekick he .executed, against, the wind earned him a Jlelirty. biifst of. # Jiieh before half-time Bounded, Bilrclay. and Eodgers bonnded away, on their own np the touchline. Barclay -was almost '.within striking distance., when. he was grabbed by Algar; wlib pulled him over the line'. The spell- then ended, Wel■lington still,being 3 .points ahead.

: The .Second Sjjell, : Wellihgton'Showed ii little ihore vigour at the opening of the .second half, and Jackson, aridHeley participated in "a passing' msii,. which;: however, did prwliice a.riy result. ■ The Maoris got the beet of a throw-in in the Wellington tweiity-flve; .liijcl Jacobi iiri : ■nied'intely picked up; aiiß riishbtl inj ing a good try alongside, the posts.!'' Hall took .tho .kick','but 'failed • to-• convert. Wellington; 3; Maoris;' 3. ■'The■ ensuing play was pretty,'open, shd frfst,. if anything the-advantage Being, in favour of the .Maoris, i From a melee near 'halfway, Algar. picked-up",' arid -bolted■'■.tip 1 field..'' .Th'b Pioneer •forwards;. ■swarmed around, him; so he passed out to M'Ar-

■thur.. ' As the pass was ralhor wild, •however, M'Arthur failed to reqoivo it.' 'and tto ■.-Maoris again got possession. \VeTlington pressed hard, and were beginning to make their efforts tell, when Barclay picked up from the ruck, and punted' well down the field. Piny, now became much more interesting, and Weiiyen't very close to scoring. Jack- •■'••. !?ot .clear, but was hemmed in by the Xi. ori thrce-niiarters. Ho passed to Al■■iHiv, who in turn sent the ball on to M'Arthuv. The latter tried .to get thvonnh near the corner, but ho was splendidly tackled by Wilkinson. This was perhaps tho best piece of play seen during the game, and Uio crowd's enthusiasm wanned up very perceptibly. .Wellington again came to the attack, per 'medium of this individual effort of Corner, whp made a great sprint toward the Maori line. When quite close, he transferred to Jackson who passed to M'Arthur. The hitler very nearly Rot across, but he was brought down, nnd tho MftUris got possession, forcing Wellington 'into their . own territory. Gail , and Rjnn then dribbled the ball hetweeh them well across the half-way line, but two minutes Inter the game ended without their haviitg been nny further score. Mr. L. Simpson controlled the gaine.' ■■ PUBLIC TRUST (19! V. GOVBRN- ,; • MENT LIFE (0). Teams from the Public Trust Office and Government Life Insurance Office played a .."curtain-raiser" to the big match. . The Public Trust team came off victorious by 19 points to nil, after a same of a somewhat uninteresting, nature. , Tries were scored for the winners by Brown (2), Tracey (2), and Gilli'sTJie._ Paaps converted one try and Gillespie another. Mr. J. Moffitt was referee. ■ HAWKE'S BAY DEFEAT WAIBA- ... . BAPA. By TeleeraDh—Press Association. Napier, June 3. The inlef-iinibn Riigby match between Wairarapa. and Hawke's Bay was played to-day in brilliant weather, in the presence of about 2500 spectators. A fast, ■fairly open game eiitled in favbiii , bf .Hawke's Bay' by 18 points (fries by Pa'ena (2). Greensido and Mitchell, three of which .were converted by Findlay) to 3 points (a try by Janies). There was not :ii"great deal of difference. between the teams,.bitt the home side made no mistakes when an opening offered. . ' SEVEN A-SiJJE tOIJHNAMENT. ■ .;,. . . Timaru, June 3. ...A seven α-sido football tournament was the'bnly hbiiday fixture. There was a very lar«o utteiidance. The weather was fine, but cold. -Ashburton and Oamaru wefo',- represented. Geraldiho won the senior competition,,, and. 1 Timaru ..High School Old Boys the feecond. Forty-, three teams competed.. ■