RUGBY IN THE RAIN

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 181, 28 April 1924, Page 11

RUGBY IN THE RAIN

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES COMMENCED WINS FOR ATHLETIC, SELWYN, MARIST AND PETONE PONEKE AND BERHAMPORE DRAW The Rugby season commenced in earnest on Saturday, when a start was made with the championship competitions. Wintry conditions prevailed and under the circumstances the players handled the wet ball very creditably# In the senior competition three matches were decided at Athletic Park. Athletic, by means of a superior vanguard, outplayed Old Boys; Selwyn defeated ’Varsity, after a close fight; and Poneke and Berhampore played a hardfought draw, each side scoring three points. At Petone, Petone had the best of matters against Hutt, while Marist proved superior to Wellington at Kilbirnie Park. RESULTS AT A GLANCE. Athletic, 11, beat Old Boys, 0. Poneke, 3, drew with Berhampore, 3 Selwyn, 8, beat ’Varsity, 6. Petone, 9, beat Hutt, 0. Marist, 13, beat Wellington, 0.

■ front of the goal. Turner, however, faded to guide the slippery leather aright. The Poneke backs, when the rain ceased, commenced to throw the leather about, but the handling was faulty and some good chances were lost. Their persistency, however, was at last rewarded, as a pretty piece of concerted play enora in a score. Snapping up ttie leather in midfield, Gibson made a straight dash, and sent on to Bennett, who cut in and transferred back to Gibson, who sent in a nice pass to Kennedy, who put the seal on a clever bit ot play. J lie try was not improved, and a close and even game ended in three points all. All. R. Wilkinson was the referee. MARIST DEFEAT WELLINGTON After a gruelling game at Kilbirnie Marist secured the decision over We - lington by 13 points to 0. Weight advantage in the forwards, superior knowledge of dribbling, and steady work by the backs carried the day. Haying against a stiff northerly the combatants confined their activities chiefly to the south side of the ground which soon became considerably cut about, and in several places miniature ponds sprang into existence. Nothing daunted the vam-uards cheerfully mixed matters, and a good (feal of mud, while the Green backs sustained thiir reputation for handling in the wet. McCleary showed sound wisdom in keeping the ball among the pack when an attempt at combination entailed the slightest risk of f"’ lin". He followed the practice of coming" round the scrum, dropping the ball hi, toe and then leading, the forhad an able, supporter in CXbi Xian whose dribbling work was particular Ij rood The first spell produced one wsufU «• which Murphy . c ° n W S nerote emleavour across through half tl'P ", ne ende d nil. PETONE DEFEAT HUTT At the Petone Recreation Ground, Petone defeated Hutt by 9 points to nil. Exceptionally severe showers of ra n before and during the match rendered conditions impossible for anything approximating decent football. Petone essaj ed passing rushes, but the slippenness ot the ball nullified their efforts Both sides were dangerous in attack at intervals throughout the game, and both showed good defence, although in this department, Petone held the advantage. Hutt played a plucky game, endeavouring to keep the pace a cracker. Petone were too heavy in the scrums, while the collaring of both teams was well up to senior standard. Petone s first score occurred after about It) minutes’ play, when at the end of a series of speculative kicks which rushed play from near halfway, Scott, a forward, just beat a Hutt man for the ball and touched down. Mark Nicholls failed with the kick. ’ Shortly before half-time Petone were awarded a free-kick in front of the *oal, which Mark Nicholls succeeded in converting. Within a minute of the resumption of the second half Petone rushed the ball into Hutt’s territory, and from a passing rush Cornago got over near the corner. Mark Nicholls failed to convert. Play fluctuated, with each team having to force two or three times. The whistle sounded “time,” with the scores Petone 9, Hutt 0. Mr. G. E. Bradley controlled the game. SELWYN V. ’VARSITY Selwyn and ’Varsity met on Athletic Park, and although the latter appeared to have the match always in hand, the Green ami Blacks snatched victory from them by two points. All the scoring was done in the first spell,when the handling of the ball by the Green rearguard was, at times, a treat to sec. Selwyn’s defence, however, was too good and it was owing, to this, coupled with short attacks from (heir twenty-five, that they loft the field the victors. The rain which fell in the interval nullified the previous effective handling of the ball by the backs, and confined play to the forwardsThe students kept up a' continual attack, and were very unlucky in not adding to their score. Near the end Selwvn attacked, but ’Varsity had no trouble in stopping them. The game ended: Selwvn 8, ’Varsity G. For Selwyn, Wogan scored and converted his own try, while Phillips notched the other three points from a forward scramble. Riggs obtained the students’ only try, and Blathwayt kicked a good penalty goal. GAMES IN OTHER CENTRES AUCKLAND By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, April 27. Grammar School Old Boys 16, Grafton 5: Marist Old Boys 6, College Rifles 3; North Shore 6, King's College Old Boys 3; Ponsonby 6, University 0; Newton 9, Suburbs 9.

ATHLETIC OUTPLAY OLD BOYS Athletic and Old Boys took the field at Athletic Park in a heavy downpour of rain. Old Boys opened with dash, and from the kick-off, with Loe, Hand, and Barclay in the van, bore down in a sweeping rush on the Athletic line. A score appeared certain, but over-eager-ness caused one of the Whites to get offside a yard from the line, and the resulting penalty, taken by Warwick, extricated the defenders from a dangerous .position. The Old Boys’ vanguard w ere moving with dash on the heavy ground, and Hum, Jones, and Preston came back with a good foot-rush, which again had the Athletic backs defending for their lives. In stopping the. -letermined rush, Webb, one of the Athletic forwards, received a knock, whicli compelled his retirement. Park filling the vacancy. Svenson cleverly cleared with a smart pick-up and punt, but from a pena ty just outside the quarter-mark Malcolm camo very close to opening a scoring account for Old Boys, the ball falling just under the bar. The Athletic forwards, headed by Porter Duncan ami McNaught, came upfield in good stjlc, and B Gibson essayed a pot at goal, but the > effort was wide. Malcolm, who was playing a cool and soi.no game at fullback for Old Boys, cleared with a hefty punt to the line at half-way. Another blinding shower set in here. and tne players were scarcely distinguishable as they raced about in the flying smother. The ball became very greasy, and rearI guard play became out .of the question. “Keep it on the ground and kick hard was the order for a time. Athletic had a good opening from a penalty close up, but the slippery leather flew wide on Cookson’s boot. Shortly before the halftime bell went, a determined Athletic attack, in which Smith, Osborne, and Swain were prominent, saw the lastnamed round off the movement with u try, which Cookson failed to improve. The sky was clear but a cold breeze was blowing when they came out 'lor the second spell. Shortly after piny hail been restarted, Faber, with a clever cross-kick, gave Old Boys an opening. Brooks, however, was handy, and blocked the opening. From solid play in midfield, Porter came away with the ball at hi s tee, and being well supported by McNaught and McKernan, a fierce assault was made on the Old Boys' line. In the scramble which followed, an Athletic player passed when on the ground, and the penalty enabled Old Boys to relievo the pressure. Athletic returned to the attack almost immediately, but Malcolm drove them back several times Insure fielding and powerful kicking. From a scrum in midfield, the Athletic forwards gave Warwick the ball, and ho set his backs in motion. B. Gibson made a strong tun down the line, until upended by Underhill. Cookson made a splendid effort to land a goal from a penalty, the, leather just passing outside the upright by inches. The Athletic forwards were lasting it out better than their opponents, and another fast rush saw the ball taken down to within a few yards of the Old Boys’ line. Here Sutton was given a good pass, and he had a clear run in. Cookson failed to add the extra points. Athletic were now having decidedly the better of matters, and it was only sound defensive work by Malcolm, Bedel], and Kelly which kept Old Boys up. Old Boys then took a new lense of life, and the best play of the match was seen. Both teams opened up the play, ami some fast rearguard work was indulged in. The defence by both sides was sound, and none of the passing bouts was allowed to develop. The Atli- '' I6tic forwards were seeing it out well, and twice swept their opponents hack from the line. Svenson here gave a taste of his real quality, and made a couple of nice openings. From the second, Sutton scored his second try, which Cookson improved with a. capital effort. The game thus ended:— Athletic 11 Old Boys o Mr, J. Moffitt controlled the game. BERHAMPORE DRAW WITH PONEKE Poneke ami Berhampore played on the southern end of Athletic Dark. Berhampore opened strongly, and forced their opponents to give ground before spear-head thrusts by the forwards. About the quarter-mark, a Poneke player got offside,' and Lang kicked a good goal. The heavy ,rain which was falling made fast play out of the question, and the struggle was almost entirely confined to theiorwards. A good Poneke rush, with .lessen, J. Shearer, and McKay heading, took the ball right on to the Berhampore line, but a force down wns all that, came of it. Shortly afterwards, Ile.H put the Poneke backs in motion, but Bennett was brought down by Howard near the line, ami Walters cleared with a lucky speculator. Berhampore limn came down field with a great rush, in which forwards and backs collaborated, and for a time Poneke had their work cut out to keep the determined invaders at hay. The remainder of the spell was fought out with the bull on the grbund. Berhampore looked like ndding to the points when the whistle set the second spell going. The forwards swept everything liefore them, and had bard luck in that Wright, the Poneke full-back, just beat them for a. score. Play steadied down for a time, until Wolters placed Berhampore in an attacking position again with a giant punt. Kennedy. Walsh, and S. Shearer headed a i’oiicke rush, which took play back to I I the Berhampore line, ami they had a > i capital chance of equalising when a free- I | kick was awarded to them straight in j !

CHRISTCHURCH Christchurch, April 26. Old Boys 31. Linwood 5; ’Varsity 6, Albion 3; Motivate' 24, Sydenham 3; Christchurch 32, North Canterbury 0. DUNEDIN Dunedin, April 27. The first round of Rugby fixtures commenced yesterday in ivintry weatnei, rain falling durinir the greater part ot the afternoon. There was some good i play in spite of the weather, and’one or 'two matches were well contested, following are the results of the. first; grade matches -.—University A 11, Zingari 5; University B 15. Dunedin 11; Kaikorai 2G, Southern 0; Pirates 34, Union 0; Alhambra 6, Taieri Rovers 3. NELSON BY telegraph.—Special Correspondent. Nelson, April 26. The footliall season opened this afternoon in bad weather conditions. . In Ihe senior competition O.dßoys(c) beat Rival (3). Snodgrass and McTlvray scored tries for the* winners, Snodgrass converting one. Nieman obtained a ir t \ for Rival. . .. , Other results were as follow-.—Nelson 13. College 3. Third-class: Rival 12, j Nelson 0. n