PLAY AND PLAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 18

PLAY AND PLAYERS

Outer Grounds. As to the merits of Crawford Green, which saw its first senior game last Saturday, one docs not think much. It wants levelling and trimming before it is really safe to play on. The tough coarse tussock, like a stubby whisker over the ground, tends to trip the passing player, and there were many on Saturday who were to be seen» nursing knees after a fall. At the same time, the site is quite suitable for a good ground,, and a little attention during the off season may work wonders. The playing of senior matches in the different suburbs is doing much to popularise Hugby in those places among people who cannot always get away to the Park, and it also offers opportunities for a pleasant outing with the family. Lyall 13ay has been particularly fortunate with its football this season, and one even heard talk of stands for spectators at the 'Varsity-Oriental game. Both grounds—Lyall Bay and Minimal—are excellent in the case of continued wet weather. IWarist and Berhampore. Marist have turned out to be a better team than was expected when the clubs were marshalling their forces earlier in the season. Against Berhampore last Saturday they -showed that thenpossibilities, as indicated by the draw with Poneke, were not exaggerated. It was plain from their exhibition last week, that good progress had been made with' moulding the team into shape, and as Marist are at the present time they should be heard of again. Like other clubs they are showing more vigour—ao much last Saturday that Bevhampore, with their hefty forwards, were bustled all the way. One' thing which helped Marist to victory last Saturday was the method by which they played to- the opposing team's weak points. Every endeavour was made to get in amongst the Berhampore backs before they could get moving, and nine times out of ten the endeavours succeeded. Fitness, smart breaking away, and fast following up counted in Marist's ravour. . The Marist players. were all more or less on their game, but two who played sterling games wore Bell (forward) and Cumiug (centrc-threequarter). Hopkins was out again, and filled the wing-for-ward position with credit. Dennehy,' the Marist lock, is a strong man of the pack. On his displays to date Cuming appears to go far in Rugby. Without Walters on Saturday Berhampore Would have been in a- sorry plight. Those who saw this full-back last Saturday did not see him at his best, but on the day he was good enough for the best of teams. It will bo interesting to see how he compares with the New Zealand representative, Harris, on the 3rd June. Lang, who as five-eighth is usually of. great assistance to Berhampore, was off his game against Marist, and that may have accounted for the Berhampore back division being right out of Ihe picture. Malheson and Taylor, the wing-threequarters, may have given Marist a lot of trouble if they could have got more of the ball. The Berhampore pack missed Goodall last Saturday, and generally they did not shape as well as on their previous appearance at the Park. It is possible that Standen may now be found in the front rank, and this will make, the tasks of teams opposing the Light Blues all the harder. Oriental's Win. The game between Oriental and Wellington on Crawford Green at Miramar deserves little comment. Both teams played sadly below the' standard of the previous Saturday. The pace was fast all through, but seldom got anywhere. Oriental made better use of their opportunities than then 1 opponents, and that was why they won. On both sides the forwards were much better than tlie backs. On the Wellington side the back play was exceedingly louse, and the passing so erratic that alert Oriental backs were frequently able to intercept and transfer play right down to tho other end. The goal-kicking of Taylor and Morgan, on cither side, w;>s a feature, of an otherwise nondescript gamp. M'.Nicoll was the l»'st of tin: backs, and did some effective individual work. Tlic loinbincd work of neither side was up to the mark. A.rnonp the forwards Sly, Muric, Watts, and Bennett- -ivero most conspicuous ou the Oriental uida u.iiri Jgvcb jijid . k'tuji'M iiaiiiu, jyi Alio X<'cUiuSi-'jy

side. Sidet spoilt his full-back game for Ories by coming up too far. University Form. 'Varsity romped home from Selwyu last Saturday, Hie victory placing* the Collegians on their own in leading position for the senior championship. But they have yet to meet the hardest teams. On Wednesday of this week they had a chance to prove themselves against the visiting Sydney University team, but, while they won. their performance was not impressive, and those who saw them tor th' 6 first time must have felt that 'Varsity's lead in the senior championship was but temporary. Of course, they were up agaii\st a team quite different to the type contesting the local championship, not so much in the standard of play as in style and formation. The local forwards were troubled by the 3-2-3 scrum formation. o£ the ■visitors, and the backs were affected by breakaways who went exceedingly close to infringing the off-sido rule, and also by overeagerness and a stiff northerly. The ■visitors had had no time to strike real form after their trip from Sydney, but all tilings considered their dis- | play supported the report that the game in Sydney is coming back to its own. The local team is capable of sparkling football, and when all members of the rear division are.. on their game opposing teams, no matter how good, will find the going hot. The Collegian backs did i not work in their usual manner on Wednesday. Selwyn's Struggles. It is a pity to see a club like Selwyn meeting with such poor results in the senior grade, and the hope is that the time will come when the encouragement given to the younger players will meet the reward of a. goodly measure of success for this club's seniors. At the present time senior football presents a hard struggle for Selwyn, and it may bo well for the club's officers to consider the advisability of cutting out the senior grade for a season and devoting suck attention to the junior ranks as will enable the club later on to have the goods for senior football.. Petone and Hutt. The game between Petona and Hutt at Petone on Saturday may bo taken as an example of those matches in which the scores cannot be taken as a. fair indication of the respective merits of the two teams. Hutt made a, splendid bid for the honours, and had their backs possessed a little more finishing ability there is every reason for saying that they might easily have secured the victory. The forwards, as a body, worked splendidly—so did the backs, but there was not that quality of "understanding" among the members of the rearguard which is essential for effective attack. This obtained, "little things" will not be so apt to "go wrong" at the critical moment. Petone's backs gave a fine display, and once they moved off the mark together they took quite a lot of stopping. Fisher, who played behind the scrum for Hutt, took a severe gruelling at times, but he never refused to go down to a forward rush, and generally he was always where he was most needed. This player, a school teacher by occupation, is a genuine enthusiast, and he really loves the game. He is attached to the Wainni-o-inata School, and to enable him to run in and out to the Hutt to attend the practices he has purchased a small car. One would have thoughtthat he could have found many other more obvious excuses for becoming a motorist. Munro, who scored Hutt's one and only try, also is a pedagogue, and when he wants to attend practice or play in a match he has to come from away back in the tall timbers. He is h good type of player, and when he has the ball in his possession he is fast and elusive. Just before scoring his try he handed Mark Nicholls "a dummy," and the Petone man was still looking for the ball that wasn't there, while Munro was touching down after having crossed the line. Mark NieViolls was the star among the Petone backs, and he was directly responsible for the scoring of over half the points which stood to his side's credit at the end of the game. He scored three tries himself and converted all of them, besides being prominent in all the successful movements by his colleagues. Hawkins played a good gamo, and Corner also worked well for the Petone fifteen. Athletic and Old Boys. Old Boya were not easy for Athletic They carried out their programme of long, judicious kicking, fast following up, and straight running, with snappy passing, and were fit. They lost by eleven points, it is true, but the margin would liavc been much smaller had Malcolm's kicking been anything like up to his usual standard. Old Boys, however, found Athletic, strong where Wellington in the previous game had proved weak, and their long up-field kicking was returned by Porter, Svenson, Gookson, and Co. with interest. The Athletic backs were.very sure and safe on defence and fielded the ball and tackled in fine style. Bramwell was the best back for Old Boys, his short punting, anticipation, and dashing play paving the way for most of the rearguard's best rushes. Mansfield made some splendid individual dashes, but his good play is spoilt to a certain extent by a desire to go on his own. Barclay, Menzies, and Preston were the best forwards. Had it not been for their two .All Blacks, Porter and Sveuson, Athletic may have fared badly, one of these two time and time again saving a, dtingerous position or opening up for a good attack. Svenson was particularly brilliant, Porter being troubled to some extent by an injured foot. Warwick played another fine game behind the scrum and made good use of the ball, which was being hooked in fine style nearly every time. Junior Championship. Further indications of a. very keen tussle for junior championship honours were provided by last Saturday's games, the results of which make the championship table as follows:—

Points. Cli. I. W. L. 1). Fov Ajist. Is. Athletic 4 to o 5.1 an s Hcrliiimpuru .... I ;s (I J. ;u 17 7 Old Hoys ■( 2 II 2 ji; -2s (i Jiustlxninie I :s I o a:) a3 i; I'orirua 1 a I 0 71 21 (1 Oriental -I 2 1 1 50 <3 r, i'micki! 3 2 10 21 II I .kiliiiKimvlllo .... I 2 -i v f.:. c \ -V:irsit.v A : ■ 1 2 2 n -12 :if> I TV! nnc A ( 2 2 n :io in ( M:irUt. A I ■-' •! 0 L';i 21 I Tcirlmiciil O.T:. ... t 2 2 II :',» :i" I Unit 112 1 :W 1.") ■ ;'. Sclw.vii I I ;• 1 17 ?,\ ;', . 'rrniniii: College..,:; 1 2~n :;j « 2 Welliii'iton :'. I 2 0 1-5 52 4J Hariftt, B „,■,,.. ft 1) tl (I B CS n Trioi's i! ♦ « t .n «S S',\ |l 'Varsity Xj ...... 4 0 4 0 1? fj a