THE LOWER GRADES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 129, 4 June 1927, Page 7

THE LOWER GRADES

CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES

. The fifth, sixth, and seventh grades of -the Wellington Rugby Union's competitions have again drawn large entries this s«ason, and with the Colleges back from vacation, the championships are now in full swing. These grades provide a valuable nursery for the game, and it is already evident that there are boys of promise in plenty. The position of the teams with notes thereon are as follow :—

Fifth Grade.

No competition this season promises to be more interesting than the fifth grade, in which twenty-one teams are taking pajt. In the matches played to date no team with the exception of Wellington College A, who have played only one game, has come through without losing a championship point. Selwyn' and Wellington College Q are, however, unbeaten, these'teams having had a draw. ■ In" Belwyn's case tho drawn game was scoreless, and the team has had no points registered against it' in the other games played. Oriental, with one losg, have a fine scoring record, having scored 77 points with only three' points registered against them. The present position of the. teams is very interesting, as shown in the following table:— ■"■."■'

Sixth Grade.

Of the sixteen teaniß engaged in the sixth grade competition, eight- are as yet unbeaten, although some of these number have played drawn games. Johnsonville,' who i played two games, are now in the 1 seventh grade competition. At the present time the sixth grade table is affected to some extent by the fact that most of the teams are in arrear with games, eight of them having played only one match. Of.the others Petone have' played aiid won four games. Wellington are next on tho lißt with two winb and.a draw iii three games. Tho table is as follows: —

Seventh Grade,

There aTe eighteen teams contesting the 'seventh grade competition, and the prospects at the present time are that the contest for championship honours should be interesting all tho way. Several of the teams have played only one game, and with one exception they have recorded a win. Of tho other teams not. one. has come through with full championship points, although Technical (at present at the head of the list) have dropped only one point through a drawn game. The championship table is as follows:-— . '

Since the introduction of the League code in Sydney our forward play has tended more and more to become of the loose; shining variety "K.C.W."in the Sydney^ "Sun). There is no question that* the Union code has been badly batten by the League "bug" in this respect. The sooner our forwards drop that sort of play the 'better. . Probably the best example of forward play seen in Sydney for years including even the "All Blacks" and "Springboks" was given by the A.I.F. team; That pack attended solely to its business of winning the ball for the backs in scrum, line-out, and ruck. They didn't run about the field'in a looso "rabble" formation, but swooped -down as a solid eight, and eight determined men doing the one thing at the same time take a world of beating. Eight forwards, who play as forwards, will knock spots ,off the team that boasts a couplo of "loose" players.

"I'wonder when the so-called progressive unions agitated for a return to the old kick-into-touch rule did they know that the greater, part of South Africa was keen on the new rule and that there seems reason to expect that the Springboks will soon come into line with New Zealand,", writes "Onlooker," in the- "Southland Times." "Furthermore, even in that conservative part of the world, Great Britain, there are many who favour the new rule. I read the other day an interesting article by Clem Lewis, tho Welsh international, wherein he advocates the change. 'Our New Zealand friends have adopted it,' he writes, 'and if they left one lesson more than any other with us after their last tour, it was the value of straight running down tho centre of the field. Am I stating too much if I gay that this rule may have something to do with that feature of their plajt,'-'-'

• ■ Points. Ch. P. W. L. Dl For. Agat. Pts. Selwyn .... 4 3 o 1 sl> 0 7 Petone' .... 4 3 1 0 87 -■ lli « Oriental .. 4•. 3 1.0 77 3 8 Hutt .... 4 3 10 33 23 « Berhampore 4 3 1 0 36 26 ti Tech. A .. 4 2 1 1 45 11 r> Eastbourne . 4 2 11 36 21 5 Tech., B .. 3 2 10 23 30 i Marlst ... 4 2 2 0 48 21 4 Wgtn. A ... 4 22 0 33 34 4 Taita .... 4 2 2 0 20. 30 4 Old Boys ..3111 26 . 12 3 Wei. Col. A 1 1 0 0 18 0 2 Athletic ..4 1 3 0 2« 51 2 Melrose ....'■ 4 ■"• 1 ■ 3 0 ti 74 2 Johnsonville 4 1 3 0 12 57 2 Wei. Col. C 1 ,Q 01 :■ 3 3 1 Wcl. Col. B 3> 0 2 1 3. 45 1 Wei. Col. B 1 0 10 OS 0 Wcl. Col. D 1 0 1 0 0 ' 0 0 Hutt V.H.S.. 10 10 0 25 0 Poneke ... 4 0 4 .0 3 109 0

1 oints Ch. P. W. I/. D. I'or Agst. Pts. Petone „ .4 4 0 0 87 6 8 ■Wellington . 3: 2 0 1 33 12 5 Oriental ... 4 2 2 0 20 36 4 Wei. Col. A 1 .1 0 0 2D 0 'i St. Pat.'s .1 10 0 26 0 2 Wei. Col. B 1 10 0 24 0 2 Technical . 11 .0 . 0 25/ : 3 2 Berhampore S, . 12 0 0 38 2 Selwyn ... 1 i 3 0 9 66 2 Wei. Col. C 1 0 0 1 6 0 1 Wei. Col. K 1 0 0 1 B « 1 Melrose .... 3 0 2 1 9 23 1 Wei. Col. D 101 0 0 IT 0 Scots Col. D 1 0 1 0 3 25 0 Johneonrllle* 2 0 2 0 ' 0- 45 o Athletic ..3 0 3 0 " 6 48 0 •Now In seventh grade.

Points Ch. V. W. L: D. For. Ag. Pts. Technical ■".... 4 S 0 1 53 15 7 Karorl ....... 4 3 1 0 21 12' 6 Kalwarra .... 4 2 1 1 23, 18 5 Selwyn „....' 4 £ 2 0 14 27 4 Athletic ....... 4 II 2 41 17 4 Fotone '3-1 1 1 9 15 3 Eastbourne .. 4 '1 2 1 23 41 3: Wellington Col. A. 1 1 0 0 58 3 2 St. Patrlck'i ... 1 1 0 0 26 0 ' 2 Scots College . 1 ' 1 0 0 16 8 2 Jobnsonvllle .. 1 10 0 3 0 2 Wellington Col, B. 1 i 1 0 o■,0 ■, 11 0 2 Wellington Col. D. 11 0 0 11 0 2 Hutt V.H.S. A. 2 1 1 0 16 11 2 Wellington .... 3 1 2 0 33 38 2 Tslta 4 13 0 12 25 2 Wellington Col. K. 1 0 1 0 J 21 0 Hutt V.H.B. B. 2 0' 2 0 0 27 0 Oriental 4' 0 4 .0 6 76 0 Wellington Col. C. 10 1 0 3 58 0