CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 135, 9 June 1928, Page 22

CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES.

SENIOR "A" GRAIJE. Points. Chi>. Jl. W. h. I). V. A. l'ls Orii'iital k « <• U 0 73 -12 12 Athletic (i !> 1 0 7(1 3li 10 Old Boys 6 4 2 0 S3 i!li S I'oneliO U 4 - 0 SO 47 S "University ..' ('■ 4 2 0 1)5 OS S I'etone 6 3 3 0 57 72 li Marist. fi 2 4 0 33 4!) 4 JScrhnniporo li 1 i 1 57 S2 :i WollillKtoll li 0 5 1 3-1 73 1 Eastbourne ti 0 li 0 27 108 0 SENIOR "E" GRADE. Jolmsniivillo .... (1 5 1 0 1!>1 39 10 Wellington li 4 1 1 05 44 » Hutt (i 3 2 1 57 51) 7 Pnrirua 6 2 2 2 48 45 6 Oriental « 2 3 1 iili 70 3 University 5 2 2 1 37 -10 5 Kehvyn ' G 1 3 2 SU 61 •! Triiinliis College .5050 31 120 0

. The All Blacks are to-d>y playing l)iu lourth match of their tour in South Africa, and, liko tho second, it promises to bo one of the hardest. Transvaal, who opposr the tourists to-day, went very close to beating Western Province for tho Currie Cup last season, and if tho All Blacks are successful to-day their outlook for the bigger games ahead will bo brighter than it has been made to appear by performances in tho first three games of. the tour. With each match they should be improving, and the value of the experience in the early games should be reflected in the games to come. It was somewhat surprising, however, to learn of the big experiment carried out in the match with Griqualand West on Wednesday, when the New Zealanders tried a threefour serum against a three-two-three. Tho All Blacks apparently won comfortably, but it cannot be taken from the result that tho change of formation was a success. It, was not one that tho writer would expect to bo attended with much success, and reports indicate that a bigger share of tho ball was again taken by tho home team. The play of tho backs, however, was evidently a big improvement upon that iv the other games, and it was noteworthy that five of the rear division were playing -their first game of tho tour. The opposition, of course, was not up to ihat encountered in Capetown, but, with duo consideration to this-fact, it looks as though .-fine of llii >.'.' who had their first riiauco on Wrduesdny impressed more f.-iumrably than some who played in .the previous games. Kilby, Strang, .Kushbrook, and Lindsay have mado an c'ct-eDent debut as internationals. In view or." the scrum formation adopted on Wednesday the All Blacks, were able In iln .without the lock, and only one i.r ;'■.■ four hookers was played. ;,!■ Williams, Snow, and Burrows were i',.~- rewards playing their first game „r Uo tour. ■ .;. llorp is the only ono of tho twenty]:iu..' players in the touring party who b:n not yet appeared in a match on (he tour. Finlayson and Stewart have : ■'.: yed in .'ill three games1. K'i'.iti. Scrumir.agers. Time and again attention has been drawn to the fact that in South Africa great reliance is placed in the forwards. Tho South African and Western Province ily-half, B. L. Osier, handed out information some time ago which in part should have been carefully noted. Thero were some things stated by Osier in the article (published in ''The Post") which indicated that this Bpringbok player was off-side, but in dealing with the forwards he emphasised the fact that every Springbok forward would have to carry his full weight in every serum. It was a caso of wearing down tho New Zealand forwards. "With our forwards, then, breaking through in loose rushes, wheeling from the tight scrums, etc., and then hooking back quickly," ho said, "I am quite confident we still have lacks in this country to do the rest, although numbers of the players of bygone days tell -us we haven't. It is only Iv bo hoped that we still remember" fhc lesson we learnt during tho British tour of 102-1; that is, that it is ii-i'livs to try to cope with' the opponents' loose forwards by playing loose forwards to watch them, but to have right solid serummagcrs and try to smash the rest of the pack." That is just what New Zealand needs —solid scruramagors. Seven of those big stalwarts now representing New Zealand in South Africa should be able, without deserting the 2-3-2 scrum, to demonstrate what a big push niea-ns. From one report it is gathered that somo of tho big All Black forwards are not yet properly fit. When they arc, and when all their weight goes into the serum, they should be a great force to bo reckoned with by the best pack that tho Springboks can produce. A. J. dv Plcssis (Stellenbosch) also recently gavo somo views on South African Rugby. Among them was tho following:—"Most people are apt to think that our Rugby to-day is absolutely below the standard of the past. This is the case with the backs, but certainly not with tho forwards. For-■n-.'inls to-day, no doubt, play better njni take a "greater part in tho game tli.-in tho forwards of the past. This is perhaps a result of the faulty play of the backs to-day." All Black's Engagements. Kosnlts of matches played to date and the fixtures ahead arc as follow: — May 30. —v. Western Province Country Clubs, at Capetown; wou 11-3. •liiiic 2—v. Combined Capetown Clubs, at Capetown; lost 3-7. June o—v. Griqualaml West, at Kimbcrky; won 10-10. June o—v. Transvaal, at Johannesburg. June 13—v. Orange Free State (Country), at Kroonstad. Juno 10—v. Transvaal, at Johannesburg. Juno 20—v. Western Transvaal, at Potslicfstrooiu. June 23—v. Natal, at Maritzburg. June 30—v. SOUTH AFRICA (First Test), at. Durban. July 7—v. Northern Districts (Transvaal, Free State, etc.), at Kimberley. July li—v. Khodesian Fifteen, at Bulawayo. July 21—v. SOUTH AFRICA (Second Test), at Johannesburg. July 2o—v. Pretoria Districts, at Pretoria. July 28—v. Orange Free State, at Bloemfontein. Aug. I—v. North-Eastern Districts, at Burghcrsdoi'p. ./\ug. 4—v. Border, at East London. Aug. B—v.8 —v. Border, at Kingwilliarastown. Aug. 11—v. Eastern Province, at Port Elizabeth. Aug. 18-v. SOUTH AFRICA (Third Test), at Port Elizabeth. Aug. 22—v. South-Western Districts, at Oudtshoorn. Aug. 25—v. Western Province, at Capotown. Kept. I—v. SOUTH AFRICA (Fourth Test), at Capetown. University and Old Boys. Splendid form way shown by University in their match with Old Boys at Athletic Park on Monday. It was not (inly in back play that University impressed, but also in the work of the forwards, who by a good all-round prrforniiince did nnic.li (<> pnvn the way for success. Though Old Coys were Wp-

iiblo of a bettor showing, t-lioy vlnyt-il quite well, except for tho fact that tlio forwards appeared to bo slow; in soUlin.t< down to their job. Thrir backs had any amount of opportunities to show up, and they contributed quite a part of tho brighter side of the game, but in the mutter of making openings they dirt not faro so well as University. In support of a hard-working set of forwards, tho University backs playixl right up to form, the whole rearguard, from half-back to full-back, working splendidly. Bainson made his reappearance with tho team, and indicated that ho was better suited to the centre-three-quarter position than to tho wing. His place-kicking was a big asset to University. Mackenzie is undoubtedly the leading light among the backs, and is this season showing really lino form. Ho was more conspicuous in tho first spell than in tho second on Monday, but that was duo to tho fact that he received an injury before half-time. In Brown and Mackay University have two dashing wing-three-quarters, and Noble-Adams on Monday gave a sample of his quality as a full-back. Tho Old Boys' rearguard was minus the services of Gronfoll, who was still feeling the effects of a knock in a previous match. His absence was no doubt felt keenly. Dustin was given a place in the backs, and ho played well enough to .suggest that Old Boys might have been better off had they included him in the team from tho start of tho season. At times ho changed over with Dv Chateau iv the half-back position. Dv Chateau played one of his best games to date. Among the Old Boys' forwards there was no harder toiler than Claridgc. Meadows, Reynolds, and M'Phcrson were also in the thick of it all the way. Oriental and Marist. The championship leaders, Oriental, had another close call when confronted with Marist at Athletic Park last Saturday. A keen, even, and interesting game resulted from the meeting of these two teams, and it was only near tho call of time that Oriental gained tho only score of the match. Considering the unfavourable conditions, tho amount of back play was surprising, and in this Oriental fared much better than Marist. During the first spell, tho Marist rearguard had a plentiful supply of the ball, but it was rarely used to good account. In passing bouts the ball was often thrown too wide, and too much kicking was indulged' in. Sharp, snappy passing, as was shown by Marist on one occasion on defence in clearing an Oriental advance, would have been of considerable advantago to Marist on attack. Oriental's passing bouts were generally better than those of tho opposition, but the defence was so good that penetration was an exceedingly difficult matter. Both sides defend particularly well. Between the forwards there was a very keen tussle from start to finish, the members' or both packs grafting well in tight and loose. Dinniss, a player from TarauaUi, appeared as a wing-throe-quarter for Oriental. He is a good stamp of player, but thero was room for considerable improvement in. his form. No doubt he will be all the better for his first .game in new company. During the period in which Broderick was off the field receiving attention to an injured hand, M'llardy (ho was playing in tho Marist pack) took the centre-three-quarter position. When Davios (Oriental) retired hurt in the concluding stages of the game, Hill (wingforward) dropped back to five-eighth. Potone ana Eastbourne. As in their previous engagements, Eastbourne .created a favourable impression in tho first half of their game against Petone, bnt faded out towards the finish. The Green forwards are on the light side for senior football, and, although they havo all tho other attributes of a good pack they arc usually worn down by their weightier opponents as the second half progresses. The way they bustled Petone in the early stages with slashing loose rushes was a treat to watch. Price, Pudney, and Allen were at the head of many rushes, while Thomson and Jones also went well. Buckingham is a useful lock, but had the misfortune to injure his ankln. The Petone men took a lon-;- !•:!;> j to settle down, and until rl:i- <;' ' '' ' j not show anything like the same form in the loose as did their oi.yw. ; the scrums and linc-outs they held th« advantage all through. Thomas played one of his best games this year, and was caught offside loss than usual. Spenco and Warden were bsent from the pack, and Martin, who filled one of tho vacancies, was one of the best forwards on tho ground. Dickens was an honest toiler in the tight, and Carr showed plenty of speed in tho loose. The Petone backs played remarkably well considering tho state of tho weather and brought off many concerted movements. Their chief failing lay in a marked tendency to wait for tho bounce, and they repeatedly found themselves in difficulties as a result. Coman's display must rank with his best, and several times wln'ii lie slipped through the opposition his play was little short of brilliant. He was seldom, if ever, caught with the ball, and his defence as usual was sound. Corner also played well up to form. The manner in which he and Clarke, the Eastbourne full-back, took full advantage of the wind with their line-kicks was a feature of the game. Udy, second five-eighth, and Lambonrne, centre, worked together well. The Eastbourne backs showed best to advantago when defending, and outstanding in this respect was Clarke, who, in addition to his line kicking, proved a very difficult man to pass. His fielding of tho ball was very sure. Murray put in some dangerous runs on tho wing, and also tackled soundly. Tho Polcys were always a source of strength, and JWefct did some good work at centre. Martin proved a very game half. Ho had plenty to do, and on tho whole did it with credit. Evenly Matched Forwards. Thero was very little between the Wellington and Athletic packs on Saturday, but the initiative of Porter and the Athletic back line won the day. Wellington had just as many chances of scoring as the winners, but they lacked the finish and dash necessary to drivo the attack home. Tho work of the forwards on both sides was distinctly good, and it was hard going all the way. M'Lean, Voice, Giles, and Stanley were prominent in the Wellington scrum, and M'Naughfc, Edgar, and Popo were continually in the van when the Athletic pack was on tho ball. Porter's experience was invaluable to Athletic. His anticipation frustrated many promising movements by the opposition. He gavo three points away through being off-side, and wont very near being penalised for "shepherding" on several occasions, but there is no denying that the ex-All Black captain not only knows the game but he plays it well. Athletic missed tho services of Warwick, who was limping badly on account of an injured knee, and Ileuzuiwouu, full-back, who has splintered a bono in his leg. Pelhain filled the full-back position, and acquitted himself splendidly. Kinloch slipped through the Wellington back 3 very neatly when he scored Athletics second try. It was a brilliant effort. Kinloek's speed and swerve did not give the defence a chance. Whinham was the most enterprising of the other backs. It is a great pity that he is so light. Johansen was the best of the Wellington backs. He handled safely and his kicking was well directed. Julian did a number of clever things, but his passing from the scrum was not accurate. Bcrhampore And Poneke. Poneko were 100 formidable v proposition for Bcrhamporq at Ne/wlowu |