NOTES AND COMMENTS LOWER GRADES. Junior I.

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 27, 1 August 1932, Page 13

NOTES AND COMMENTS

LOWER GRADES. Junior I.

PLAYERS IN REVIEW

At least half a dozen players had to receive attention from the ambulance officers in the course of the game between Athletic and Wellington College Old Boys at Newtown Park, and throughout the second spell each team played with fourteen men, Diack (Athletic) and Sadler (Old Boys) being the players who had to leave the field. Diack got a knock on his shoulder which he injured recently, and Sadler a knock on the head. There could be no suggestion.that the game was rough. The players blamed the heavy state of the ground for the injuries.

J. Laniason, Old Boys* captain', played a very fine game against Athletic. He usually bobbed up when his side was in danger, and also led many an attacking rush by the forwards. Lamason scored three tries.

Much of Poneke's success this season has been earned by the forwards, who have paved the way for a fast and clever set of backs, but on Saturday the pack was outplayed and the number of opportunities it was able to give the rearguard was severely limited. The forwards lacked much of their dash displayed in earlier games, and its performance against solid opposition was not helped by the fact that Gower and Shearer acted as loose forwards throughout the game. The absence of McPherson, who • has a bad eye, was.severely felt.

After several efforts to get the men outside him under way had failed through the inability of Nees to' hold his passes, Killeen repeatedly endeavoured to find v> way through the Poneke backs on his own. He succeeded up. to a point, but frequently retained possession too long, with the result that he was cut off from his supports. Killeen had a big responsibility to carry on his shoulders, however, as the defensive play of most of the other Hutt backs was very uncertain, but he played his part like a veteran. His boot was also of good service to Hutt, repeatedly gaining big stretches of ground by long kicks to< touch, and also securing four valuable points from a neat field.goal.

Although Lance Johnson, former New Zealand representative, does not play in representative football matches these days, he retains-muchof his old form. There was the mark of genius in much that he did in the course of the Wellington-Eastbourne match on Saturday, especially in the way in which he at times deceived the opposition. It was a taste of Johnson at his test.

Two of the most outstanding University players were Wild and Kane, first and second five-eighths respectively. The tormer, who was playing his second game m the senior grade, made several good runs, and his passing was accurate. Kane proved one of the most spectacular men on the held, and succeeded in scoring two tries. Once he got going his speed was too much for any of the Berhampore backs.

Peterson was the star Petone back against Oriental. He gave a really outstanding display. Even allowing for the fact that the opposing Oriental backs were weak on defence, only a player at the top of his form could have taken advantage oi his opportunities as did Peterson.

Johnsonville 18, Taita 3; Poneke 15 Eastbourne 3; Petone 15, St. Patrick's

College Old Boys 6; Athletic 22, Oriental 3. . | Junior 11. Wellington 17, University 0. Third I. Berhampore 14, Oriental 11; Silverstream College defaulted to Wellington; Poneke 10, Wellington College Old Boys 3. Petone defaulted to Athletic. Third 11. Eastbourne 10, Onslow 6; Oriental 54, College Old Boys 0; Johnsonville 9, Wellington 6. Third 111. Petone 14, Wellington 3; Athletic 18, Institute 0. Fourth I. Petone 11, St. Patrick's College Old Boys 3; Wellington 8, Oriental 0. University 16, Upper Hutt 0. Fourth 11. Poneke 11, Wellington 6; Scatoun 9, Petone 8; Athletic 6, Berhampore 5; Marist B defaulted to Melrose-Selwyn; Eastbourne 6, llarist A 3. Fifth. Onslow 9, Wellington 9; Poneke 0, Petone 0; Melrose-Selwyn 20, Berhampore 0. Sixth. Athletic 6, Petone 3; Eastbourne 5, Wellington 0. Seventh. Hutt 12, Miramar 0; Petone 48, MelroseSelwyn 0; Wellington 13, Johnsonville 0. Onslow 84, Berhampore B 0. Scorers for the winners, T. Pyne (8 tries, 7 converted, and 1 penalty), Simmpnds (2 tries, 4 converted), Price, Eilph, Henderson (2 treis reach),. Little, Woods, Scorringe (1 try each), Pocknall and Lindsay (1 converted try ■each).