RUGBY FOOTBALL

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 48, 24 August 1935, Page 11

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL MATCHES TODAY

PLAY AT THE PAPJC

The Wellington Rugby Football senl Union's senior A grade (first division) Q er championship, in which, competition pre , has been keen with results from time m j r to time causing prospects to vary, Dor reached'the final stage this afternoon. Jan| Two matches had a bearing upon the y^ % premiership title} and both were played ]\j u] at Athletic Park, where conditions were o f good except that a strong wind had c or an effect upon play. Petone and Hutt . rj were :left as; the only claimants to the a p o .title, but their opponents, Wellington ; ste College Old Boys and Johnsonville re- We spectively, had an important hand in per I the deciding of the issue. • yo\ Petone were faced with the task of I( . ■ .defeating Old Boys in order to win the an^ championship in what is" claimed by CQU the club to be its, jubilee year, though, ,: T j l( as a matter of fact, the Petone Club b today completed its fifty-first year of nu * competition under the auspices of the Wellington Rugby Union. Hutt had t to defeat Johnsonville, and then hope . for a win by Old Boys over Petone in yj order to give them the championship, ■„ Hutt "entering this final series ,of . matches only a point behind Petone. . . The positions of the teams before = the concluding matches today were:— as apj rts. Ch. mv P. W. L. D. f- A. rts. c , Pctono 13 10 3 2 18S 141 !>2 »"■ Hlltt ........15 0 3 3 148 101-21 pos Well! Coll. 0.8. . ir ( 0 5 1 190 131 19 / Marlst 15 8 0.1 188 ICI 17 I'oncka-' 15 7 0 2 104 140 la C°<♦JohnsonTllle ....15' 7 8 0 116 133 13 ma Athletic '•. 13 5 7 3 12!) 129 13 Hn Wellington .... 15 5 8 2 MS 168 12 •Oriental. .. 15 8 7 1 115 IGI 11 a - Eastbourne : 15 4 9 2 103 190 10 Fo •Promoted teams. br< HUTT V. JOHNSONVILLE ' 3 \ ' by '••■'... ■ • of Although the sky was threatening at times this morning, it brightened ,ji] early this afternoon, and "the sun had an his hat on" when Hutt and Johnson- j£. ville took the field for the early match gf at Athletic Park. That local Rugby 31 'followers fully appreciated the signifi- j/j; cance of the result of the game -was st reflected in the good attendance. ' \fj The teams were as follows: — Hutt: Boss; Ball, 'Stevenson, Platt; Manders, ; Lilburne; Greenbank; Andrews, Foster, Roberts, Barry, Lynch, Shepherd, Coulstbn. Saulbrey. Johnsonville: M. Kenny; Kelly, y Walsh, Halliwell; Lindsay, Chancy; McClelland; Craig, Trenchard, A. Kenny, Grant, Nossiter, Behrant, Bowler, Cathcart. Hutt kicked off against the northerly wind, and made a smart beginning, a b j good 'run by Ball paying the way for A -"a try by Manders." Lynch failed to \ z convert. Johnsonville fought back J - strongly and a chance came their way £ of putting on points when Hutt were ir penalised. • Trenchard, however, , n ■ though making a good attempt, was . unequal to the task of goaling. From a scrum; Greenbank sent Lilburne away, and he in turn served Ball, - who, however, was solidly tackled. ' In endeavouring to continue the advance Hutt-were penalised, and John--1 sonviile came down-field again into .the Hutt twenty-five, where a'penalty against them gave Hutt relief. Penalties'were frequent. Trenchard had another shot at goal, and again 0 missed. Chancy tried a pot; but'he, a --too,l' was*, unsuccessful': There'was any a ''amount of life in the game, and' John , sonviile were playing strongly. P Andrews -opened up the game for .Hutt, sending out along pass to Man- J ders, who'quickly gathered way, only a to be; hauled down before he could f . break through. In other, advances, V also, Hutt'found themselves up against f a very solid defence. Hutt were now t playing more strongly.' The backs 1 were giving the ball the air, and on 1 one run Stevenson appeared to be all r setfforarra try when he was recalled for c a pass forward. When Hutt were pen- 1 alised Johnsonville found the line well 1 down in the Hutt 25. A keen tussle t followed. Hutt were penalised again, 1 but Trenchard, who.had another shot at goal, was unable to capitalise on ( the kick." There were some lively 1 moments in the concluding stages of < . the spell, right at the end of which i M. Kenny, succeeded in goaling from '• . a penalty kicfc for Johnsonville. Hutt ;.-..■...■.;.-. 3 Jolinsonville 3 1 The wind had dropped considerably when the second spell began. In the early stages considerable use of the • line was made by Hutt, and they had ' Johnsonville moving. Eventually a strong kick by M. Kenny gave relief to Johnsonville, finding touch well past half-way. In subsequent play Johnsonville pegged away strongly, placing Hutt on. the defensive. With a scjries of attacks, Hutt drove Johnsonville back into their \ twenty-five. After Lilburne and Ball had made unsuccesful attempts to get through; Stevenson made a good run down the right flank, only to be blocked short of the line. It was a "close-shave" for Johnsonville. Shortly afterwards, Lilburne added three points to Hutt's score with' a splendid penalty goal from half-way. Hutt 6, Johnsonville 3. With a converted try, Hutt made the hurdle for Johnsonville even more -difficult to negotiate. When a scrum went down ten yards from the Jolm- ■ sonviile goal-line, Ball came in and cut through the opposition, who had. their • attention fixed on Lilburne. Ball's try was converted by Roberts. Hutt 11, Johnsonville 3. Ten minutes of the spell remained. Johnsonville pressed strongly in the concluding stages, forcing Hutt to their twenty-five, but they were unable to find a loophole in Hutt's defence, Hutt running out the winners by a margin of 8 points. The referee was Mr. J. A. Wilson. PRIMARY SCHOOL GAMES

QUADRANGULAR TOURNEY

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day.

■. The sixth annual quadrangular primary schools' Rugby tournament between the Taranaki, Horowhenua, Hutt Valley, and Rangitikei representative teams opened this morning. Hutt Valley outclassed the lighter Horo\yhenua team, 31 to 0, and Taranaki 14, beat .Rangitikei 3.