MATCHES DESCRIBED

Evening Post, Issue 11, 13 July 1936, Page 14

MATCHES DESCRIBED

FIELD COALS AGAIN

The field goal as a match-winning *af,torwas % again given prominence at Athletic Park, two such goals, both kicked .by J. L. Griffiths, helping Poneke against Marist Bros. Old Boys. Marist did not make the way easy for -Poneke,:-who-had to battle hard for the lead, but once that was attained Poneke, finishing strongly, gained the upper hand and turned a lead of only . three, points into a good win by 20 points to 8. ' The teams were:— Marist.—Ericsson; Stiver, Spillane, J. Quinn; Langdon, Kaua; Brown: Keegan, Ottaway, Blatch, Leahy, -Ropata, Donoghue, Meadows, Tietjens.; "Poneke.—Vartan; Hill, Barrett, Culley; Recce, Griffiths; Greenbank; Hull, Ongley, Crichton, . O'Brien, Kean, Pringle, Calcinai, Kirschberg. With the wind and sun at their backs Marist opened promisingly, Kaua, a Maori from the East Coast and a newcomer, snowing up well as an; individualist at first: five-eighth. Smart work by him on the blind side of one scrum all but put Stiver over, the tJving-three-quarter only being pushed out at the corner flag. Brown, the Marist half-back, was first to open the scoring; and-iri doing so made a fine 'run with Donoghue up in support of him. Ericsson converted. Poneke now took a turn on attack, Recce, Griffiths, Ongley, and-Pringle being prominent m'th'e efforts which took the team to 'the Marist line., When Poneke hooked the ball-from a scrum in front of the Marist posts. Griffiths was presented with an opportunity and "potted" a goal. Marist to this ■ with a try, obtained by,-Spillane, who collected ; the-ball following a good centre kick by,Kaua. Ericsson was unable to concert; •/The-; next incident of note was some fine-reverse passing between Barrett and Hill, which ended in Hill scoring.l - Vartan did not convert. Thus Marist once again had a lead of one point;:, and Hhis was the position when the spell .(ended.

■vßrisker work by Poneke, with Grilfithsrtaking a prominent part, marked (the' opening stages of the second ...gjpell;: A nice cut through by Griffiths with good support coining from Recce arid;: ; Barrett had Marist' in' sore : straite,; play being taken down to the Marist"posts. There a scrum was ordered, and Griffiths dropped another goal,- and Poneke for the first time had the lead. Poneke 11, Marist 8. A period of hard play followed, the Marist forwards in particular playing with devil ;and a red-bloodedness that made some of-their onslaughts on the torrid side. But all this got them nowhere, and in the concluding stages their grip on the situation loosened. This was Poneke's chance. They seized it, and fine tries by Pringle, Hull, and Hill, none of which was converted, gave them thes honours by 20 points to 8. The referee was Mr. B. Matthews.