PONEKE AND ATHLETIC

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 14, 17 July 1939, Page 15

PONEKE AND ATHLETIC

Poneke gave probably their most convincing display of the season in beating Athletic by 16 points to 12 at the Polo Ground. The ability of their forwards to match Athletic in the tight scrummaging and constistently to break away in brilliant loose rushes undoubtedly accounted for their win. Poneke's superiority in the loose early in tlie game led to three flue tries, the. last of which was a brilliant movement with the. backs combining splendidly. Then, too, Crisp at full-back, invariably drove back strong Athletic attacks with sonic masterly line-kicking, his touch-finders often gaining 50 and fiO yards.

Although Poneke had dominated the opening stages of tho game, Athletic regained some of the lost ground with determined play by backs and forwards. One combined movement rivalled Poneke's for brilliancy. However, the playing of a forward on the wing was costly. Tho forward did bis best but numerous opportunities presented by some fine play by Thurston were lost. Poneke cleverly exploited this weakness and Auld, too, was subjected to a searching test of his defensive powers.

For Poneke, A. Calcinai, Hegglun, Baird, and Burgess scored tries, Crisp converting two. and for Athletic Auld kicked a penally goat and converted a try b.v Grant, and Tindill kicked a fleld goal.

Mr. J. S. King was the referee