RUGBY FOOTBALL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 103, 3 May 1943, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL

NEW SEASON STARTS

ARMY BEAT NAVY AT PARK

The 1943 Rugby football season got under way in Wellington on Saturday when eighteen teams took the field in the senior competition, the nineteenth entry (Air Force B) having a liye. The main gamo at Athletic Park brought together Army and Navy, the match having special interest in the fact that it was the first time these two Services had played each other at the Park. Navy's debut in Wellington senior fotoball was highly promising. The team started ofV with the wind and, by kicking through aud following up fast,' rattled on ten points in as many minutes. Another converted try gave Navy a substantial lead at half-time, but it was just insufficient to carry the team through to the final whistle. Army, with tho whvd, were hard to stop, largely because a vigorous and hard-working'puck of forwards had a particularly dashing and thrustful back behind them in G. Delamore, formerly of Auckland and Hawke's Bay, who repeatedly carved big holes in the Navy's defences. There was also keen play in the other matches,, some of which had rather surprising results. Hutt, for instance, were beaten by the new Maori Fortress team, and PonofceOriental just managed to beat Miramar. Marist Brothers Old Boys aud Petone (last year's champions) scored the most comfortable victories of tho day. Saturday's matches comprised the first of at least two series which It is intended to play in order to divide the teams into two divisions, according to their play* ing strength, beforo the championship competition starts in earnest. The lower grade matches commenced on Saturday, but the secondary school fixtures were postponed owing to the hardness of the grounds. Results are :-ar Senior Grade. Army v. Navy. Athletic Park: Army 17 (tries by Delamore, two. Young, Wright, and Potier, one of which was converted by Vile), beat Nuvy, 15. (tries by Chilton, Hallagan,- and Macdonald, all of which were converted by Webeter). Marist Brothers1 Old Boys v. Onslow, Nairnvilla Park.—Marist 39 (tries by Foley, DudleyMoore, Mullen, Blake, Kahuriri, two, Bean, Norton, and Gibbons, three of which were converted by Stanaway, two by Mahon, and one by Blake), beat Onslow 0. Petone v. Air Force, Pelone. —Petone 20 (tries by Hudson, two, Ashton, Dotigan, Eden, and Lee, one of which was converted by S. Jaeger), beat Air Force 3 (a try by Henderson). Wellington v. Athletic. Athletic Park.—Wellington 1G (tries by Peters, Pickering, and Morton, two of which were converted by J. Taylor, who also kicked a penalty goal), beat Athletic S (tries by Brady and B. Roberts, one of which was converted by Muir). '

Poneke-Orienjal v. Miramar, Wakcfleld Park. —Foneke-Oriental 3 (a try by Larsen), beat Miramar 0. '

Fortress Maoris v. Hutt. Hutt Recreation Ground.—Fortress Maoris 11 (a. try. by Keepa, a penalty try which was converted by Rlcklt, and a penalty goal by Kenny), beat Hutt 6 (a try by Vartha, and a dropped goal from a mark by Perrett).

Johnsonville v. Wellington College Old Boys, Kclbum Park.—.Tolinsonville 14 (tries by Doldon, two, and Knight, one of Which was converted by Cowley, who also kicked a penalty goal), beat Old Boys 10 (tries by Lindsay and Mason, both of which were converted by Baldwin). Eastbourne v. A.X.A. Headquarters, at Eastbourne.—Eastbourne 12 (tries by Sanson, Moses, and Dellabarca,. aud a penalty goal by Moses), beat A.N.A. 3 (a penalty goal by Butcher). Seatoun v. University. Kilbirnie Recreation Ground.—Seatouu G (try. by Surgeuor and penalty goal by Mildenhall), beat University 4 (a field goal by Patrick). Lower Grades. Junior. —Army 19, Hutt 6: Training College 19, Base Camp 8; University ■ 19, Navy 8; College Old Boys 3, Bofors Rcglmeut 3; St. c Patrick's 0.8. 12, Porlrua 3; Upper Hutt 6, 1 Petone 0. : Third.—Eastbourne 21, Petone 9; Seatoun 32, Hutt 3; Training College 5, University A 0; Wellington 16, University B 0; Wellington College 33, Navy 6; St. Patrick's College 10, Poneke 8; Athletic 11, Miramar A 8; Silvcri stream 12, Oriental 0. i Fourth.—Hutt 15, Poneke G; Marist Bros. 0.8. 6, Pllmmerton 0; Johnsonville 3, Wellington 0; Athletic 3, Onslow 0: College Old Boys 23, Hutt A.T.C. 3; Petone 18, Upper Hutt 6. Fifth.—Porirua 9, Wellington 8; Poneke defaulted to Johnsonville; Upper Hutt defaultod to Petone; Miramar defaulted to Hutt. 1 Sixth.—Athletic 10, Porirua 3; Petone 13, 1 Hutt 3. «. ■