RUGBY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 100, 30 April 1945, Page 8

RUGBY

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY

GOOD START TO SEASON

Not for years has interest in Rugby football been so marked at the commencement of a season as that shown at the start of this year's competitions in Wellington. The initial matches in all grades were played on Saturday afternoon, those, at Athletic Park drawing an exceptionally large crowd. The play at the Park, where those present included the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, was surprisingly good.

Athletic and Wellington College Old Boys set the ball rolling at Athletic Park, but there was infinitely more in their match than a rolling ball. Standard of performance advanced with the progress of play, and in that advance Old Boys played the more conspicuous part. Athletic had the better of the first spell qnly, however, to finish up with a onepoint lead through a last-minute break-through by Old Boys. That slender lead was held for a time in the second spell, but eventually Old Boys gained the upper hand, some sharp penetration and fast following up contributing to a well-merited win.

Stirring play marked the early stages of the second match at Athletic Park—between last year's champions (Poneke-Oriental) and Marist Brothers Old Boys. A splendid cutthrough gave Marist first points, but determined work back and forward placed the. combined team a point to the good (9-8) for the changeover, after which the play developed on lines which looked like making the issue very onesided. Poneke-Oriental played as though unaffected by the iong summer break, and they had their opponents in difficulties time and again. However, Marist were capable of rallying, and that served •to keep interest well maintained, though Poneke-Oriental had the match won well before the concluding stages were, reached. T,here was a period when the combined team made advances with little effort and they had the finishing touches to make points come freely, except in the matter of goal-kicking. The final score was tall enough but it would have been high indeed had most or the attempts at goal been successful. All Xsn m P.° f neke-P riental were more sprightly than Manst, and they won very convincingly Both, matches at Athletic Park were in the Jubilee Cup competition, as were the matches between Petone; and Wellington at Petone and Army and Hutt at the Hutt-Recreation Ground. Petone had the better of their match with Wellington, and amongst those to show up conspicuously was W. Dougan, who scored all 11 points for Petone. The Wellington side included Bowman (New Zealand representative), who, like many others, is now back in civilian life after service with the Army. A good showing was made by the Army team In scoring a narrow win over Hutt, and there.- was evidence in the play that these teams were moulding into good shape. That also applied to others, some of which required a little reorganising. Hardham Cup matches were keen and interesting. The winners included Onslow, for whom Morrison (New Zealand representative) did most of the scoring. Results were:— / SENIOR GRADE. • Jubilee Cup. Wellington College Old .Boys, 16 (tries by Lindsay, Williams, Svenson, and Werry, two of which were converted by Alexander), beat Athletic, 6 (a- try-by Mellish - and a penalty goal by Halvorsen). Poneke-Oriental,- 28 (tries by Lindsay, V. Calcinai two. Meads, L. Calcinai, Cleverley, and Johns, two .of which were converted by Vaughan, who also kicked a penalty goal), beat Marist Brothers' Old Boys, 14 (tries by Addis, Posselt, two, Gittings, one of which was converted by Meadows). Petone, 11 (tries by W. Dougan, two, one of which he converted, and- a penalty goal by Dougan), beat Wellington, 0. Army, 16 (tries by O'Donnell, Thurston, and White, one of which was converted by Thurston, and one by Croom, and a penalty goal by Thurston), beat Hutt, 14 (tries by Perrett, Grant, Southern, and Burns, one of which was converted by Deas*. Hardham Cup. jVavy, 16 (tries by McKehzie, two, and Jaffray, two of which were converted by Riley, who also kicked a penalty goal), beat St Patrick's College Old Boys, 6 (a try by Jeffries and a penalty goal by Doherty). University, 28 (tries by Loveridge, two, Lewis, Henderson, and Goodwin, two of which were converted by Henderson and Lewis, and three penalty goals by Lewis), beat Berhamporc, 0. Eastbourne, 16 (tries by Guy, Hill, Hutchen, and Probert, two of which were converted by Dellabarca), beat Training College, 9 (tries by Crawford and Fox, and a penalty goal by Johnston). Onslow, 17 (a try by Fraser, which was converted by Morrison, who also kicked four penalty goals), beat Johnsonville, 9 (a try by O'Malley, and two penalty goals by 3lcBride). • Seatoun, 8 (tries by Raikes and Walker, one of which was converted by Grace), beat Miramar, 3 (a try by Clere). Upper Hutt,~27 (scorers: Edwards, R. Arnott, Jones, Gillett, Wilkinson, and Dalton), beat Taita, 6 (two penalty goals by Wyatt). Other Grades. Junior.—Poneke 8, Onslow 0; W.C.0.8. 8, Athletic 3; Army 14, Woburn 12; Marist 5, Johnsonville 0; Petone 20, Navy 6; Wellington 25, Oriental 3; Hutt 14, University 12; Mangaroa 17, Air Force 6. Third I.—Wellington College 24, Porirua 6; Hutt 0, Wellington 0; Marist 30, Training College 0; Petone 14, St. 'Patrick's Old Boys 6; St. Patrick's College 14, University 3; Silverstream 11, W.C.0.8. 3. Third ll.—Woburn 12, Petone 6; Seatoun 9, Miramar 6; Taita 9, Onslow 8; Wellington 6, University 3; Eastbourne beat Oriental by default. Third lll.—Kaiwarra 30, Institute 0; Plimmerton 3, Paremata 0; Wellington 23, Berhampore 0; Athletic 11. University 10; Petone beat Miramar by default; V.M.C.A. defaulted to Poneke. Fourth I. —Petone A 31, Miramar 0; Wellington A 3, W.C.0.8. 3; Athletic 9, Seatoun 6; Marist 5, Upper Hutt 3; Orislow 8, Hutt 6; Woburn 9, St.. Patrick's Old Boys 6. Fourth ll.—Berhamporo 12, Onslow 6; Porirua 27, Eastbourne 0; Paremata 14, Oriental 6; .Tohnsonville beat Wellington. by default. Fifth Grade.—Petone 25, Hutt 6; Taita beat Athletic B by default; Athletic A-30, Oriental 0; Poneke 5, Marist 3; Johnsonville 16, Onslow 11; Wellington 25, Berhampore 3. Sixth Grade.—Poneke 11, Hutt 3.