RUGBY FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 September 1944, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

COBDEN DEFEAT HOKITIKA

In the McLean Shield match at. Hokitika on Saturday, Cobden seniors maintained their unbeaten record when they defeated Hokitika by 11 points to six. At Rugby Park StarUnited defeated Celtic, by a narrowmargin, after a good game in which Celtic had none of the luck. Celtic thirds defeated Pirates (Denniston) thirds, Technical thirds defeated Blaketown, and Hokitikh Cobden thirds. Greymouth fourth grade representatives easily defeated the hjtherto unbeaten Sydenham (Christchurch). Conditions were ideal. STAR-UNITED 5, CELTIC 3. Star-United and Celtic both called on Blaketown seniors to fill vacancies in their teams for the in.atch. Star- ■ United won by five points to three after a keenly contested game. StarUnited led by five points to nil at the interval, after an even first spell, but in the second Celtic improved considerably and had the better of the game from then on. They scored only ■three points, however, as a result of a goal from a penalty, but they were unlucky not to score on a number of occasions. M. Thomas and J. Gillan were the pick of the winners’ backs and Pegley, Jones and Nelson were the best forwards. Davis, Millett and Fitzgerald were the outstanding Celtic backs, while Croudis was the best forward. Jones scored the try for the winners and also added the extra points with the kick. Croudis kicked a goal from a penalty for Celtic. Air. C. F. Cockburn was referee. COBDEN 11, HOKITIKA 6.

Hokitika made a great bid to upset Cobden’s unbeaten secord when they played the champion team in the McLean Shield match at Hokitika on Saturday. Hokitika were in the lead on two occasions, but the superior weight and combination of Cobden carried them through. Chapel and Olsen scored for Hokitika, and R. King, IVlettrick and J. Keating for Cobden, Lindbom converting one. loweiTgrades Celtic third graders defeated Pirates (Denniston) at Rugby Park by 14 points to three. Technical thirds defeated Blaketown by 15 points to six, and a Hokitika third grade representative team defeated Cobden by 13 points to nine. ' In the fourth grade the Greymouth representatives defeated Sydenham (Christchurch) by 15 points to three. Sydenham were unbeaten this season up to Saturday, and had had them line crossed only twice. The Greymouth team played fast, open football. Mr. J. Minchin was referee.

AUCKLAND V. WELLINGTON. AUCKLAND, September 24. Fast and. exciting Rugby was seen at Eden Park on Saturday afternoon when the return match between Auckland and Wellington representatives was played. Auckland won by 12 points to 9, after Wellington had led 6 to 3 at half-time. This result was vastly different from that when the teams met a fortnight earlier at Athletic Park, Wellington, Auckland winning on that occasion by 27 points to 9. The weather on Saturday was fine and warm and the ground was dry and hard. The attendance was between 16,000 and 18,000. Territorially, Wellington had the better of the game and should actually have won. The forwards were superior to Auckland in the scrums and on line-outs, but the five-eighths indulged in too much kicking. Dunn, Auckland’s right wing three-quarter, went off with a leg injury q few minutes before time, being replaced by Boggs. It was the latter who actually won the game for the home side, showing pace and gteat determination when he ran hard for the corner and forced his way past the nearest tackler to ground the ball for a really fine try. Auckland’s score consisted of tries by Deas and Boggs and penalty goals by Gilmour and Edwards. Roberts scored for Wellington and Morrison kicked two penalty goals. Mr. W. D. Allen was referee.