RUGBY FOOTBALL Star Beats St Mary’s In Uninspiring Game

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 August 1948, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL Star Beats St Mary’s In Uninspiring Game

The two leadings teams in the West Coast Rugby Union’s senior championship Star and Excelsior, were again successful on Saturday, so that their relative positions remain unchanged. Star leads by two points from Excelsior/but Excelsior still has one game (against Kiwi) to play in the round. If Excelsior should win that match, Star and Excelsior will be matched in the grand final. The principal game at Rugby Park on Saturday, Star v St Mary s, was not inspiring, and though Star won easily, by 22 points to 8, there was hardly that difference between the teams. Blaketown was expected to extend Excelsior in their rpatch at Hokitika, but Excelsior was too strong in the backs and won by 14 points to nil. Kiwi and United had a hard tussle at Hokitika, the former prevailing by the margin of two points. Celtic defaulted to Cobden seniors, but'l lie two learns played a friendly game at Rugby Park.

Celtic’s default to Cobden was the second default in succession in seniot matches set down to be played on the No. 2 ground at Rugby Park, Cobden having defaulted to Blaketown on the previous Saturday. This indicates a deplorable lack of enthusiasm among players in teams which by now have no chance in the championship. _ The following were the results in the various grades:— Senior—Star 22, St Mary’s sior 14, Blaketown nil; Kiwi 8, United 6; Cobden 16, Celtic ml. Junior—Old Boys 14, Celtic 3; Cob-

den 29, Magpies 3; Blaketown won by default from Star. Third Grade. —Celtic 17. Technical 12. Fourth Grade. —Hokitika 27, Celtic nil; Technical 6, Blaketown 3. Fifth Grade.—Reds 6. Blues 3. Sixth Grade. —Possibles 9. Probables

nil. Seventh Grade—Possibles 6. Prob-

ables nil. Eighth Grade. —Blaketown 6. Celtic 3; Cobden 5, Blaketown nil.