FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1930, Page 2

FOOTBALL

SEVEN-A-SIDE TOURNEY. » ANOTHER SUCESSFDL GATHERING. The Westland Sub-Union was favoued again’with King’s weather for the annual seven-a-side tournament yesterday. From sunrise there was a •bright sunshine and a clear sky, the conditions being perfect and the ground in splendid order. There were largo entries and from shortly after 9 o’clock untilo p.m., with an interval for lunch, tho two grounds were fully occupied. In the morning the smaller fry had use of the grounds and there were sonic very interesting games. On several occasions there was iyi finality reached when time had ended and extra time was necessary, in one instance seventeen minutes before a force down finished the play. In the afternoon the junior and senior games were played to a final, uirli the finals of the bantams, shrimps and third grade. The junior games throughout were the best exhibitions of the day, the teams being more even, and the games betteii 1 contested. Play lasted till right on till d p.m., when the dusk was making its appearance noticeable. The presentation of the Cups to the winners was then made by the President, Air H. M. Coulson. The gate takings showed a reduction of some £6 on last year. The details were as follows: — BANTAMS. FIRST ROUND. Convent A 22, v. School T) 0. .Aralnira 17, v. School B 0. School A 9, v. Convent B 0. Kokatahi 21, v. School E 0. Ross 11, v. School C 0. SECOND ROUND. School A 11, v. Kokatahi 0. Convent A 22, v. Ross 0. THIRD ROUND. Convent A by force, v. Aralnira 0. 'final. School A 3, v. Convent A 0. SHRIMPS. FIRST ROUND. School A 11, v. School C' 0. School D 3, by force, v. Convent 3. Araliura, by default, v. School X. Kokatahi, by default, v. Rinui. School B 14, v. Ross 0. SECOND ROUND. Araliura 9, v. School B 0. School A 3, v. Kokatahi 0. THIRD ROUND. School A 8, v. School B 0. FINAL. Araliura 23, v. School A 0. >. THIRD GRADE. FIRST ROUND. School B 9, v. Ross 0. Harihari 21, v. School CO. Kiwi 3, v. Kokatahi A 0. School A 17, v. R.irmi B 5. SECOND ROUND. Rimu A 14, v. School B 0. School A 23, v. Kiwi 0. THIRD ROUND Harihari 11, v, Rinui A 0. FINAL. School A 5, Harihari 3. JUNIORS. FIRST ROUND. Arnhura A. by force, v. Kiwi B 0. Excelsior A 14, v. Rimu B 0. Harihari. by def: , ” I t. w Railway. . Kiwi A, .by default, v. Ross B. Ross A, hv default, v. AA'aitalia. SECOND ROUND. Rimu A 20, v. Excelsior B 0. Excelsior A 13, v. Araliura 0. Kiwi A 9, v. Harihari 0. Rimu 14. v. Shon Assistants 0. THIRD ROUND. Kiwi A (}, v. Ross A 3. Excelsior A 6. v. Rimu A 3. FINAL. Excelsior A 3, v. Kiwi A 0. SENIORS. FIRST ROUND. Rivals A 9, v. Excelsior B 0. Excelsior A 21. v. Kiwi B 0. SECOND ROUND. Rivals A 3, v. Kivi A 0. FINAL. Excelsior A 3. v. Rivals A 0. THE TROPHIES. The Coulson Cup was won by School A bantams to bold for the year. The Kortegast Clip was won outright by. Araliura shrimps. The Devaney Cup was won by School A third grades to hold for the year. - The Preston Cup was won by Excelsior A juniors to hold for the year. The Licensed Victuallers Cup was won .by'the Excelsior A seniors and they also 1 won outright the Tooliey Cup. GREY BEAT MF.RIVALE. T'ne match at Victoria Park, Greymouth, between Greymouth district team and Merivale (Christchurch) senior team attracted a large attendance ail'd the weather and ground conditions were good. Greymouth won by 21 points to 12 points.

BRITISH TEAM

BEATEN BY WELLINGTON

A GREAT CONTEST

WELLINGTON, June 3

The British team got Its first setback to-day when Wellington 'beat them by 12 to 8, but there was nothing to choose between the sides, and if anything, the visitors showed rather better form.

Light showers in the morning and a chilly southerly did not promise well blit the rain stopped and did no harm to the ground while the wind died down. From 9 o’clock people began to appear and long before the game started the ground was full and still hundreds were packed in here and there.

The aitbmdance .is estimated at nearly thirty thousand, including thousands of women. It cannot be said they got much value for the excessive prices charged.

The British hacks were very fast, passed beautifully and took their (passes cleanly. ,11!icy were always threatening but only scored once, because' they wel'e not clever. They made few attempts at cutting in and never sold the dummy in the perplexing wav so many All Black notables can and do. The whole team was fast and col-

lared well, but their opponents were nearly as quick and collared better still. Wellington backs were mostly futile in the first half. Their racing was awful and in the second half while it had improved, it never led to anything. It was the forwards who dominated the game and rather to the surprise* of the spectators the local men gave rather more than they got. Both sides smothered the opposing backs cheerfully and relentlessly and very seldom was the game opened o”t to enable those long swinging concerted movements which keep a crowd in a state of expectation. It was a rather surprising display by the Wellington men who have not had a game together yet and after the strong Wairarapa side’s fate it was decidedly unexpected.

The Englishmen had no players of Porters’ and Nicholls’s calibre and this pair got W°llington out of many holes.

Wellington had tlie advantage of the wind in the first spell, but Britain started off at a great pace and for a time promised to make things Very merry and fast. Black missed a penalty kick by inches. Then the only successful back movement of the day landed Morlev over and Black converted.

The British (backs kept up the pressure and flung the ball about with speed and precision in strong contrast to tlie feeble fumbling of the local men.

The AA r el!ington forwards then took a hand and busted down the field. Heazlewood made a fine shot from a penalty, which barely missed, and before long Porter got possession and coolly kicked a beautifully judged field 'goal.

Next Ivor Jones was penalised and Heazlewood landed a goal malting AATMinorton 7, Britain o. AA r ellington forwards came again with one of their loose scrambling rushes near the goal line, in which anything may happen, and what did take place was that Peek, Jessup and McPherson between them ~ engineered a try which Heazlewood converted. Wellington 12; Britain 5. There were several more'penalties but* no score and tlie spell ended at half-wav.

The British again started off at top and attacked strongly but the defence held good. Then for five minutes AVellington had their opponents penned up and defending tooth and nail. After that the game went backwards and forwards with continual kicking out of touch and continual penalties, an entirely dreary exhibition of what the old rules mean, and as ignorant as two picked sides can be of the rules under which they play, it was most uninteresting.

"Wellington gave away one of these penalties in front of its own goal and Prentice scored. Wellington 12; Britain 8. In the last ten minutes Britain strove liard to even up jyicl kept the spectators anxiously watching the clock. Nearly all this was close to the Wellington goal but the collaring was still too strong a.nd the English hack play still too devoid of guile, and they could not wipe off the arrears. The vast crowd was greatly pleased at the result and some of the Wellington men were carried off shoulder high. MATCH FOB, NET,SON. WELLINGTON, June 2. At the N.Z.R.U. meeting, to-night the British team’s manager, Mr Baxter. agreed to play a match against a Nelson-Marlborongh-Golden Bay team at Blenheim on Tuesday, August 12. This match was originally set down to ho played at Nelson on August 18. AUSTR ALT A N FIXTUR ES. WELLINGTON, Jun e 2. The following Australian itinerary was approved by Mr Baxter, manager of the British team, at tonight’s meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union:—. August 23—Versus New South Wnl es, at Sydney. August 27.—Versus Queensland, at Brisbane. August 30—Versus Australian Fifteen, at Brisbane. September f>—Test match versus Australia, at Sydney. September 10—Versus Country Districts, location indefinite. September 13—Versus Victoria, at Melbourne. This itinerary necessitates the exclusion of one match,