RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 148, 24 May 1934, Page 10

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SATURDAY’S MATCHES. For the football public of- Palmerston North and surrounding districts is provided a very excellent programme for Saturday. Tho sonior gamo on the Oval at 3 p.m. will be Feilding Old Boys v. United. The former, owing to their change in colours to black and white, arc now recognised as the magpies, and they are a fast and attractive fifteen. United can produce good football and this week will give the magpies something to remember them by, for they are out. to lower tho colours of last year’s champions. On No. 2 ground at 3 p.m. another game worth witnessing will bo tho mooting of the St. Patrick’s and Old Boys seniors. Tho green players will bo fielding a very strong sidq this week. Old Boys are playing most attractive football and can be relied upon to give a good display. Iho curtain-raiser on the oval at 1.30 will bo supplied by _ tho High School and St. Patrick’s juniors and here again something worth while is anticipated. The other senior fixture set down for this week is Kia Toa and Massey College and this will bo playod on tho Park Road ground at 2.45 p.m. Those who witness this match are sure to have a treat. A gate cliargo will be made at Park Road this week. The other matches set down for tho Showgrounds will be Linton and ICia Toa juniors on No. 2 at 1.30, while at tho same time on No. 3 Bunnythorpe and St. Patrick’s thirds will try conclusions, to bo followod at 3 p.m. by Feilding and Kelvin Springboks juniors. At Johnston Park, Feilding, an interesting match will be the mooting of the Foilding and Woodvillc seniors at 3 p.m. These two teams are very evenly matched and there is promised a good afternoon’s football. PROMISING DISPLAYS. ATTEMPTS AT~REARGUARD PLAY. Although the uninviting nature of the afternoon resulted in the attendance of onlookers at the mid-week Rugby competitions at the Showgrounds yesterday being somewhat limited, the two matches staged furnished some bright and open football. While the tactics employed were somewhat faulty on occasion, the standard produced bodes well for the future. STAR’S LATE EFFORT. The early fixture on the oval was supplied by United and Star, both fifteens having gained successes on the opening day. By reason of their excellent display against Feilding, Star were expected to carry the day and, while they did win, they were, on the run of the play, very fortunate to do so. Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half. United did not make a great deal of headway until the spell was well advanced. Finally a score came their way when a pile of players went down on the ball over the red and blacks’ line for Field, the United senior of two or three seasons ago, to be granted the try, enabling the whites to leave the field three points up. Having the wind to assist them, the indications were that Star would dominate the position on the resumption, but it was the whites who made most of the play. Bell put in a strong run for United, being unfortunate in not being able to complete. Then Wilde threatened danger a few minutes later and Star were hard pressed to keep the active United rearguard at bay. Beaten in the' set scrums, the Star rearguard was seeing very little of the ball and Anderson, their dangerous centre, was in a very subdued mood. After a long period on the defensive Star attacked and Anderson made an attempt to land a field goal, but the leather went wide. However, at a later essay just short of full-time he snap-kicked as he was tackled to find the uprights and snatch the victory for his side. Star 4, United 3. Mr I. Ross was the referee. PIRATES WIN NICELY.

their new uniforms for the first occasion, Pirates looked very smart as they filed on to the field to oppose St. Patrick’s and they entered upon their activities in dashing style, their forwards scrummaging very solidly. With the wind at their backs the greens held the advantage, territorially, for quite a period and G. Allen made a bold bid to open their scoring account when he side-stepped his way through the opposition only to be halted on the line. They were driven back, but, well fed with the ball from the scrums by Edlin, their very useful half-back, the greens gave the leather an airing repeatedly. The defence held, however, a strong run by Fletcher transferring to mid-field. Hero an attempt by the greens to set their rearguard operating broke down and in a flash Fletcher had snapped up the leather to go off hot-foot for the line. Although tackled, the ball worked free and Kilgour snapped it up to force his way over. Fletcher goaled to give the blacks a five points advantage. A few moments later the Pirates scrummagers went off in an irresistible rush and Kilgour used liis weight to advantage, barging thi'ough tho last” line of defence. Before the spell closed Mclver, tho Pirates winger, dashed away in possession to swerve past and hand off three opponents in close succession. He was halted when deep in foreign territory, but he came into play again a moment later to recover possession and throw himself over at the corner. The blacks left the field at the interval holding an 11 points advantage. Some little time before “lemons” St. Patrick’s lost the services of W. Allen, this player sustaining slight concussion, and on the resumption it was found they had O’Day, the Saturday junior forward, to assist them. For a _ time Pirates threatened to add to their account, hut the defence was now proving more solid, while the attackers repeatedly threw away chances by overhard kicking. In the closing stages the greens hurled their opponents back and they attacked right and left, but without avail, although they were somewhat unfortunate more than once. A penalty shot at goal right on time promised to furnish them with three points, hut the kicker failed and they left the field wih a blank account. Pirates 11, St. Patrick’s 0. Mr A. Ward carried the whistle. RANGITIKEI-TAIHAPE BEAT WANGANUI. The trial representative Rugby fixture between Wanganui and Rangi-tikei-Taihape was played at Marton yesterday and resulted in a win for the combined team by 30 points to 10. SCHOOL FOOTBALL GRANTS. The management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union last evening made grants for school footballs, Manawatu and Horowhenua each receiving £2O.