REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18459, 24 July 1923, Page 4

REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS.

J WELLINGTON V. SOUTHLAND. [»T TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. J WELLINGTON. Monday. ■ Teams for the Wellington versus Southland ; Rugby match on Wednesday are ; —Wellington : Wright, Jackson. Sverison, Faber, F. Tilyard, M. Nicholls, H. E. Nicholls, Porter, . . Swain, : Osborne, Pringle, Duncan, i Rogers, Thomas (2). Southland: Agnew, R. Oughton, Brown, J. Coakley, Bel', Hazlett, J. Oughton, Watson, Rice, j, Clark, >■: White, leaser, Richardson, Fraser, Blick. Borman has a fluid knee. Richardson ; has a cold but expects to play on Wednesday. The Wei lington team is unlikely to undergo any change for the Shield match with Hawke's Bay at Napier : next Saturday. ■'; THE NORTH ISLAND TEAM. , fß* TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Monday., The North Island Rugby team will be chosen from the following nineteen: — Backs, L. McLean (Bay of Plenty), A. Grensido (Hawke's Bay), A. Stewart (Bay of Plenty), P. Potaka (Wanganui), G. Johnston (Taranaki), F. Tilyard (Wellington), J. Mill (Hawke's Bay), E. Wright (Auckland), Peina (Wanganui); forwards, Q. Donald (Wainirapa). T. Be van (Horo- [ whenua), W. Irvine (Hawke's Bay), R. Paterson (Taranaki), A. Pringle (Wellington), L. Righton (Auckland), M. Brownlie (Hawke's Bay), S. Gemmell (Hawke's Bay), A. West (Taranaki), H. Jacob (Horowhenua). HAWKE'S BAY FIFTEEN. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION, J NAPIER, Monday. The HawWs Bay team to meet Wellington on Saturday for tho Ran furly Shield challenge is as follows: Fullback, Yates threequarters, Mapu, Kirwan, Grenside; five-eighths, Nepia, Paere; half, Mill; wing, Smith; forwards, Gemmill, Walker (back row), M. Brownli© and C. .Brownlie (supports), McNab (lock), Irvine, Kirkpatrick (hookers).

MAORI TOURING TEAM. VICTORY IN LAST MATCH. £b* TELEGRAPH. association!] LEVIN, Monday. The Maori touring team played the last match of its tour at Levin to-day, when they defeated Horowhenua representatives by 14 to 3. INTER-TRIBAL CONTESTS. [si TELEGRAPH. CORRESPONDENT.] . TE KUITI. Monday. At a meeting of natives of the Maniapoto tribe on Saturday, it was decided to present a fifty-guinea cup for an intertribal competition among New Zealand Maoris on conditions similar to those of the Ranfurly Shield. TE AWAMUTU. Rugby matches insulted as follow: Te Awamutu 9 v. Rovers 3; Pirongia 22 v. Ngahape 6. Third grade High School • 9 v." To Awamutu 3. Juniors Ngahapo defaulted to To Awamutu. ; MORRIN S The Morrinsville senior Rugby representatives played Piako representatives at Morrinsville. : The ground was heavy. The forwards ; were evenly matched, but Morrinsville backs proved i superior. Morrinsville won by 18 points to 3. Tries were scored by Glenn (3), Carter and Groves for Morrinsville and Clarkin for Piako. v -' The junior representatives of the same unions also met, the game ending in a draw,. MATCH . AT TUAKAU. The second match for the Taylor Shield was played at Tuakau on Saturday between Tuakau (holders) and Onewhero. Right from the start both teams played very well, the most notable payers being Cronin, G. Revoll, and , Logan, of Onewhisro, and Wright, Rogers, and Asher,; of Tuakau. Onewhero came determined to take the shield across the river, but Tuakau proved to be the better team, the result being Tuakau 6, Onewhero 0. Mr. Dobson was referee. CHARGES AT N.S.W. MATCHES. [by telegraph.—PßESS ASSOCIATION, < DUNT.DIN, Monday.' The Otago Rugby Union decided to protest against the decision of the New Zealand Union to adhere to its decision to charge 2s .admission to ground for thjj match, New Zealand v. New South Wales • as, on the New- Zealand Union's own. showing, the expenses of the tour will not exceed £6500, and at a charge of Is to the ground, with an extra charge to the stand, receipts for the 10 matches should total £8000. : UNDER LEAGUE RULES. NOTES AND COMMENTS. POSITION OF SENIOR TEAMS. The following table shows the position of the teams in the League senior championship competition:'

The competition is in an extremely interesting stage as far as the three leading teams are concerned. , As matters stand only one of these : can possibly win the championship, and the struggle for the honours is sure to , be a particularly strenuous one. : Weather :conditions ■ will play an important part in deciding the issue, but that is a matter which has to be taken as it comes: Footba.ll was not meant to be altogether a dry weather gam®, though the League rules were framed to make the code as fast and open as possible. Adaptability and ability to seize opportunities under all conditions are essentials in the equipment of the true footballer, and the infliction of so many wet Saturdays this season may be a valnaLle experience after all. The llirpe leading teams; have yet to meet in the seoond round and intrest in all three games will be keyed up to a high pitch. II is to be sincerely hoped that the games will be played on a dry turf, in which case football of a high standard may be expected. City Outplays Newton. The spectators at Cariaw Park on Saturday fully anticipated a close contest between City and Newton. A good proportion, in fact, were prepared to -sec Newton prevail, as the conditions were hardly favourable for City's style of play. For a good portion of the first spell it j seemed as though Newton might susI tain the hopes of their supporters. Even at the conclusion of the spell, when City had a lead of eight points, Newton appeared to have a good chance of pulling the game out of the fire. These hopes were soon dashed as the City backs, handling the greasy ball in great style, combined in irresistible passing runs. G. Davidson scored three tries in quick sue cession, and placed his side in a good winning position. Newton continued to battle strenuously, however, and frequently looked like scoring. Good handling by the backs enabled Peters to score, and for a time it appeared as though Newton bad commenced to build up a score. All efforts to add to the tally, however, proved unavailing, and in the final stages the City combination overwhelmed the It was bright, crisp passing and remarkably good : handling on the. part) of the City backs that

enabled them to •; pile •up a ; score of 35 'points, and they ; are ; deserving = of every credit for their display. . ' 01: the individual players, Flynn, 1 at fullback for City, did very well. Plenty of ' work went his : way, and he seldom got into difficulties. G. Davidson, B. Davidson and Wilson formed a fine three- . quarter lino and handled : wonderfully, ' well und«r ; adverse conditions.' Orewther, who. replaced Wilson■ after the latter .was compelled : to retire with an injured leg, also performed well.. The inside backs all operated to good effect. W. Davidson gave a taste of his all-round ability by coming up to five-eighths and playing a i good game. C Wetherall; made many fine openings, and fed his supports. Mitchell, behind the scrum, played his usual solid game, and sent the ball out well. The forwards were an even lot, and they co-operated well with the backs Cloke, at fullback for Newton, gave a fine exhibition, fielding, tackling, and kicking in great style.- He plays good football, and if ho decides to take on the fullback = position ' permanently should prove a distinct success. Watson, Peters and Warren all played useful games in the threequarter line, and Sorrenson, Brown, and Poison operated well in the inside back positions. The forwards E roved a hard lot, and several times had hard luck in not getting through. There was little to choose between them as far as individual play was concerned.

Athletic v. Ponsonby. Athletic always had rather the upperhand in the game against Ponsonby, scoring a try immediately , after the game started. Ponsonby evened the scores after some spirited play on both sides. The remainder of the spell was in favour of Athletic, who ran their total to 14 points before the interval. With an additional try to Athletic early in the second spell Ponsonby's chance : appeared to be hopeless. Playing with splendid vim, however, the Ponsonby men repulsed all the Athletic attacks and in the closing stages added two tries to their total. It was a great tussle in the second spell, and on the run of the play Ponsonby had hard luck .in not getting closer to their opponents' score. Of the individual players for the winners, J. McGregor, at fullback, played his usual sound game. He has exhibited very consistent form this season. KirklanS and Dufty, in the threequarter line, and - Hall, at five-eighths, were always dangerous. Nicholson did well behind tht scrum. Among the forwards,' Miller. Avery, and Francis were frequently prominent. Graham again followed up in good style, and was rewarded by scoring a try. The Ponsonby backs did not combine as well as usual, though they gave flashes of' excellent form. Delgrosso played with his customary dash, and was ably seconded by Williams. McClure was very nippy, and made some good openings. Among the forwards, Hanlon, Henderson and MacMaho were frequently prominent in good work. Richmond's Good Effort.

Devonport succeeded in running out winners against Richmond by 19 points to 10, but the North Shore players must have had some uneasy moments. This was the case particularly in the first spell, which finished with Richmond in the lead by 10 points to 5. The second spell was fairly evenly contested, but Devonport were in scoring vein, and ran up 14 pointr. to their opponents nil, thus pulling the) game out of the fire. Both teams were obliged to play several junior players owing to the senior men being laid aside through sickness and injury. For Devonport, Taylor, Webb, and Garrett played well, the last-named giving a fine exhibition behind the scrum.. For Richmond; Hanlon, Campney, McKenzie. and Kettlewell all , performed well. The forwards were a good even lot and played hard to tho finish.. Supporters of the League code are looking forward with keen anticipation to the meeting of the three leading teams in the senior grade competition. In the first round of the competition Athletic defeated Mart at Old Boys, and the latter the following week prevailed against City. 1 A week later City met Athletic and regis-; tered a win against that team, making the three teams level at the conclusion of the first round. In the second round City were rather unexpectedly defeated by' Devonport; and are now 2 points behind the other two leading teams. In the circumstances the task of picking the winner; should be of special interest to students of form.

■> ' ■' : ' Ch .... P" w. L. D. pts. Athletic ... 10 9 1 — i« Marist 0. B. ... 9 8' 1 — 16 City ... ... 9 7 2 — 14 Devonporfc "... 9 4 5 . 8 Ponsonby ... ... 9 3 6 — .5 Newton ... ... 10 2 8 - 4 Richmond ... 10 . 0 10 — —