RUGBY COMPETITIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18773, 29 July 1924, Page 4

RUGBY COMPETITIONS.

THE i SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. FIRST DIVISION CONCLUDED. PONSONBVS GOOD RECORD. "The final matches in the first division of the senior Rugby competition were played on Saturday, while those in the second division disclosed the section winners. Ponsonby, the winners of tho first division, have an excellent record for the season, having won matches, lost only one and drawn one. The only team with .a chance of depriving Ponsonby of the championship are King's Old Boys, winners of the second division. King's have yet to imeet Grafton to decide which team shall bo in the first division next season. If King's win they have the right to play (Ponsonby for the senior championship. However, the defeat of Ponsonby would be about the greatest surprise of the season. Closely-ooatsst9d Game. A considerable portion of the interest in the games of the afternoon lay in the match between University and Grammar Old Boys, which was played on No, 2 ground. Very many spectators who watched the commencement of the Ponspn by-College Rifles match were attracted by the spectacular nature of the gamo on the adjoining ground and crossed over to watch it snore closely. Both sides fed their : - backs consistently and the dry ground gave tho fart backs on both sides every opportunity. The respective rearguards' were evenly match, though both made mistakes. The Grammar forwards showed up well in loose rushes, but the University pack had greater control of the game. ' They i hooked the ball from most of the scrums, and their dribbling was good. Lusk made his first appearance for Grammar as halfback and Wright wont to first five-eighths. Lusk filled his position with considerable success, while Wright was no less _ prominent. Williams, a promoted junior, made a very promising showing, and potted a good goal. Among the Grammar forwards Lintott, Taylor and Goald were the pick. All the outside University backs were good. Olsen and Hamilton both played attractive games. Hopkins was sound, and also potted a fine goal. The forwards played well together, and the scrum-work was particularly good. A Forward Struggle.

Solid forward play characterised the contest between Ponsonby and College Rifles on No. 1 ground at Eden Park on Saturday, and though-the game was very even throughout it hardly came up to expectations from the spectators' point of view, There wsre' not many bright, spectacular incidents, and concerted movements by the backs were not much in evidence, though the conditions were in favour of fast, open play. The Ponsonby pack had a slight advantage in the scrums, but their backs did not seem to make full use of their opportunities. The spoiling tactics adopted by Ponsonby kept the College Rifles' backs from executing many , concerted handling bouts. The defence on both sides was good, the tackling being generally sound. There was very little difference between the teams on the day's play, College Rifles showing that their performance against Ponsonby in the first match was not just a flash in the pan. However, Ponsonby would have been unlucky to lose on Saturday. The scores gave a good indication of tho closeness of the game, Ponsonby's nine points being made up by a try and two penalty goals, while Collego Rifles obtained one try and one penalty goal ; McWilliams and Palmer ware the best of the winning forwards. Stewart kicked both goals. The, best of the backs were Pelham, who scored a good* try, Tonkin, and the fullback, C. McManus. The latter extricated his side from several very tight cornf.r3, Jensen, a junior wing-threequarter,, acquitted himself well. The best of the College Rifles forwards were McLean and Pogarty, though neither showed quite as much dash as usual. In the back division McGregor played a good game. He is a five-eighths of considerable promise, and with the experience gained this: season should do well next season. Muir, the other five-eighths, was often prominent, playing a solid game. . ■ . , Marists* Superior Play. j Tho Marist, Old Boys-Grafton ""match 'was rather tame. Neither side was at full strength. Marists played two backs from the Sacred Heart team, who had played against Mount Albert Grammar earlier in the day. Marists did not suffer by their inclusion. The Grafton team included half a dozen of their 'juniors.; ' ■ . The first half was played in easy-going spirit. It was not until the second spell that both teams played in earnest, and this, by the Way, was coirgsident with the arrival on the sideline of the selector. Many players on both sides then made their best endeavours .to create a good impression. . Marist Old Boys had little difficulty in winning, mainly owing to the superior handling and pace of their backs. In the Marist forwards Peters, H. McDonald and McGinley were all prominent, whilo among the backs Earlly, Herring and O'Brien played well. For Grafton B. Keary and Wakerley played good games, while Lamb was the best back. PRIMARY SCHOOL HATCHES, POSITIONS OF THE TEAMS. Following is the result of the junior 1 matches in the second, round of the Primary School Rugby competitions, llie results of the second and third l rounds having been combined in A, C, and D sections:— ' .-v ' ' % SECTION; ' " • / '-V- „ ; Ch. P. W. D. L. Pts. Richmond Road 3 3 0 0 6 Grey Lynn •.,« 4 1 12 3 Newton Central 3 0 J 2 1 i- B SECTION: ' Ch. P. W. D. L. Pts. Kcwhai 3 3 0 0 6 Mount Eden tn 1, 0 0 1 0 Edendale . w « T 0 0 1 0 Mount Albert 1 0 0 1 0 Maungawhau w 0 0 0 0 0 C SECTION : : Ch. P. W. D. L, Pts. Vermont A. ok 5 5 0 0 10 Vermont B. 4 2 1 2 5 Ponsonby . 3 0 1 2 1 Nelson Street t . w 3 0 Q 3 0 D SECTION: • •. Ch. , P. W. D. L. Pts. Curran Street w.j 5 5 0 0 10 Bayfield - r.-. 4 3 0 1 6 Beresford Street 3 0 0 3 0 Newton East .. 4 0 0 4 0 E SECTION: Ch. P. W. D. L. Pts. Remuera w «« 4 4 0 0 8 Ellerslie , ..i w 3 2 0 1 4 Moad'owbaak 3 1 0 22 Cornwall . t . t „ 2 0 0 2 0 Onchunga 1 um 2 0 0 2 0 INTER-SCHOOLS FOOTBALL. [BT TELEGB.4PH.~OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] !r MATAMATA. Monday. The Matamata Primary School team defeated the Rotorua School, by 16 points to 6. The Matainata High School team defeated Rotorua High School by 11 points to- 9.

THE FINLAY CUP. > MATAMATA DEFEATED. Matamata lost possession of the Finlay Cup on Saturday, being defeated by Cambridge by 23 points to 3. The holders •had slightly trie better of the first half and led by 3 points to 0. The visitors played a faster game in the second half and ran Matamata off their feet. They also showed better combination. The match was noteworthy for the splendid goal-kicking of Leo Bourke. The Finlay Cup was presented by Mr. Finlay, of To Kuiti, for competition bcI tween the various sub-unions of the Waikato Union, and in the draw for possession Waipa became the holders. They lost to Matamata in , 1922, and Matamata withstood all challenges successfully last season. ■ Cambridge will be called upon to defend the cup against the Morrinsville, Waipa and Putaruru Unions, in that order. Judging by the season's games, the Cambridge fifteen will be very hard to beat, and will have the advantage of flaying on their oWn ground. .V'-jf:. , v . . NORTH AUCKLAND UNION. ; {BX ,7- TBLZGEAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] ' WHANGAREI.. Monday. The North Auckland Rugby Union has approved of the appointment of Mr. Stan. Weston, of Whangarei, as coach and Mr. W. A. Kelly, of Dargaville, as manager of the North Auckland team, which will begin a' tour to Taranaki by playing Auckland on August 16. The Rodney . District Rugby Union has joined up with the North Auckland Rugby Union, which now embraces all the sub-unions within its declared ter-. rifcory. On Saturday Whangarei will play Nor- j thern Wairoa for the premier trophy— the Hardin# Shield—for which Hokianga has also entered a challenge.' BRAKE SHIELD CHALLENGE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN COS.WIZIFONDENT.] WHANGAREI, Monday." The Whangarei representative junior team, to play Kaipara at Helensville for the Brake Shield next Saturday, has been selected as follows:—Fullback, Kerr; threequarters, Tilly, Hollows, J. Beehre; five-eighths, Ridings, Wyatt: half,' Jones; rover, Higgins; forwards, Pitman, Proctor, Bean, White, Drever, B. Clotworthy, and M. Clotworthy. Emergencies: Hayward, G. Dent, McGregor. -