SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19939, 7 May 1928, Page 12

SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL.

THE LEAGUE CODE.

SOME HARD-FOUGHT GAMES. MARIST LACKS COMBINATION. DEVONPORT'S CLOSE CALL. Although there have been more spectacular matches," the games at Carlaw Park on Saturday were always very interesting and at times some excellent play was provided for a most enthusiastic crowd of spectators. Taken all round, the early match between Devonport and Newton provided the more thrilling play. Right up to the final whistle it was anybody's game. Devonport would certainly have been unlucky to lose but if place-kicking had counted for anything, it most assuredly would have suffered defeat. Out of the four tries scored not a single one was converted. Two at least were in easy positions, one being right behind the posts. The 111010 finished play of the Devonport rearguard clinched victory for the team. Tho Devonport backs were seen to advantage in several spectacular passing bouts and there was one player who stood out very prominently in these. This was Beattio who, at centre-threequarter, gave a very finished exhibition. He made somo brilliant openings, at least two tries being scored as the result of his good work. Beattie possesses speed and knows when to use it to the best advantage. Tho opening he made for the last try was a gein. An Easy Try.

Simons got through a he vy afternoon's work with credit but he made one bad error which cost his team a simple try. Instead of passing back he would have done much better to have held the ball, seeing the position he was in when tackled. Scott and Saxon both showed determination in going for the line but the former was badly bustled by high kicks. A nasty knock early in tho game may have accounted for this.

Seagar and Preston did somo splendid defensive work, the latter being the more prominent on attack. Seagar was much too inclined to cut in and lie was often smothered. Once ho made a brilliant opening which he spoiled by kicking with players in support.. Cleaver gave a neat exhibition at halfback. He used his head well, especially when the opposing fiveeighths stood on top of the Devonport pair, by placing some well-judged punts, a try being scored from one of these.

Ruby, Rule and Dixon were always prominent in the forward division. Ruby lost u. certain try on one occasion by failing to take a transfer after somo pretty reverse passing between Seagar and Saxon. Newton made a change in its back division. Herowini went to fullback and Murray to fust five-eighths. Clarke and Somers were missing from the vanguard and their services were sadly missed. Herewini showed to much better advantage than he did at wing threequarter. lie took the ball well and kicked with judgment but spoiled an otherwise good display by "speculating" on one occasion. Hardgreaves played better on the wing than he did at halfback. He is a tricky individual who requires a little room to work in and is thus suited to the wing position.

Little, with his pace and side-stepping ability, should make more use of these attributes instead of overdoing the punt. Toward the end of the game, he might have notched a win for his team if he had made an effort to heat Simons when he had the whole field in front of him. Dufty was as sound as ever on defence while his uncanny kicking saved his side on numerous occasions. He was unlucky to receive a bad cut over the eye. as after the injury his play appeared to suffer. McLeod was the better of the five-eighths while Hales showed improvement at half. Rhodes, Henry and Hayden were a hard-working trio in the forward division.

Too Many Breaches. " Spoiled by too many breaches " aptly sums up the game between Richmond and Marist. The chief fault was in the scrum and Marist was the worst offender in this respect. Penalty after penalty did not have much effect until later in the game, when the scrums were much more compact. The game was marked by some very hard tackling. In fact a couple of the Marist forwards overdid the tackle and several times threw opponents unnecessarily hard. One forward at least was fortunate to see the game through as with the referee's back turned after he had blown the whistle for a breach, the player deliberately kicked an opponent, Richmond was the better team on the day and combined much more effectively than Marist. A splendid forward division, well supported by the backs, carried the day for Richmond. Although lighter than the Marist forwards, the youthful Richmond vanguard went into the fray in great stylo and its tackling was one of the features of the game. What the forwards lacked in weight was made up in dash. It would scarcely be fair to discriminate so well did the front division play but opportunity must be taken to mention the fine all-round gamo played by A. Lennie. Tho backs, too, especially those near the scrum, tackled splendidly and to such purpose that an opponent did not get very far with the ball. Davis, at half, gave another good exhibition and, although closely watched, executed some nice movements. Wheaton and Prentice combined well at five-eighths. It was pleasing to note that neither overdid the cut in. Taylor, at centre, except for one or two wild transfers played a sound frame and was responsible for one brilliant opening which resulted in a try. Neither Swift nor Tnrton, the wing-three-quarters, had many chances, but both made the best of what offered. Hanlon, although his style suffered in comparison with Gregory, was quite safe and was not bustled at any stage. A Promising Player.

Enough was seen of the Marist team to note that it will bo a fine combination with a little more practice. When the backs settle down properly, Marist will be a very hard team to beat. It was a pity Gregory was injured, as lie was playing a fin 3 game up to that stage, although ho was rather inclined to overdo tho cut in. Brisbane is as clever as ever, but the player who caught tho eye was the youthful Hassan. On his form on Saturday he should have a career in front of him as a footballer. Ho was here, there and everywhere, being prominent both on attack and defence.

Batchelor is not afraid to go for the line, but as yet some of his methods are very crude. Drew possesses plenty of pace. He was "lost' in the fullback position when he took Gregory's place. Cronin did a lot of hard work, although he was inclined to run too much with the ball. Sometimes this necessitated Hassan taking his passes standing, which made matters easier for the defence. Worsley, Graham, Campbell and Noble were conspicuous in the forward division. As in its game with Devonport, City started well against Ponsonby, and at tho end of the first spell each side had scored an unconverted try. In the second half, however, Ponsonby displayed excellent combination. Players set up movements from all positions, the City defence failing to stem tho attacks. In the first spoil City's defence was of a high standard, but it was disappointing in the latter stages. City was first to score, as the result of a tricky run by Perry, who passed on to Iverson, and the newcomer dashed over to score a nice try. Pascoe gave City a big share o'l the ball from the scrum, but there was a distinct lack of understanding between the five-eighths and tho ball rarely got past Ryan, at centre. Wetherill was almost impossible to follow. Ho ran around in a manner that completely upset the attack and the young players outside him lost numerous opportunities of scoring. On defence, however, Wetherill was a tower of strength to City.