THE LEAGUE CODE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20905, 22 June 1931, Page 11

THE LEAGUE CODE.

DISAPPOINTING CONTEST. MARIST AND DEVONPORT EQUAL WEAKNESS AMONG REARGUARD. As a result of the defeat of Devon port by Marist on Saturday these two trams are now equal in tho lead for championship honours and the success of Marist has added considerable interest to tho second round of matches. The match which was expected to provide the best football of the season proved disappointing, many mistakes being made by each team. In the first spell Marist monopolised the scrums and with the opportunities tho back;) received mom points should havo been registered. When Devonport did get a fair share of tho ball in tho second ispell the handling of tho backs was very poor and some great chances were lost. Marist had tho better of the gamo all round and thoroughly deserved its victory. The forwards all worked well and gave the opposition a harrying time. Their tackling and fast following up seemed at times to have tho Devonport rearguard quite nonplussed. There was a weakness in Devonport's tackling from T. O'Leary, at second five-eighths, right out to tho threequarters and Brady and List repeatedly broko through. That more points were not scored was due in one respect to the splendid support the Devonport forwards gavo the backs on defence. This, however, the forwards had to do all day and toward the end of tho second spell so mu'jh work had told its tale. Credit is due to the Devonport forwards lor the manner in which they stood up to a gruelling test with the heavier Marist set. It was no fault of' the vanguard that the match was lost and it must have been very trying to its, members seo the' futile attempts made by the back division to handle the ball. With tho exception of Rhodes and O'Donijell, who both played well, tho Devonport backs wero right off their gamo. Although L. O'Leary and L. Scott; did not hs.ndle tho ball in one straight out passing rush their defence and positional play left something t3 bo desired. Simons Below Form. Simons, who up to Saturday had played such fine football, gave a very mediocre exhibition and his vreakness was costly to Devonport. He allowed himself fcj be bustled and waited ;ior tho bounce of tho ball, which once cost a try. Although he improved in the second spell his display fell a long way below his previous exhibitions and he was overshadowed bj his . vis-a-vis, Campbell, who made few mistakes. The Devonport backs although bsing possession in the scrums stood deep and allowed the opposition plenty of room in which to work. Of the forwards A. Scott was always in tho picture and reoiivfed splendid support from Ruby, Mas;field and E. Scott. There seemed a doubt about two of Marist's tries, and strange to say each was scored by Batchelor. In the finit instance the threequarter appeared to knock the ball on slightly on tho ground before regaining possession. The second try wa3 scored just prior to time. Batchelor dashed down the wing, and in attempting to ground the ball was tackled .by two opponents with the result that the corner flag was knocked down and part of the scorer s body into touch in goal. The referee referred to the line umpire who decided on a try although standing about halfway. It seemed rather a lucky decision for the winning team. The Marist backs, although passing poorly at times, showed improvement in combination. Brisbane played an outstanding game and Hassan was also in good form. List gave an improved showing, but Brady was inclined to be erratic. Batchelor showed himself a dangerous scoring man with any reasonable opportunity. One of the outstanding games on the ground was played by Mechan, on the wing. He showed cleverness in anticipation and speed well above the average and often turned defence into attack. His speedy cut-ins also at times left the opposition standing. Ihe Marist forwards all played well, with perhaps Young, Carter and Clarke outstanding, the lastnamed being especially prominent in the loose. A Weakened Team. The game between Ponsonby and Richmond was of a remarkably even nature, . both teams impressing with clean handling and speedy passing. Ponsonby was, however, without Delgrosso and P. Skelton. The Ponsonby backs, although not showing the same understanding as the opposing rearguard, possessed a degree of cohesion sufficient to provide a fast and fairly open game. Honours in the scrum went to Richmond in the first half, its hooking being infinitely superior, but in the later of the game Ponsonby brightened considerably and more than hold its own. McLeay was taken from tho scrum and tried in the position of first five-eighths, and this change brought more thrust in the Ponsonby attack. On the day, one of tho outstanding backs was undoubtedly Mincham, who played a convincing gamo for Richmond. Pell, on the wing, and Fairman at half, were also in good form. Lawless and Lennie were tho best forwards. Wilson, the Ponsonby fullback, although not a;s pleasing as his vis-a-vis, rarely let a player pass him. Winters and Friend were reliable, but Angelo did not im- * press as much as usual. The halfback, White, gave his backs every chance. Gardner used his weight to advantage and often improved his team's position by fine kicking. • • With tho exception of some bright back play, lato in the second half, the game - between City and Ellerslie was uninteresting to watch. Ellerslie fielded a very weak sido, four of the regular thirteen _ being absent. Under the circumstances, Ellerslie did well to hold City unt.il tho latter's backs gave a glimpse of their best form. Quick Scoring. Throwing tho ball about in great style City's; rear division outclassed the opposition and scored 15 points in as many minutes. Ellerslie nad opportunities in the first half, but weak handling spoilt good movements. City's ability to turn theso mistakes into attack was most noticeable. The backs had too much pace and rarely kicked in possession. Tho first try by McLaughlin was the gem of tho match. Seven City players handled after Davidson made _ the play, and the scorer handled three times. The City backs have only to study positional play to develop into a strong combination. -• : , At fullback, Watene played his usual good game, and many times ran _ tho threequarters into 'scoring positions. McLaughlin showed improved form and both his tries wero good efforts. Davidson showed sound all-round judgment,' especially on defence. Savage, a recruit to the code, made a good impression at five-eighths. The Barchard brothers played with plenty of dash on tho wings. Alderton played well behind the pack. M. Watene was outstanding among the forwards Hamilton, Iverson and Clark also worked well. Kelly, Webb and Hickey were the pick of Ellerslie's backs, especially the lastnamed, who would be a fine player with better opportunities. Hobbs ably led the forwards, who were beaten by a better set.