RUGBY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21541, 12 July 1933, Page 16

RUGBY FOOTBALL

CHAMPIONSHIP PROSPECTS TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR'S RISE A CONSISTENT GOAL-KICKER Tho University and Ponsonby teams retained their positions as leader and runner-np respectively last Saturday in tho Auckland Rugby Union's senior championship competition. 1 here is only one point between them, and so the matches in which they participate in the immediato future will bo followed with intense interest. Ono point below Ponsonby conies Grafton, which had a very narrow escape from defeat last week.

Marist's defeat of Grammar places these two teams level in fourth place, four points behind University. Unless something unforeseen happens both Grammar and diarist would appear at this stage to bo just beyond striking distance, and it looks like one of tho three loading teams eventually prevailing. Favouritism rests with Universitv, by reason of the fact that it has go no to the front after having sustained a couple of losses when much below strength. With its full team from now 011 University will tako a lot of heading off. Ponsonby is playing good football at present, and is not an'easy team to defeat. The fact that it adheres closely to the maxim of "giving the ball plenty of air" makes it a dangerous scoring side, which never acknowledges defeat until tho final whistle blows. Grammar's Misfortune A win to Grafton would be universally popular, as tho team has been struggling along near the bottom of the list for the past few seasons. Tho team's two best etforts of tho season go far have been its successes over Grammar and Ponsonby. The Grammar senior team has had an extraordinarily bad run of luck in the way of casualties. Its original team was intact for four Saturdays, but since then no fewer than 27 players liavo participated in the various matches. No wonder the team M down on the list.

The annual College Day last Saturday was not so successful as in previous years. This, no doubt, was duo in a great measure to the absence of King's College from this year's draw. Tho anuual match between King's and Grammar invariably attracts a large crowd. The King's fifteen this year, however, appears to be much weaker than usual, while 011 the other hand Takapuna Grammar School and Sacred Heart College have gradually forced themselves to the front in the last season or two, and now are able to hold their own with their rivals.

Takapuna's rise in Rugby has been almost meteoric, as tho school is but a few years old. With a littlo luck last Saturday it may have defeated Auckland Grammar, the leading team in tho secondary schools' competition. Arrangements in connection with the Auckland Rugby Union's jubiloo are progressing very satisfactorily, and "Jubilee Week" in September is likely to be long remembered in Auckland Rugby circles. The annual AucklandWellington match at Eden Park coincides with tho celebrations. A Match-winner

F. Fuller, who converted seven tries and kicked a penalty goal for Wellington against Taranaki in the annual Rugby match recently, has some great goal-kicking performances in his record. When Wairarapa beat Auckland, 17-14,' in tho Ranfurly Shield series in 1029, Fuller scored 14 of the points—four penalty goals and the conversion of a try. Now he stacks up his century of points in club games regularly every season in Wellington. Mr. I']. McKcnzie, who picked out Fuller as a youngster and played him in the Wairarapa team when he was still in his 'teens, put his find through a j-tiff test onco. lie took Fuller out on to the ground with a ball, and. standing 011 the quarter-way line, jnado the youngster shoot at the posts fiom different positions ranging from one touch-line to tlie; other, 10 times. Fuller passed the test with full marks —he landed l(j goals with 1(3 shots I