RUGBY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21921, 3 October 1934, Page 17

RUGBY FOOTBALL

THE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GRAFTON TEAM'S SUCCESS MANUKAU AS RUNNER-UP The Grafton team, which won the Auckland Rugby X 111011 s stinior championship for the season 1934, worked v ?ry hard and conscientiously toward achieving its object. The success was particularly pleasing to the club's secretary, Mr. "1. Council, whose efforts to bring the senior team back from a. low level were untiring year after year. He has been secretary for the past 10 years, during which time he .has rendered the club very valuable service. Grafton has won the championship on six occasions—in 1886, 1888, 1895, 1901. J921 and 1934, so that it is 13 years since the team was last successful. At the conclusion of club matches in 1921 the Grafton, Grammar Old Boys and College "Rifles teams were all level with Is points each. In the play-off games Grammar beat College Rifles and drew with Grafton. The Grammar-Grafton match was played as a curtain-raiser to the game between the Springboks and New Zealand. Grafton won in the plavoif. The members of the Grafton team on that occasion were:—Fullback, Finlay; threeqnarters, Hughes, AY. Gasparich, Austin; five-eighths, W. Lamb, M. Lamb; halfback, E. Gasparich; wingforward, E, Nixon; forwards, Coltson, S. Lamb, Nicholas, Hs.tch, McLeod, J. Gasparich, Helander. lib is interesting to note that E. Gasparich has coached tie team this season. Double Completed Grafton has completed a good double this season by also winning the junior championship. This is the fourth time this minor honour has been won, the previous occasions being in 1902, 1922 Mid 1926. The senior team this season has been very capably led by Angus Finlayson, a forward who has represented the province every year since 1925. Himself one of the most honest forwards to ever don a boot. Finkyson has inspired the other members of the pack. H. F. McLean, the All Black, proved a decided acquisition, and his experience and ability, coupled with that of the captain, have gone a long way toward assisting the side to ultimate victory, The pack has played consistently well throughout this season, having usually provec a match for any opposition". Smith, -Hardie, Mills. Bunting and Shadbtlt, who have been regular members of the pack, have all been in good form since t'ie beginning. While not being a really first-class combination, the back-, have done good work individually. Inglis has rendered excellent service behind the scrum, displaying improvement, as the season progressed. R. Stuart has mixed some good games with bad ones, but his good ones have been of a high standard. Ityall and Dick have both been solid without being brilliant. Improved Wing: The team had two important gains when it secured the services as wingthreeqiiarters of Currey and Savoury. The lirst-riamed. in particular, has proved himself a vastly improved wing, v combining solidity on defence with accurate handling and speed and determination'on attack. He is a player who should go much further in the game and is just the type 1o send to Great Britain next year. Patrm, the fullback, has played consistently well throughout the season. Although on the slow side, he is very solid on defence. His goal-kicking and line-kicking have been of great service to his team. The Grafton team played 15 matches during: the season, winning 10, losing 3 and drawing in the remaining 2, thus scoring 22 championship points. Manukau's Eecord The Man uka.u team has also had a greatly improved season and it should do well again next season, as the majority of its players are young. The team also played 15 matches, winning nine, losing four and drawing in two, gaining 20 championship points. The team's strength lay chiefly in its forwards, who comprised a very solid pack. Pepper and. Pearce, the two representative players, have been outstanding, and .they have a lot of football ahead oi them yet. Johnston, Kereo pa, Constable, Trott, Sutherland, Biggs and the emergency players were all hard triers. Undoubtedly the stai: back has been Heazlewood, the former All Black and representative player. His fine all-round exhibitions have not only carried his side successfully through many a gruelling match, but .have made him a popular figure with patrons of Eden Park. In the absence oi Bush from the fullback position during the latter part of the season, Heazlewood's line kicking has been a feature of the games in which he has played at headquaiters. He has also won a few matches for his side with some brilliant, place-kicks, his performance on Saturday last when he landed three fine goals—one of them from the half-way line —being an excellent wind-up for the season in this reWeakness ol Backs The threequarter line has been useful, with Berridge playiing a sound allround game. The five-eighths, Pou.ton and Brimble, gave promise earlier on of developing into a good combination. Their attack was all right, but- their defence proved weak,. Brimble's last couple of games were below his be±>t form. Hatfield served the team well behind the pack. He had a hard season's work, as he was called upon to check some powerful forward rushes week alter week. His passing from the scrum was nipp.\ and well directed. Of the other teams Ponsonby did fairly well, especially as it lost the services of F. Solomon some time bofore the end ol the season. Otahuhu and Technical Old Boys both showed improvement upon the previous season, which was pleasing to their supporters. University gave early promise of being one of the strongest sides ir> . the competition, but it failed to con.e ui) to expectations Grammar, College Rilles andj.Marist were relegated to the B division, where the first two will re-