THE LEAGUE CODE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25249, 9 July 1945, Page 3

THE LEAGUE CODE

OTAimim STILL LEADS VICTORY OVER MANUKAU Fast and open football was seen in the principal game at Carlaw Park on Saturday afternoon when Otahuhu defeated Manukau to retain its leading position in the Auckland Rugby League's senior championship. The Otahuhu backs gave a high-class display, and a fine recovery by Manukau gave a large crowd plenty of excitement. In the curtainraiser. Mount Albert was fully extended to defeat Point Chevalier, which made its first appearance on No. 1 ground. Ponsonby ran up a high score against Marist on No. 2 ground," while Richmond proved much too good for Newton. Git.v narrowly defeated North Shore at Devonport with a converted try a minuto before the final bell. Results were:— Otahuhu, 21; Manukau, 13. Mount Albert, 12; Point Chevalier. 3. City, 13; North Shore, 11. Ponsonby, 31: Marist. 15. Richmond. 30; Newton, 10. Otahuhu, both backs and forwards, gave easily the best club display of constructive football seen at headquarters this season. Manukau's weakness, particularly in the first spell, was poor tackling. With the exception of Murray, the backs failed to cover fast enough to check the speed and resource of the Otahuhu set. Pai, at fullback, was left standing flat-footed when Speedy scored a fine try within two minutes of the kick-off. Otahuhu threw the ball about iu great stylo and pleased the spectators immensely with good position play. The Otahuhu forwards, led by Lohenet and M. Johnson, broke through the defence. J. Speedy started a passing bout from near half-way, and Seymour penetrated deeply before passing to Brady, who eluded the defence and sent Halsey over for a great try. It was superior speed and good handling that gave Otahuhu its superiority. The forwards stood out well with perfect timing and inter-passing. From one of these last raids Lohenet scored and half-time came with Otahuhu leading 10 points to 0. Ten minutes after the start of the second spell Otahuhu increased its lead to 21 points, as the result of good pla.v by R. Speedy and Simons. For the next 20 minutes Manukau made a good recovery. Gaining possession from the loose, Murray beat the Otahuhu defence and Opai raced between the posts. Manukau rose to the occasion well and the backs improved in team-play. Two tries in quick succession gave the game added interest and Otahuhu was rattled for a time. Riririui and Shilton stood out prominently and 'i'e Tai gained useful ground. Then Butler raced away on the Manukau wing but Halsey overhauled him when a try looked certain. Fast and fluctuating play was witnessed in the last five minutes, but Otahithu, which was deciccdly the better combination, hung on well to score a most impressive victory. The moving from five-eighths to fullback of Riley has certainly sharpened up the Otahuhu attack. Riley played a sound game in his new position. Brady, at centre, stood out as the best back on the ground, and his pace and ability to accelerate gave the Manukau defence much trouble. Brady runs straight and strongly. Both the wings, Halsey and Simons, especially the former, were always prominent on attack. R. Speedy played a clever game at five-eighths and was the pivot of the attack. Seymour, five-eighths, appeared to bo nursing an injured hand. J. Speedy played a good game behind the scrum. Among the Otahuhu forwards, N. and M. Johnson work'ed hard, while Lohenet was often prominent in the loose.

There was not a great deal of difference! between Mount Albert and Point Chevalier in an interesting curtain-raiser. Lob passing was a bad feature of the play of several Mount Albert backs. The Point Chevalier backs put plenty Of vim into their play, but (he forwards lacked the weight and experience of the Mount Albert pack. les played well at centre and Shadbolt and Milliken were the best of the forwards. The scorers were:—Otahuhu, 21 (tries by R. Speedy 2, Halsey. Lohenet and Brady, Riley converting three). Manukau, 13 (tries by Opai, Topai and Te Tai. Butler converting two); Mount Albert. 12 (tries by Shadbolt and Thomassen. Cranch converting both and kicking a penalty goal), Point Chevalier, 3 (try by Dais): Ponsonby. 31 (ties by Mitchell 2. Nurse. Kelly, Hadley Isordgren and Bailey. Nordgren converting three and kicking two penalty goals). Marist, 15 (tries by McLeod, Matthews and Curran. Anderson converting one and kicking two penalty goals); City. 13 (tries by Gee, Magee, E. Donovan, Si!va converting one and Clarke kicking a penalty goal), North Shore. 11 (tries by Green, Chatham and Clarke, the last-named converting one).

ASSOCIATION GAMES SKEATES CUP TO WHENUAPAI The first round —an elimination one—of the Auckland Football Association's senior competition was concluded on Saturday afternoon. By its defeat of North Shore o—l, in the main attraction at Blandford Park, Whenuapai topped the table to win the Skeatcs Cup. It was anticipated that there would be three or four teams level for sixth position, but the day's results disproved this. The six leading teams are: Whenuapai, Comrades, Philomel, North Shore, Eastern Suburbs. Ardmore. Considerable interest attached to the games at Blandford Park, the early one, between Comrades and Ardmore. having a bearing on which would play in the championship proper. There was little between them territorially, except that Ardmore players were inclined to wait for the ball,, and the speedier Comrades' defence nipped in to intercept and set the forwards in motion. Comrades' win by the odd goal in three was well merited. Whenuapai was at full strength for the main game whereas North Shore missed Richards, who had a poisoned finger. From the outset it was apparent that close play would predominate, and the early exchanges were not spectacular. Whenuapai had a constructive defence, in which Hazel, Dryland and Everson were most prominent in breaking up movements and sending the ball ahead with welljudged passes. In the second spell, with a three-goal advantage. Whenuapai indulged in more open play and was master of the situation.

Following were the scores and scorers:— Whenuapai, 0 (Hope Ede 4, Bell, De Feu), North Shore, 1 (Mason); Comrades. 2 (Fincham. Masters), Ardmore. 1 (Williams); Metro College. 4 (Webber 2, Woods, Cleal), Eastern Suburbs, 4 (Welch 2, Meuli, Neesham); Ponsonby, 4, Mount Albert Grammar Old Bo.vr, 4; Philomel. 1, Thistle, 1. Second division: Eden, 5, Mount Albert Grammar Old Boys, 2; Comrades, 4, University, 3; Eastern Suburbs, 3, North Shore. 0.

Auckland Representatives.—The solo selector to the Auckland Football Association, Mr J. Rowatt has selected the following team to represent Auckland against South Auckland at Blandford Park next Saturday for the Hall.v-burton-Johnstone Shield, held by South Auckland: —McCamish (Comrades). Parish (Philomel). Hodgson (North Shore) Workman (Philomel). Orr (Thistle), Walface (Metro College). Hutchinson (Mount Albert Grammar Old Boys), Meuli (Eastern Suburbs), Hope Ede, Wilkinson (Whenuapai), Mason (North Shore). Reserves: Page (Comrades). Gisby (Ardmore). Otago Team's Win.—ln a representative match at Christchurch, Otago beat Canterbury by 2 goals to 1. Cope and Davidson scored for Otago and J. Smith for Canterbury.

REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY Christchurch. —The biggest crowd of the ■season saw the Buller Rugby team beat Canterbury by 10 points to 14 at Lancaster Park. It was the sustained, tearaway loose rushes of tho Buller packmen, charging downfield in a body, that definitely turned the game in their favour. Mumm. one of the Buller front-rankers, was the best forward on the field. For the greater part of the game he had splendid support from Dalzell, Anderson. Fox and others. These men were remarkably quick in pouncing on Canterbury's mistakes and bursting through with fiery vigour. At the same time Canterbury was unlucky to lose McKenzie, its heaviest and most valuable forward, late in the second spell. Both fullbacks. F. Neighbours and Callanan, gave displays that ' won repeated cheers from all sections of the crowd. Additional excitement was lent to the match by the manner in which the scoring see-sawed. At one stage it was 3-all. Later it was 6-all and after that for a time I l-all. Scorers for Buller were Beveridge. Blair and Hawes, Neighbours converting two tries and kicking a penalty goal. Atkinson and Fitzgerald scored for Canterbury, Fitzgerald converting one try and kicking two penalty goals.

Canterbury Team.—The following team has been selected to represent Canterbury against Wellington at Christchurch next Saturday:— Backs: Callanan, Thompson, King, Randall, Mitchell, Morton, Hewitt. Forwards: Stewart, Harvey, Atkinson, Fleming, Fitzgerald. Duff, Palmer, Deyell. Emergencies: Walklin, Knowles, Vincent. Forsrutt.

Wellington Team.—The Wellington Rugby representatives selected to play against Canterbury next Saturday are:—Bligh, Morrison, Abbott Roberts, Wishnowski. Dougan, Goldstone, White, Calcinai, Wales, Bowman. Elliott, Pike, Burke. Palmer. Reserves: Wickbam, Beard.

ROAD CYCLING RACES Auckland Centre Events.—Tho Auckland Amateur Cycling Centre conducted two road races on Saturday afternoon. The seniors raced from Papatoetoe round the Clevedon-Papa-knra circuit n distance of 30 miles, and tho juniors from Papatoetoe to Drury and back, a distance of 'JO miles. Results were:—Seniors: V. Lowo (Papatoetoe), -lin 30s, 1; \V. ,T. S. Nash (Maniikan). t)m. '2; N. V. Coles (Northern), (im. 3. Fastest time, V. A. Hills (Manukau), sor. 80m 50s, Juniors: J. Hydo fLynndale), Dim, 1; M. Ci. Tucker fLvnndnln), 7m. 2; L. B. Kent (ManuVau), lm, a. Fastest timo. F. VV. Willis (Mannkau), scr, (Mm 495. BOWLING COMPETITIONS Club Matches.—Remuera: Final of May open tournament: Tonks, Mchonn, Learning, TTarland, 18, v. Rogers. Foubister, Griffin, Haggio, 13. Finla.vson Badges: Macey, Buckrell, Griffiths, White (challengers), '2.'?, v, George. Johns, Sheath Thompson, 14. Harland Pins: Rae, Stuhbs, Dowrey, Goosman (challengers), "22, „v. Newsome, Rossiter, Sanderson, Court, 17. Carlton:—Carlton Gold Ferns: Usher, Pobson, Neal, J. Wilson (holders), 1!), v. Blandford, .Tnrrett, Hancock, Montgomery, 13. Transport.:—Morgan Buttons: Taylor. Walker, Anderson, Ward. 21, v. Showier, Tesky, Hagen, Barton, 1!>, Onehunga:—Jordan Pins: Baildon, O'TTara, Walker, Raffles (Onehunga R.S.A.), 23. Blewden. Banks Lalng, Thompson, 18. Cock-o'-the-wnlk: E. Jones, Ratcliffe, Drumm, Christie (challengers), 27, v. Wutfs. Forsfrr, flurlsre, Macklow, 17. Bray Barlcres: Bassett, Morris, Aitkenhead, Eenny (challengers), 23, v. Grubb, Zenovic., L. Jones. Cross. 20.