SATURDAY’S RUGBY MATCHES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5988, 27 August 1906, Page 2

SATURDAY’S RUGBY MATCHES.

PETONE WINS THE CHAMPION SHIP.

Onco again Petone won the toss at Athletic Park, where the shilling, if not the crowd, is invariably kind to the suburban team. Given a win or a draw against Athletic. Petono had the championship, and though the plucky young blue and blacks led throughout most of the game, Petono drew level toward the close, and a final try arising out of a mistake of the Athletic right ■wing-three-quarter put the issue beyond doubt. -With a dry day and a fine, firm turf, such as existed on Saturday, Petone is undoubtedly tho better team, the Athletic backs being none too safe. At the same time, tho champion team was soundly beaten, forward, and tho Athletic pack gave the winners—and the public— a really good run for their money. The ideal weather brought out a large crowd, who were amused at tho Australian game, and who enthused over the Hugby. PETONE BEATS ATHLETIC.

In winning tho toss, Petone had tho advantage of tho sun, but there was very little wind to favour either side. Petono soon got to work with passing attacks, and tho combination of Green (half), Kelly (five-eighth), Ramsden (centre-three-quarter), and Barber (right wing-three-quarter) did the trick. It was Green’s try as much as anybody’s, tho little half being apparently smothered, but somehow he struggled through, and got his pass away. Barber failed to convert. Petone, 3; Athletic, 0. “Play Melrose’s game, Athletic,” shouted a Rugby professor on tho bank; and they accepted tho advice, with good results. The blue and black forward-', led by O’Sullivan (winger), Wilson, and Lite (a big, fast forward from tho Northern goldfields), began to worry tho Petono backs considerably, and play became more give-and-take.' Tho portly form of Reedy (Petone forward) was observed in hot pursuit of the ball in Atlilotic’s goal, but just as ho was within an noo of scoring someone else anticipated him. Kelly and Ramsden then sailed for the line, and the coutre-tliree-quarter, finding Barber blocked, tried to score himself, but just failed. Athletic worked back to Pebone’s twenty-five, where tho dofendug side was penalised for putting tho ball unfairly in the scrum, and E. Hales kicked a very nice goal. Petone, 3; ■Athletic, 3. The crowd, anxious to see Petono’s pot upset, now grew very partisan, and would have cheerfully awarded Athletic ali the free-kicks on the field. The blue and black forwards swarmed down on Petono’s lino, where a line-out took place, and after a scramble, O’Sullivan scored. Hales failed to find the posts, and Athletic led by 6 points to 3, amid hilarious applause. From a Petone rush, McGill narrowly missed scoring. Barber, who had been playing with dash, got roughly handled about this stage, and his subsequent play suffered in consequence. Kelly fed Ramsden, who beat a couple of men, and. sent on to J. Ryan, who, after a good run, was heaved out on the oorner-pog. In the second half O’Meara (Athletic fivceigth) made a meteoric dash, beating Ramsden, and fed his right wing (Cunningham) in a scoring position, but Cunningham was pushed out. A penalty shot by Hales fell just short of Petone’s goal-posts, the Athletic forwards smothered the return of the Petone full-back (M. Ryan), and a scrum 1 took place near the goal-line. Lile got possession as the ball came out, and bustled bis way over The angle was not very difficult, but Hales’s kick failed, and Athletic led by 6 points—--9—3. The Athletic scrununers were penalised near their own twenty-five, and Barber converted, reducing tho lead to 3 points—two trios and a penalty against a try and a penalty. J. Ryan found ton oil near Athletic’s goal-line, whore a scrum took place, and as Hardliam put tho ball in it rebounded from tho, sorummers’ legs, and rolled over the goal-line, where Hardham pounced on it. Barber not converting, scores stood even at 9 points. From a scrum at Athletic's twenty-five, J. Ryan got the ball from Green, easily beat his vis-a-vis, Cunningham—who mis-timed his rush—and scored near the comer. Byrne’s .shot at goal failed, but the score now stood 12—9 in Petone’s favour, and that verdict remained unaltered. Mr \J. Laughton was referee.

PONEKE BEATS ORIENTAL. The Poneko-Oriealtal match was also an instance of a deficit being wiped off in" the second half. Wilkinson scored first for Oriental, after a passing run between Baskivillc, Roberts, and the scorer, and, later on, Roberts, breaking through the, ruck on the goal-lino, added another try. He also converted a mark by Wells, and at half-time tho figures were—Oriental 9, Poneke 0. In the second half, Wallace kicked a penalty goal for Poneke. Mitoliinson, Wallace, and Horgan got in some passing, Horgan punting; Mitchinson, following up, secured the ball, and ran right round behind tho posts, Wallace converting. Oriental, 9: Poneke, 8. Tho one-point deficit was wiped off through Wallace kicking a penalty goal, and Pouoko won by 11 to 9, or two penalty goals and a converted try against a penalty and a try. As Oriental landed one penalty against the goal-post, and also missed a converting chance right in front of goal, Poneke’s win by the margin of a penalty may he counted luokji. There was, in- fact, little or nothing to pick between the two sides. Mr J. M. Robb was referee.

AUCKLAND v. SOUTHLAND

LATTER SEVERELY BEATEN. FORTY-EIGHT TO TWELVE. PHES3 ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, August 25. About six thousand persons witnessed tlio iiiterprovmcial Rugby match Auckland v. Southland this afternoon'. The ground was in good order. ■lt was thought, tho Southlanders would give the homo team a stiff game, but though they worked hard they lacked finish and cleverness, and were beaten by 48 points to 12.

The visitors frequently got close to tho Auckland goal, but seldom looked like scoring. They hod 30 points run up against them in the first half of tho game, the dashing play of tho local forwards in the loose giving Southland plenty of defensive work, while the Auckland backs also shaped better. In the second half Southland started off well, hut, later on, tho home forwards rallied, and, taken all round, Auckland had tho best of tho spell, running up a further 18 points. Eight minutes after the game began, Kicraan, Auckland’s half-back, crossed Southland's lino, no goal resulting. Then from a pass by Kiernau, McKenzie

scored, and Dufty kicked a goal. A few minutes later'McKenzio was again over, and Dufty landed another goal, following this very shortly with a potted goal. Southland forwards then rushed the hall into their opponents’ territory, but the position was quickly reversed, and as the result of good passing, Wynyard obtained a try, which was not converted. making the score 20 to nil after eighteen minutes’ play. Before the spell was over, W. Tyler and Nicholson obtained tries, both of which wcro converted hy Dufty.

The second spell opened with fast play, the ball being rapidly taken from end to end. It was not long before T. Clarke scored in good style for Southland, and Hamilton kicked a goal. A few seconds later Hamilton potted a fine goal for Southland, bringing the scarce to—Auckland .30. Southland 0. Shortly afterwards Magee scored for Auckland, and Dufty once more succeeded in converting. Then from a penalty Hamilton kicked a goal, and the scores were —Auckland 3d, Southland 12. Despite the strenuous defence of the visitors, two more tries were obtained by Nicholson, and converted by Unity, while a try which Dufty failed to convert was scored by Smith, bringing the total of the home team’s too re to -18. Mr Laws, of Wellington, was referee. MATCHES ELSEWHERE. MESS ASSOCIATION. DUNEDIN, August 25. Two of a series of country football ■matches wore played to-day on the Caledonian Ground. Vincent County defeated Maniototo hy 26 points to nil, and North Otago defeated South Otago by 15 to 3. In a match between Hillside and Invercargill railway workshops Hillside won by 21 to 3. HAMILTON. August 25. Waikato defeated an Auckland team by 9 points to 8. CHRISTCHURCH, August 25. The junior representative football match between teams representing Canterbury and North Canterbury was won by Canterbury by 14 points to 3.

On Saturday afternoon at Newtown Park tho “New Zealand Times” boys defeated the ‘•'Evening Post” boys by 11 points to 3. For tho winners trios were scored by Bowman, Tullet, and MacDonald, tho last-named converting his try. Vaney scored for the losers.