Senior Championship Competitions.

NZ Truth, Issue 160, 11 July 1908, Page 3

Senior Championship Competitions.

PONEKE 37, SOUTHERN 3. In this bout, the Reds galloped all over their opponents, who played a man. short. The play was generally of' an extraordinary nature, and .individual critr icism of the' respective contestants would be merely a waste of valuable space and time. ' ■■'■ ■ ■ ■ ■• ',i ■ • . As m cricket, "two-up." etc., there is always a glorious uncertaiAty about Rugby, and a. few of the. Maroons most ardent barrackers saw glimmering prospects of their men. squeezing out the Reds. It was, however, a case of dry rot with the Southerners, whose rearguard was about the most disorganised .division the writer has seen this season. Nine times out of ten the men were but of ppsition to check the massing , rushes* of the other sidle, and their fielding;, stopping, and kicking was miles below Mount Cook schoolboy form. The pack-! men were busted up' m firactically everi* : scrum, but on occasions. shqWed a littleskill m the open. Their went all to pieces at times. . Poneke ' started out on-the. < 'every man r scoring" principle. The tactics of the) forwards were deadly putrid,, the backs^ getting no show whatever!'^b handl^'. ths Ball until half-way through the< first' spell. The erratic methods' of thd" R^ forward brigade was a god-send for, v thie, Maroons; who raised the seige- again and ' again per. medium of "fprces^/ and, "frees." When Poneke did open out there was; trouble. . Tilyard and Mitchinsop. seii their backs going time after time, but; not infrequently they saw the operation;, carried to a resultless conclusion of reason of their comrades failing to" do th^ right 1 thing at' the right nioment\ Dan; Twohill's handling was at fault ;at the> critical scoring moment, while Magee'l love-like embraces of the leather lost .the> Reds a chance of piling -on over SQI : points. ■ ■'.} '■' "■'. Mitchinson put plenty, of vim into his play, and his dash and alertness was al? ways to the fore. He handled th» leather with certainty and precision. Flan* angan is a rising hope of ;; Poneke. and, under experienced •; tuition., should blossom out into a top-notcher. ■ Hunter was very conspicuous ,m the-. Red scrummaging There was nothing remarkable . aboutthe defensive \or attacking capabilities of* Southern backs or forwards. Poneke's placerkicking was .nothing to; enthuse over. Eleven tries, were notched cmlv two were' conVverted, one:by : ; Rush, however, being a "beaut." Frontranker ■ Rigg's siiccessful shot m front of the posts was {ppopularr r m the Red'sv. camp 3 Mitchinsori had a clear run m on one occasion but the All Black representasive essayed fame hy taking a not at goal, which- went miles wide of the cross-r---bar.