Fourth-Class Championship.

NZ Truth, Issue 168, 5 September 1908, Page 3

Fourth-Class Championship.

. SOUTHERN (8) PETONE (8). •. As a curtain-raiser -to 'the Tnter*TJniori. 'fixture, the final, heat' for -the 'Fourth--class Championship was fought out between the two leading' teams, and Fetohe. '■"■'!." • ' -,'"'. From a spectator's viewpoint the ganle wag 'fast and interesting, anil t&e pkssing and line-Wckihg ot v - "roe Southern backs was equal, or perhaps m advance, of a senior combination; v. ■ : J The forwards of both teams, also show- i ed great form m following up the; geri^ eral play. .' ■■■.-* , >,'■ - : .■ •-."•' ' ■- .' Southern , had three-parts the better of the play, but owing to hard ticking on the part of the forwards when near the line, " Riggs, being the chief .' delinquent,' lost many chances of scoring.. ;>. " „ ' ; The deadly tackling of the. .suburban I backs kept the ' Southern backs from ctsssing the . opposing chalkmark at the critical moment?' ';.',. . , 'All the Petone forwards played well^, the left wing forward, being the pick of, a hard-wprtfing pack. .'" Among the backs, * Ryan, S>haw, and, Daly 'showed fine attack and defence ■ work. Ryan, who is a brother of the Ryan Bros., of the Petone senior team/ left the Southern' backs standing when,; with a beautiful cut-in, he enabled Collier, to score beside the posts. Perry, Ptetone's wing- three-quarter, showed, good pace and skill when he pullj ed the match out of the lire for Fetpne m tie last few moments of .the game. , • 'One of the Red forwards booted .the ball out of the ruck; and before the Southern team knew wjiat h&d happened : Perrin went right around them, ;and with .only the full-back to pass a try looked a certainty, as he had all his forwards with him. Collins, .the Southern full- ' back, dived for his legs a moment too early, with the resu'lf that Perrin slipped through his hands and notched a splendid try. '• For Southern :, all the forwards .played well, the hookers 'beating Petbne for the ■ ball nearly every' time and giving the backs plenty of chances, owing, however/ .to the watchfulness of /the Petone wingforwards- many of the chances were nippeß*in the bud. '' Riggs. Guthrie, Miles and Stevens were the pick of the forwards, while all the backs played evenly and 'well. ; Russell's screw-kicking got the Reds out of many tight places and evoked apr p'lause from the spectators. - Two v things that the - Southern backs want to practice is going down to rusnes and taking their men low. YVith the exception of Russell and Collins, the rest of tie' backs shirk the heavy work, and they think an opponents eyebrows is the correct place to grab hold 0f.,? The forwards could also take a lesson m .'the , art 'of low collaring, as they lost many fine opportunities through going fortheir men high. ' ':■*■ ' " •