WELLINGTON.

NZ Truth, Issue 1017, 23 May 1925, Page 10

WELLINGTON.

:; Defeats of, the leading teams are fitting m, very ; well for .the Wellington Union;'' ; '•'• ';. ' ■ '. ;..V- . :." f-'i?: ''v ;." ; : '- "'

; ''Varsity are now, the only team m the cpnipetitipriL with an unbroken record,'and whb will be bold enough to sky such will be the case for iohg? ;P 'Last Saturday Berhamppre stepped out to meet Marist. with confidence

written large on their countenances. Maris,t were sure they would go down with their boots on — that was all. The Greens- didn't go down with their boots on. They came off with their boots on, for if ever boots won a game, it was last Saturday when the stick-like-glue Green pack, after appearing to be beaten halfway through 1 the second spell, came again, and had the pleasure of seeing victory come their way. It was a gruelling game, and that the better team on the 'day won there is not the least doubt. At one stage it looked like the Berhampore potted goal was going to carry the day, but one of the Green backs suddenly thought of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth, for a tooth." Without any further ado he made it, a "pot for a pot." '■ , That pot blew the smile off the dials of, ■ the t ßerhampore supporters, and play ers.y and m the ranks of the Blues for fully v twenty seconds after Joe King had waved the glad hand to the man on high at the score board, Walters and Co.. were In a semi -stupor. They did not know: 'what had hit them! • Afteiv Saturday's game there is no reasonyin the world why Marist should not >go m and win the* championship. They have the forwards and they have the backs. The material is there for the moulding, and George Aldridge will mould it, notwithstanding the fact he is not m the pottery business. To the writer's way of thinking Marist lost numberless opportunities through the inability of the first fiveeighths to understand he ' has some supporters outside of him. The' way he kicked through time after time, especially m the second spell, was pitiful to .see. Did he not realise that he .was doing his best to run his pack to death?-',,, y- „/; V, ')■. ' --.:■.•. ' it is very nice to feel you have a pack of forwards m front of you who caii last out a solid ninety minutes, verjr nice indeed, but there is no need to tr*y and see how much running about they can . do before they burst. Another point that should be impressed' 1 home- on Ward, and also Griffin, is this: Walters is no mug at fullback, and. even when m a tight corner nine times but of ten- he manages to get clear. Then why give him half an hour to field the ball? That is what was happening all through the second half. No' wonder forwards go to market! ; '- ■.:■'■ „..'. The Berhampore pack is a good one. It is solid, has perhaps more weight m it than any other m the competition, and ,m the loose can hold its own. At certain periods last Saturday it did hold its own, but there was something disjointed. They were as a rabble — no leader. Sam Standen is badly needed to take control. '.'t ' There was not a bit of wing play m the whole game, and as a whole the men m those positions were disappointing., Don Mathesbn shaped best, he gave everything a go, but Don has to improve a couple of yards yet to be a Gloaming. ' ilowever.f there was a centre. Cummings on the Marist side is, worth watching., 'lie has a good knowledge of :wh.a ( t is required for the position, andf when his five -eighths wake up to themselves he will, do a lot of ground work ;for.- tries. '■/ "The : Berhampore backs, as an attacking unit, were a failure. The inside men 'are too slow to see openings, and\much tobiorthodox. Their, defence is ;qi«ite sound, but defence alone will never win games. There must be some attack to gain points. , There was never a better sixpennyAvorth of football than that provided at 'the "village" 'ground when Petone met and defeated a keen, well-trained, clean playing fifteen m Hutt. One wonders whether Fats is riot dealing rather unkindly with those Hutt seniors. • No fewer than- half a dozen times against Petone they got over beautifully only to encounter difficulties which resulted m force downs. There is no doubt . that Hutt are taking their football very seriously this year and they are certainly a useful, heady and "fit" pack. They can stand hard knocks, and carry on to a man but — and it was noticeable m last week's game— they failed to finish off many of their fine strategic openings. ■ The Petone boys found what they expected m Hutt, a very tough proposition, but pulled, well together to 'win by 24 points to 10. . Mark Nicholls was again well on his game and came to light with a great burst of speed, especially when he took a lightning pass from the ruck at halfway and had .an unobstructed run for the line where he scored a try while the Hutt' players, gaped at him. Mark also added the major number of points to the village score.. Doc. Nicholls was not m action last Saturday. There would have been plenty of room for him and he would have found much to interest him. Hawkins played a solid, careful game ,for Petone last Saturday. He was a battler though not m the limelight m the early stages,: but. shone out later, and only for the fact that the Hutt backs were tackling with deadly effect, he "'would have found a greater place m the sun. As it Avas he pleased his critics immensely. ..-. Corner played with commendable 'dash; and daring, on Saturday and helped to swell the Petone score. Fisher, ■> at half for Hutt, took a sey.ere ; gruelling m. the match with Petone -when the "village" forwards got going but he was always handy, and a game player who will yet do bigger things./-; .' . Munro.- was v ' another, of the Hutt players . who .fdi'spl.a'yed keenness and strategy/.. . H'el was responsible for a fine try and was at :tim'es . unf ortunate. Petone C; decided '\to replace up till half-time; Had Hutt- known . this beforehand they; might;. have altered the personnel 8S their t?amv. ' „.. Cudby, 'at full -back? for- Hutt, played a, sound, cautious game, and had many chances/, ''to -.^reveal sound judgment, calmness and .accurate' kicking., • At seco'ii'df. five-eighths >McKay , was a decided:- asset for JHutt. He was consistent' "and ' steady' except once when an inopportune cross-kick right into the hands, of .the Petone backs gave Corner an ''easy, chance to score.In the forward division for Hutt, Sullivan gave a good account of himself and was usually close to. the leather. Ha [got a nasty knock towards the end, however, and after verynearly taking the count, turned up again to see the team through.