AUCKLAND PONSONBY PIPPED BY A POINT

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 14

AUCKLAND PONSONBY PIPPED BY A POINT

"North Shore Are Now On Rugby Map

(From ''Truth's'' Special Auckland Representative.) Had iiiyone offered the suggestion last Saturday that 'Varsity would beat'Ponsoriby, he would have been hustled off to the Wnau. This resulted, however, the students lasting long enough to b.eat the Gallaher Shield winners by/14 to 13.

"YV the day, students were ; the U "better team. They played. Ponsonby at their own game. Hustle, : hustle, hustle was their slogan. Backs and forwards played one out of the. bag and gave; their opponents no peace, or let-up. lt.Svas'' I go'for your life ,-;from the time' the whistle •■ blew for ;.;;kick off. ,•..*•.; - . : l " . 'Varsity adopted new tactics and. played right down on the "Ponies ; giving them neither room nor time V to get any concerted movements brought off.' The forwards were - amongst thevopposmg backs^ just as soon as the ball got there, dis- •'. concerting the light rearguard. , ' Hamilton played his best game this season. This player is one of the inconsistent kind, but when he is on ;hls game one of.,the ..dangex-pus men. He i -has pace and weight and is not afraid " to make the "most of : both. '■'*■■ Freeman showed to better advantage m both attack and defence, the latter "particularly, being appreciable. It was unfortunate for him to have to retire :; through an ;,:;;;;/ „ vy.v : " O'Halloran is--- another .improving 'player. He opened up" some' nice pass- :,. ing bouts which had much to do, with :, the students score. Cashmore was ■ very nippy and got the ball , away fto •his backs m good style. ' :•••■ Macken, who took Freeman's place after that player's retirement showed '.. good form. ■ Mathias;%as a great ; help m - the "forward rushes. ... ■•;.'. ■ : •■■' - , Brooker^and^Keegan, bore their . fair ■"i share of' th'S: wjorkriwhich brokjet ;up any :^big eff&Uiy %• jepnles^^jSttack..;;. ■ ' Dunrife playing '•"against the wind showed good judg- ..' ment. ! .. 'Varsity's .tactics disconcerted the back • divtsion'^df . their defence^ vvis* nos toofe sound ! when sweepings movements came ' '<•■ along. That their line should have been crossed successfully on ] ■ four occasions showed the weak- . ". „. ness. " „ ■ • • ■ ' ; It is the first time that real pn- : slaughts have been made. against the ; team, it being the usual..'thirtg : fpr'.th»rn ;to do the attacking." WhenWput to "hard defence the; backs,; did; not'^rise:to 'the occasion. - i -:-,"''■■ • : ':' ; ' : - '• ■'• '^!^-\-. r .- ■. .■■ ! Lincoln shbwe!|TwUp/"-th'e.i.{b'est. : !i.of-'.the back division;^fiiir^e'fencev^whilst .his ■; .attacking mo^msnts.;:.;.ser&:;satisfac---Lucas m patcnes#as'liis^silatbrlli liant self and with" Lincoln brought 'off a few nice movements. „,; Tonkin slipped along : vi- at aV. good 'speed when things came his V.way .' Mcv Williams was.;the outstanding forward among the Wue-and-blao|cs. ;, . ■ Another s'liEprise was^stheV^win of ' Manukau over LGollege^ Rifles? '€£ The , former team is one of the B \division, and not even^ttieir most ardentv supporters anticipated a victory. ever, they* are 'a team that has taken

its football seriously and the fact of their having beaten a • good team m the A grade will give .members and supporters great encouragement. Manukau have -much:? to, learn yet of the finer>'p6irits of the;game. They are ' frequent - transgressors through ignorance. With some wise head to coach them they are' a team that could be wonderfully improved. The materials is there but knowledge is lacking, , . • The unexpected defeat of Graf - ■ ton by the Shore team has been brought about by their own carelessness or over-confidence. Under the impression that the work of beating a B team was easy, members of the old established club failed to put m an appearance at ' the- training shed; The result of • this was the debacle on- Saturday. Not at any time during the game did they look to have a chance', knd tho 26 to 6 defeat was a fitting tribute to indifference. Craig, • Page and : Clarge did yeoman service amongst the forward division. They kept well up with ; the game when the backs were on the move. Palmer is a good- half . m the making. With ■ some experience in "better games he might easily -fill the bill. :. - .Neither five -eighths was impressive and „ appeared to be the .-. only weak spots m the team. Holmes "played a sound wing game and should have a future. Johnston was very satisfactory at full and should be more than useful, next 'season., 1 ' : * There was* nothing' impressive about. Gratton's^playji.ahdrto .•Select; any .one that played a'' good-game m. concert would, be 'difficult. " . ; The team had no • concerted' ideas but just played blindly and 'wildly as occasion offered. ' •Perhaps the one exception was McGregor. He'did "endeavor- to get some combined .'effort from his backs but it ' was Hopeless. Tljey were impossible on the day. Harris was tried out at full and afterwards on the wing but did not impress m either position. Austin showed out at times but with a team such as Graf ton were on the day he! had few opportunities. The selectors are surely wondering now why they , selected Joe Lynch as rover. -