AFTER MARIST'S SCALP

NZ Truth, Issue 1283, 3 July 1930, Page 18

AFTER MARIST'S SCALP

o .. : : Rugby League

' The Mob Whooped Devonport On, When Champions Bit The Dust HEAVY VERBAL BOMBARDMENT (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) Strange how the ■ mob senses the impending downfall of a champion. From the. days of the Roman gladiators, down through the chequered history of the prize-ring, and into modern sport itself, it is the same age-old surge of human nature among the fans grouped round the arena.

MATCH after match, the all-conquer-ing Marist team has carved its way through this year's competitions. On Saturday, it bit the dust and reeled, back into crushing defeat at the hands of a revitalised Devonport side. And the same old crowd which has cheered the many spectacular victories of the finest club team of recent years whooped loud and long for Marist's ' blood. Fistic fireworks on the field and a verbal ■ bombardment from the side-lines kept the game at fever heat. Early in the piece, the rival forwards started throwing the furniture about. It looked odds on that it would end in a Donnybrook, but referee Les. Bull kept too close an eye on things for that.

Even the fereree didn't escape the attentions of the bankers. As the game wore on, they started chiacking at every free kick he gave Marist. Some of the fans even had a go at iJim O'Brien. After kicking a beautiful goal, amid cat-calls and other vocal accompanim ents, James turned round and saluted his tormentors in characteristic fashion. Howls of protest were swept

away in a gale of laughter round the enclosures. The best incident of a sultry clash, in which there were no beg-pardons, took place at the finish when O'Brien walked over to Alf Scott and stuck out his paw with a smile on his rugged face. Scott gripped the extended hand, and the two tough old warriors- shook on the spot. That's the proper spirit! Everybody knew that the absence in Australia of Gregory and Brisbane would worry . Marist, but nobody reckoned on the smashing margin of their first defeat. Although Shore won 24-12, there wasn't that much between them' by a long chalk. Everything seemed to go Shore's way, while Marist lost chances galore in the second half through men hanging on, and bad passing. Shore have- the ..makings of a crackajack team half-back in Rhodes. This youngster has filled out, and possesses a ton of pace. He and young Smith played great football on Saturday. Les. O'Leary had a great day with his goal-kicking. Most of them were dead

easy, but Les. put over five running without turning a hair. If Shore want to win the championships, they had better look round for a new full-back. Saxon gave the transharbor fans the creeps the way be pottered round on Saturday. "Sax." isn't a full-back, anyhow. His place is in the pack or on the wing. Alf. Scott has only got to play himself into form to be one of the top-notchers again. The old-timer is- as shrewd as a sackful of monkeys when it comes to tactics, and his generalship and ability to smash home' an opening are worth their weight in gold. Marist have a great forward in Young. If this hefty youngster keeps out of the rough stuff, and goes on the way he is doing, "Truth" tips him off to be an Auckland rep. next season. He is a worker, and Auckland has had enough of "shiners" in the pack. Wetherill, Watene and Barchard away on the "Ulimaroa," City supporters had the wind up when Richmond trooped off with a 5-3 lead at half-time. It looked as if Ern Asher's boys were going to go the same way as Marist, but they managed to scramble home 11-7.

There were a lot of rumors going round during the week that Willie Shortland, fed up with being tossed out of the Enzed team, was giving the League code the go-bye. But the Maori boy, who has had every reason to feel that he got a raw deal, was on deck again as large as life on Saturday, until a leg injury put him on the bank. City, however,

aiant nave its hooker, Pascoe, and it was worse than taking lollies off a child to see the way Richmond were hooking the ball in the first session. Ben Davidson is starting .to show some of his old form again. He scored one good try on Saturday and gave McLaughlan a great opening for another. Mac hasn't shown last year's form this season. Newton and Ellerslie had a ding-dong tussle before. "Pro." Henry's boys managed to get back to the sheds with four points the better of a 40-polnt argument. E. Brimble, its latest recruit, is making a difference, to the backs.