ALMOST UNASSAILABLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27443, 17 July 1950, Page 6

ALMOST UNASSAILABLE

Rugby Competitio

Positions Of Pirates And Varsity A In First Round SURPRISES ON HEAVY GROUNDS Saturday’s matches, which were played in intermittent rain and on heavy grounds, completed the first round of the Otago Rugby Football Union’s senior competition. With only a few Saturdays left to play, the competition leaders, Pirates and University A, are in an almost unassailable position so far as the other teams are concerned, although Zingari-Richmond are within bare striking distance. The other teams in the first six are Taieri, Training College, and Dunedin. Pirates overwhelmed Port Chalmers by 36 points to 3 at Hancock Park, the game being transferred from the Port Chalmers ground, which was unplayable. Similarly, because it was desired to save Carisbrook, University A met Taieri at Tahuna Park before a crowd of about 1200, and in spite of the wet weather conditions the game provided an attractive display which University won by 14 points to 8, resolute defence by Taieri preventing the students from increasing their margin. There were several surprise results, one of the most unexpected being Union’s narrow win over Southern by 14 points to 13 in a game which was transferred from Carisbrook to Tahuna No. 2. In the early match at Tahuna No. 2, Alhambra, which had v r on only one previous game, defeated Training College, one of the top teams, by 9 points to 3, the winners playing good wet weather Rugby. Dunedin, which has come with a late run, defeated Kaikorai by 11 points to 3 at Bishopscourt to finish in the first six, and Zingari-Richmond defeated University B by 13 points to 3 at Montecillo.

The following were the results: Pirates 36, Port Chalmers 3. University A 14, Taieri 8. Union 14, Southern 13. Zingari-Richmond 13, University B 3. Dunedin 11, Kaikorai 3. Alhambra 9, Training College 3.