SPORTS and SPORTSMEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19023, 25 May 1936, Page 9

SPORTS and SPORTSMEN

RUGBY FOOTBALL

P.B. UNION CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY'S GAMES Y.M.P.'S FIRST DEFEAT Tho Y.M.P. seniors suffered their first defeat in the senior Rugby competition in Gisborno on Saturday afternoon, when they went down unexpectedly to the Marist team, in a hard and fairly rugged match. Marat played well up to their Lest form of the season, and condition stood well to them, enabling them to take tho fullest advantage of all the op portnnities offered. Celtic defeated H. 5.0.8., afler a good match on the grandstand ground, and at Tc Karaka Old'Boys- had another win. the competition having now assumed a most interesting aspect. Details of Saturday's scoring were as ""sei'iow.-Celtic 19 heat H. 5.0.8. 8; Maiist 16 beat Y.M.P. 12; Old Boys 16 heat Te Karaka 9. • ,Timiors.-01d Boys A 3 beat High School nil; H. 5.0.8. 11 heat Y.M.P. 3: Celtic and Marist drew. 6-all. _ Thirds.—Old Boys won. by default from High School; Maiist 17 beat, IT S 0.8. 6; Te Karaka 15 beat Celtic nil.

MISSED FEW CHANCES CELTIC? DEFEATS H. 5.0.8. LOSERS' BACKS OUTPLAYF.D When Celtic and H. 5.0.8. changed round at the interval in, their senior engagement on the grandstand ground on Saturday, with the score only favouring Celtic by three points, the match looked a good thing for the ex-students, who now had the breeze at their backs. As it turned out, however, they failed to make anything of that advantage, and Celtic, using every opportunity that came their way, ran out the winners by 19 points to eight. Conditions did not favour the production of a high class of itugby football, but both teams' played ruggedly, and there seemed to be always a chance that H. 5.0.8. backs would "click" into action effectively. They never got going properly, however, and one or two obvious weaknesses gave the opposing side the upper hand in critical stages of the second half. The presence of E. Grant on the ex-students' wing was expected to prove a big asset to the team, and in the first half it was decidedly a help, but after the turn-around Celtic took care to keep the ball away from him, and ho did not get a chance to use his pace from the interval onward. Actually W. Morrison was the only member of the H. 5.0.8. back division who played up to really good form all through, and without his effective rush-stopping the side would have beon hopelessly swamped. Celtic's forwards were in good form, and their dribbling rushes were very difficult to stop, their loose play generally being sound and forceful. It was surprising, considering their weight, that they did not havo much of a margin on their opponents, however, the H.5.0'."8. forwards, nippy and determined, putting up an excellent display. In both hneonts and scrums the ex-students practically held their own, and they had plenty of chances to get the ball out into the open. Had the backs been going well, the game might have taken a different course. Celtic's backs were sound, though not brilliant, W. McAnenev playing the best game in the green back division, and getting through a remarkable amount of work both in attack and defence. The competition leaders deserved tho win, if only for the way they developed every chance that enme their way. H. 5.0.8. FLATTER SUPPORTERS

The hopes of H. 5.0.8. supporters must have run high during the first quarter of the game, for play had not been in progress long before Grant, the University representative winger, got a run on the right wing, and, outpacing the opposing backs, touched down near the corner-flag. The try was'not converted, and Celtic equalised soon after with a penalty goal, gained by C. McKinley from a kick in a good position near the 11.5.0.8. 25yd. line. H. 5.0.8. worked upfield against the wind again, and made a good gain of ground on the left wing, where the forwards took part in si strong rush, Morrison finishing off the effort by snapping up the ball and dashing over with a characteristic short run for a try in a handv position. Wells goaled the kick, and H. 5.0.8. led B—3. The first Celtic try was simply ac'hicved, a scrum near the oxstudents' goal-line resulting in favour of Celtic, and the hall being whipped

out fast to C. McKinley, the left winger, who had a clear run in. The ball was put down well out towards the corner, however, and the kick proved too much for T. Stevens, the score standing at B—6 against Celtic. Just before the interval, Celtic were pressing again, and R. Turnbull kicked deep into the H. 5.0.8. 25yds. area, the defending fullback being unable to get .across to take it on the full, nnd having to scramble with C. Cater, the right winger, chasing the. bounce. Cater got the advantage, nnd C. MeKinley goaled the kick to add the extra points. At the interval, Celtic led 11—8. CELTIC TAKE UPPER HAND Shortly after the resumption, H. 5.0.8. lost a good forward in Bradford, who suffered a broken nose and was replaced by 11. W.all. Tho <>xstudonts looked"like taking the upper hand again, now that they had the wind ttt their backs, and for a time Celtic were defending strenuously, They worked back to midfiold, however, and there occurred an incident which look a lot of the dash out of H. 5.0.8. The Celtic half-back, Milligan, got the ball from the line-out, and sent a pass to L. Turnbull, first five-eighths, who short-punted over the forwards. The H. 5.0.8. fullback missed the ball, and Turnbull slipped through a gap in the line-out, which was just beginning to break up, and took the 'ball on the bounce. Right out in the clear, he had only to run to the line, a distance of nearly half tho length of the field, none of the defending players being near enough to reach him. This try put Celtic six points in the lead, and H. 5.0.8. 's task looked a lot harder. The winning side 's tally was brought to 19 when, in a scramble under the H. 5.0.8. goal, A. McAneny secured the ball, and dived over for a comparatively simple try, which M. Mckinley had little trouble in converting, . the score at this stage being 19—8 against H. 5.0.8. No further scoring took place, the balance of the play being even to the finish. For the winners, Rogers, Steel, F. McAneny, Scholium and L. McKinley all played well in the pack, and Milligan, W. MeAneny, C. McKinley and Yates were the best of the backs. For H. 5.0.8., Wells, McGuffy, and Aitchison gave good accounts of themselves • among the forwards, aud W. Morrison, Sharp, and Harris gave effective services among the backs. Mr. A. E. Ingram refereed the game.

MAORIS FALL TO MARIST BEATEN BY GOAL KICKING ' AN EXPERIMENTAL TEAM The Marist senior team staged a comeback on Saturday afternoon on the Oval, when they defeated YM.P., who are well up in the championship points, by 16 points to 12. 1). Heeney won the match for Marist with his goal kicking. The Marist points consisted of two converted tries, an unconverted 1 one, and a penalty goal. The Maoris scored four unconverted tries.

It was an olf-day for the Maoris, as their team, was more of an. experimental nature. Radical changes had been made in their back division, W. Bright playing in the halfback position, P. Kaua first five-eighths, C. Chesley second fiveeighths, T. Smiler centre, and Baby Kingi, who usually plays half-back, oil one of the wings, and' J. Poliatu on the other. Kaua was responsible for all 1 the Maori tries, and worked untiringly. The Marist backs played a better combined game than usual and their defence was good.

iMarist kicked off with the. wind, but the Maoris held them in check in the 'first half, which resulted 1 in an eightthree lead in favour of Marist. It was the general opinion that with the changeover the Maoris would soon run up a tally of points, but this was not the case. Kaua certainly added three points soon after the spell, but Marist increased their total of 16 in short order. Y.M.P. took charge of the game towards the end and they added to their total with two more tries in quick succession. At this stage the light was commencing to fail. MARIST LEAD EARLY Play opened raggedly andl when Heeney was given a chance with a penalty kick, 10yds. outside the Y.M.P. twenty-five line, his effort was unsuccessful. Pllaisman missed 1 an opening soon after, when lie had a chance to cut in and cross almost unopposed. Marist pressed, but were beaten back. Again they attacked and the referee awarded them a penalty about the same distance out as the previous one but in a handier position. Heeney opened' M'arist's scoring account with a good kick,—Marist. 3, Y.M.P. nil.

The Maoris were put on the attack soon after when Ohesley broke away. He passed on to Smiler, but the latter was forced out. The ball went out to Kaua from the line-out and Chesley again broke through Marist's first line of defence, bub he did not have any support and the movement broke down. Kaua and Kingi combined! well on the right wing in the next passing rush, which resulted in the latter scoring in the corner.—Marist 3, Y.M.P. 3. Marist took up the attack and a bright piece of work was seen when G. Brown, Smiler, and Kingi combined to clear the ball to the line. Kaua and Maynard took the ball upfield. The next try was gained by Marist, when, after a forward scramble, T. Munro handed the ball to T. O'Halloran on the. line. Heeney converted. —Marist 8, Y.M'.P. 3. After half-time Y.M.P. attacked strongly and a movement by Chesley and Kaua resulted in the latter diving over j the line. Chesley was just going to take the kick, but his leg was noticed by the referee to be bleeding badly. He was ordered to receive attention from the St. John Ambulance officers and Nuknnuku took the Rick, 'but was not successful. An old wound bad opened up on Chealey's leg, but he was able to continne.—Marist 8, Y.M.P. 6. MAORIS RALLY A good run by Kaua gained a lot of ground for Y.M.P. At this stage TMunro had to receive attention to his nose, but was able to resume. The Maori forwards got possession of the ball, and, led by B. Rogers, Maynard, and G. Batson, had the Marist team on the run, faulty handling spoiling the movement. Kaua made another attempt on the Marist defence, but his kick went over the goal line. King and B. Wright, the latter the Marist fullback, made a dash for the ball and when Wright was beaten by the bounce Kingi secured, but was held up. The Maoris had another good chance given them when G. Fisken kicked to the line. The ball fell short and Rogers snapped if up. and, although in a good position, the men he was working with were too anxious, and Marist cleared. (!. Quinn made the next break for Marist and when he was tackled, Fisken car-