Teachers on Top

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 655, 6 May 1929, Page 6

Teachers on Top

GRAMMAR LOSE IN HARD GAME

Bright Flashes at Eden Park

VARSITY HAS A GALLOP IN a stubbornly contested game, fast in patches, but marred to a certain extent by unnecessary stoppages, Training < ollege delighted its supporters at Eden Park on Saturday by registering its second consecutive win of the season. Grammar Old Boys was not the team of the previous week. The pack showed none of the tight packing qualities and control of the ball that won for them the game against Ponsonbv, and did not seem to possess the match-winning spirit. With a few exceptions the dasli and enterprise were in the Training College ranks.

r \ T half time Training College led Grammar B —3, a penalty by Abbott and a try by that useful forward Peacock, to a penalty by P. Skelton. Grammar supporters were not discouraged and talked hopefully of the second half. Certainly when play commenced it looked as if the Grammar leaders had been instilling a little more enthusiasm into the pack during the interval, for it started off great guns. But the College forwards were quite equal to the occasion and the backs went down manfully to anything that looked like going through. Things looked more hopeful when Eric Batty got across following one of the best bits of forward play the pack had shown. But fcikelton missed an easy kick and the chance of making it a drawn game was lost. MANY PENALTIES It was a popular win. Public sympathy is always with the smaller man and the manner in which the College forwards held the Grammar pack and fed their faster and more enterprising backs fully justified the win. At the same time it must be admitted that Grammar was a bit unlucky, in some of the penalties awarded against them, and nothing tends to put a side off its game than this. They were also unlucky in missing a try in the first half. In the race for the ball Bell, tho Grammar centre, plainly appeared to get his hand on the ball first, but it was ruled otherwise. The large number of penalties against Grammar is no doubt the result of a marked tendency several of the Grammar forwards have of overrunning the ball and then waiting offside for the play to catch up with them. Last week, when the forwards were playing honest, this was not in evidence. FAST AND NIPPY Rac. the Teachers’ half, constituted himself a great nuisance to the Grammar pack. He went down to rushes like a trojan and fed his backs at every opportunity. His retirement toward the close of the game as a result of head injuries was a decided loss to the side. With Weir. Mackay, Lawrie, Abbott and Butler behind Rae, Training College has the makings of a fine rear division, fast and nippy. On Saturday the side was without the services of Connolly, who is laid aside a.s a result of training injuries. Connolly. Lawrie and Abbott constitute a very fine three-quarter line, material here that must cause Mr. Vin Meredith some serious thinking. Abbott played another fine game. He has speed, is a good defensive man and will give anything a go. He was well fed by Lawrie at centre, who plays a heady game. The two fives played a much more thrustful game than their opponents, Lindsay Weir being the most outstanding. Butler played a fine game at full-back, frequently winning applause for his splendid kicking and sound tackling. The second row of the College scrum contains three very fine forwards in Stacey, Webb and Peacock. Stacey was continually in the picture. He is fast and handles Avell and is a good allround forward. Webb, who locks the scrum, toiled hard all day. In addition he figured in several pretty movements. once in the first half when he accepted a long pass from Abbott to send Peacock over, and again in the concluding sc igcs when he crossed the line only to be ordered back for an infringement. The hookers, Hodge and Herbert, gave good service. Bell, centre, and Corner, half, were the only two Grammar backs to show to great advantage, although Gardiner at full-back tackled well. The wings, Olsen and Eady, were so-und without being brilliant. Corner played a very heady game and opens up well, but a lack of penetration on the part of the inside backs somewhat spoils his play. Bell is a fine centre who should develop further. The brothers Batty were the most conspicuous of the forwards, who were not so keenly on the job as they were last week. L. Knight appeared to realise the seriousness of the position and worked hard, but A. Knight, particularly after his great display last week, was disappointing. In some respects Knight was rather harshly treated, particularly when he was penalised for tackling a man who had the ball. In many respects it was a peculiar game. In patches it was decidedly fast, blit these were interspersed with dull periods in which play worked its uninteresting way up and down the touchline. The last quarter, however, was keen and exciting, sufficiently so to send a large crowd home fully satisfied with the game and the result. Mr. E. C. Stretton was the referee.

FORWARD BATTLE

MARISTS JUST BEATEN BRIMSLE’S POTTED GOAL Faat. heavy forwards so disabled the attacking machine of the Manukau backs at Onebunga on Saturday afternoon that Mariets went down by nine points to six only. A field goal, dropped in the second lialf, gave Manukau the match. At no stage were Marists penned up so that they could not rattle Manukau. Marists had an advantage in scrum work, and were as effective as Manukau in loose forward play. Marists’ forwards can command respect. Chances for the backs were rare. The first concerted play saw Sotherley carry on a rush begun by Falwasser. Sotherley overran himself, and a try was lost when he sprawled into deadball area. In the next quarter. Sotherley scored f try after a battling individual effort. converted, is other was

playing the best game on the field, but he retired with an injured hand, which may stop him from playing next Saturday. Stuart kicked a penalty for Marists. and just before half-time Gourley, the wing-forward, put Marists ahead with a fine try, which Stuart did not convert. Marists 6, Manukau 5. Falwasser. Bj’ers, Linden and Turei all made attempts in back rushes, but the Marists back line showed that Mallett, Stuart and Smith were sturdy defenders. Hadley replied to Manukau’s efforts by leading his forwards in strong rushes. At three-quarter time, T. Brimble managed to drop the goal which gave Manukau victory. The rest of the play was even. Viewed broadly, it was Sotherley’s game in the first spell, and T. Brimble’s in the second. Brimble was actually Manukau’s handiest back. Only IS, he is a five-eighth with a wealth of promise. Stoupe played cleverly on the wing for Marist. and kicked with judgment. Stuart was safe as centre, and stopped attack after attack. The fiveeighths, Mallett and Smith, did rather better in the first spell. At half, Wright was solid, and was one of Marists’ best men. His style contrasted with the flashing runs of Byers, the Manukau half, who was again on nis game. Falwasser put in several penetrating runs on the wing for Manukau, but he was kept defending much of the time. With Brimble, Linden was a good five-eighth. Hadley gave all the generalship required by the Marist forwards, among whom Gourley, Locke. Cotter, and Molloy stood out. Kahu was next to Satherlev in the opposing forwards. J. Brimble, Golding, and Gregson giving solid support. Mr. F. Sutherland was the referee.

COMBINATION WINS

PONIES’ LAST-MINUTE GALLOP

Combination and cohesion between forwards and backs replacing the individualism displayed in the first spell, enabled Ponsonby to overwhelm Technical Old Boys in the latter part of the game at the Epsom Showground on Saturday. Harrying tactics of the fast-breaking Technical Old Boys’ pack, in which wing-forward Keane and Coll were always prominent, played havoc with the Ponies’ back division in the first term, while erratic passing among the inside backs also contributed to their failure to obtain smooth rearguard action. In addition, the Technical Old Boys’ pack, secured the leather from the majority of the scrums, but their hooking was not clean. The team generally lacked condition to last out a last game. Technical's back division was slow in swinging into action throughout the game, and did not take advantage of scoring opportunities. Inside backs invariably took their passes standing still, and the movements lacked thrust, bout after bout travelling cross-field and collapsing futilely with no territorial gain. Haslara at five-eighths was the only one who displayed any initiative in this direction. K. Couper. the right-winger, was easily the best of the Technical backs. A straight, hard runner, with a nice swerve, he electrified the crowd several times with sparkling bursts of sped, his splendid individual effort racing over half the length of the field, to be tackled on the line just before tho conclusion, evoking much admiration. A welcome change came over Ponsonby in the second term. Combination replaced individualism, and smart crisp passing bouts, in which forwards and backs alike joined with equal facility, was substituted for erraticallydirected passes and mishandlings. The forwards fed the leather out quickly to the Pony rearguard, which moved with smoothness and precision. FINE PENETRATION Ail Black Freddy Lucas did not shine in the first term, and more than once had his hair and his temper ruffled by the undue attention paid him by the opposing team. It was the fine penetrating cutting in of Cammick and Jamieson at five-eighths, both of whom varied their work nicely, that created the scoring opening?: for the Hook brothers on either wing, who were the stars of the day. The spectacular effort of L. Hook in racing three-quarters of the field for a brilliant try was only equalled in merit by the two magnificent goals potted by his brother. As the base of the scrum, E. McManus was the bright spot in the Ponsonby defence, and he varied his work nicely on the •’blind** in attack, invariably sending the leather out smartly. His return has made a big difference to the Pony rearguard. The Ponies’ forwards showed good form in the second term, throwing the leather about in bright fashion in crisp passing bouts. Ex-Hawke’s Bay hooker, Swain, was prominent for his break-away work in the early stages, until he received a bad knee knock, compelling him to retire. Judging by the inability of the Pony front-rankers to secure possession in the first spell. Swain could have been more usefully employed in his old position. Solomon was always in the van in the loose, and shone with Fleet in following up. An outstanding impression left by the match was that there was far ioo much round-the-neck tackling by both sides. In many cases the tackling resembled catch-as-catch-can wrestling manoeuvres*