RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 437, 5 July 1915, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

CLUB PREMIERSHIP CONTEST.

Thc results of last Saturday's matches rather improved Lin wood's position in the contest for the Canterbury \Rugby Cnion's first grade club championship. True, Albion is only half-a-pomt behind the leading team, but it has played one match more than Linwood. ,If Liuwood Avins three of the four matches which it has stall to play, it will make sure of the premiership. These four games are against Christchurch, Sydenham, Marists, and Albion. In the firstround, Linwood beat Christchurch and Sydenham easily, defeated Albion by 6 points to nil, and drew with Marists. Albion 's three remaining matches are against Linwood and Old Boys —each: of which beat Albion in the first round —and Merivale.

Merivale has come up lately, and is now in third place. But the run has been made too late, for even if Merivale wins its three remaining- matches —against Marists, Old Boys, and Albion —the highest number of points the team can score now is only 84, and Linwood has to win only two matches to beat that. Christchurch is now practically out of the hunt; The Old Boys' team, which has improved its position considerably of late, and which is the only- team with Linwood's scalp hanging!' at its collective belt, would make things very interesting if it could win its four remaining matches —against Sydenham,'Marists, Merivale, and Albion—and if two other teams also succeeded in beating Linwood.

A good deal now depends upon the doings of the Marists' team, which, although low down in the table, may yet influence the allocation of the premiership, because it is such a hard team to beat. Curiously enough, Marists have done much better against the teams which are now on the upper rungs of the premiership ladder than they have done against other teams. They have drawn with Linwood and Albion, and have defeated Merivale, but they have been beaten by both Christchurch and Old Boys. As Marists' four remaining matches are against Merivale, Christchurch, Old Boys, and Linwood, their career will be watched with--particularly close attention. The present-positions .qf the teams are summarised in the following table: Matches. Points. r~-- A - » / K - •

Old Boys Still Climbing. In the first round of the competition the Old Boys' team suffered four defeats —at the hands and feet of University, Linwood, Christchurch, and Merivale. It has avenged two of those defeats now, by beating Linwood and Christchurch in succession, in its first, two matches in the second round. Those two victories haA 7 e followed a win against Albion in the last match"of the first round, and so the club which won the championship in 1913 and in 1914 is demonstrating that, though its membership has suffered severely since the close of last season, it is still a force to be reckoned with. In the earlier part' of the season the Old Boys' first grade team consisted almost'entirely of players from the second and third grades. They battled bravely, but they had to give way before the onslaughts of the older," more experienced, and heavier play r ers of the other teams. Lately, however, the team has-been reinforced by the return to the playing field of several of the men. who had "retired" —not many, it is true, but sufficient to stiffen up the team and give it more- confidence in itself. Taking it by and large, the game between Old Boys and Christchurch last Saturday was rather one-sided, although, in the scoring, Old Boys had only two tries the better of it. The first half of the game w r as not a great deal in favour of Old Boys; but in the ■second half the Christchurch men spent most of their time in defending, and they forced down fairly frequently. It was Old Boys' own fault that the score was not larger. Hanging on to the ball and offside play spoilt several fine chances for 1 scoring. Missed Chances. According to their custom, Old Boys relied upon their backs for actual scoring, the forwards opening up the game as much as possible when they had worked into attacking positions. Several times in the first spell 11. M. Taylor, playing in- his old place at half-back, got the ball away from the scrum nicely, but R. G. Hickmott, at first fiveeighths, went too far with the ball before trying to pass it. Some of the Old Boys's, players wore heard exhorting him to "go on his own," and he accepted the bad advice. Later, however, Hickmott parted from the ball more readily. On some other occasions Taylor himself hold the ball too long, and sometimes he failed to get it away from the scrum properly. For quite a long time in the second spell Old Boys had Christchurch penned up tightly, but threw away, or lost by accident, good chances of scoring. Once Taylor got the ball away very smartly from a scrum near the goal line, with a wide space for the white backs to operate in —and both R G. Hickmott and Boag missed it. Later, Porker, right wing three-quarter, made a fine run in which, cutting obliquely through the defence towards the left wing, ho made a flue opening, but held cm too long, and did not pass until Shepherd had got too far up, and thus had to, take tlie pass offside. Tlieil Taylor slipped in trying to diVe across the lino after getting the ball from a scrum. He would have got there biflft for the slip. A littlo later Taylor, with a nice bit of work r6un<l tho blind side of £i serum, <Jrow the defence in and sent Shepherd across the line with the ball. But that pass, too, was taken off-side. There were other occasions on which scoring chances wero lost through various players getting offside or holding on to the ball too long, but these chances were not as good as those which have been mentioned. Another fault in Old Boys'a play was in-

sufficient backing up and packing round the ball.

Christchurch started with only 13 men. L. Mehrtens went on to the field when play had been in progress for about 10 minutes, and A. H. Guiney went on a quarter of an hour later still. Guiney did not desire to play. Some time ago, when he first volunteered for the front, he was rejected because of an injured shoulder. The injury mended, and he was accepted for service last Aveek, and he wished to avoid the risk of hurting it again before he got to the Front. However, Old Boys kept Christchurch defending even more busily after the latter team had its "full 15 men out. The Christchurch team . suffered from a lack of combination, and only rarely were , its attacks dangerous. Those attacks*were always met by solid tackling and sound line-kicking. In the art of the diving low tackle some of the Old Boys set a fine, but neglected, example to other teams.

A bright feature of the match was the excellence of the refereeing. The Rev. W. B. Scott did not whistle too often, but he was quick and sound in his decisions, and he detected, and penalised for, several tricks which other referees have failed to observe with sufficient attention. Several regular frequenters of the members' stand at Lancaster Park were heard to remark that it' was the best exhibition of refereeing they had seen this year. Willing and Open. The Marists' team, which, earlier in. the season, drew with Linwood, again put its best foot ■ foremost, and came out of its encounter with Albion on even terms. Although Marists did not play as good a game as they played against LinwoOd, they succeeded in extending Albion to the utmost. A draw fairly represented the state of affairs between the two teams; the game was so even that no side had any great advantage in the play. The first spell,: during which the greens scored their try, was slightly ill their favour. -This' can be accounted for by the strong; wind they had behind them. Then, on changing ends, the Albion men assumed the offensive, and, after, numerous attempts, scored a try, which they quite deserved, but which they very nearly missed. Gray's opening was a fine one, but a low pass from the second fiveeighth nearly upset matters. The ball landed on Sheridan's toes,and from there went straight - into the arms of Bayliss, who had an easy run .round. The game swayed from one end of the field to the other with lightning-like rapidity, loose forward rushes by the greens and good work by Gray being the chief factors. Both teams essayed passing, but the greens could make, but little headway; hanging on. spoiled many jiromising rushes, while loose passing brought about the downfall of many others. The Albion passing was much more successful; though not always as well directed as it should have been, the pass generally reached the man it was intended for.

Albion, which is - generally regarded as possessing a fairly solid pack, did not play as good a game in that department as its opponents. The tight work, which was, fortunately very scarce, was even, but in the loose the Marist forwards romped over the blacks. Albion wisely threw the ball about among the backs, but before it can expect to excel in passing rushes it will have to recast its team. It was by no means a w,ise move to bring Weston back and play him behind the scrum. Upon Gray's shoulders the bulk of the work fell, as usual, and right well did he do it. McArthur, who has earned a very fair reputation for himself this season as a safe full-back,, did not give a very- inspiring display. On two or three occasions a slip while running for the ball gave the attackers an opportunity of scoring, but, as the final score indicates, they were not availed of. "Weston and Wilson were decidedly below par, while Bayliss and Henry have played much better games. The forwards were an even lot, but they could have put more life into their work. Marists, thanks to about three of their forwards, put up a good fight. The backs wero off colour, and could do nothing right. The only exception was Londrigan, who playod well from start to finish, .lie might easily have shown more judgment in his kicking, for the ball was too often charged down by the opposing forwards. Taking the kick a few yards further back would soon remedy this. Amodeo made some good openings, but always had the doubtful pleasure of seeing them nullified by offside -play. Taken altogether, the forwards played a good game, some of their rushes leaving the opposition standing. They were rather apt to overrun the ball and.to forget to get back on side. Sydenham Improving. Until the latter stages of the Meri-valc-Sydenham dispute- the play, was characterised by great vigour, particularly among the forwards. Back play was" practically a minus quantity, and any combined 'handling was confined to the forwards. Merivale was hopelessly at sea in the rearguard without the services of Evans. Dickie did not play up to his usual form, but when he sent the ball out it never went further than the fiveeighths. Cnile was a Bonrce of Aveakness rather than strength. He was continually out of position, and when his team was in a scoring position he generally took up a stand about 10 yardsi in front of the full-back. Cade may be an admirable wing-three-quarter or full- j back, but his being put in the fiveeighth line shows bad judgment on the part of the Merivale skipper. Jerrod has greatly improved, and has a deal of pace With Evans in the team to support liiin, Merivale's score would have been considerably larger. Yoni, on the wing, played safely. Carnegie agaiu demonstrated his worth as si forward,, especially i" the line-out, where he' shines. llnscllj played a useful game, as also ilid He-j gait v. ; Sydenham '* improved forward play is pleasing, as the team has been rather down on its luck. * Some of the rushes were very fine, especially the one which, ended in the first score for Sydenham. The would-be rush-stoppers were swoirt fe\Vfty-'iiW so' many straws, anc], tay Ofie of the cardinal -ami-blues' had simply, to fall on the ball 111 order to score. The great fault of" the Sydenham vanguard is its tendency to argue with the referee. One player was ordered off on Saturday as a result of this. Watson was the best back for Syden* ham, though the remainder of the rearguard has improved in taking and kicking.

p: w,D. L. for. agst. chp. Limvood 1) 6 2 l 132 35 7 AII)ion .. .. 10 6 1 3 80 51 (» Merivnlc 10 5 1 4- 119 03 51 Ghristehurch 10 5 — 5 101 76 5 Old Boys .. it. r, — 4 07 81 5 Marists !> 3 3 3 44 7!) 41 Sydenham .. 10 2 l 7 80 130 2* *tJniversity .. 7 1 — fi 45 118 1 * Retired [ through < enlistments.