JUNIOR RUGBY FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1931, Page 8

JUNIOR RUGBY FOOTBALL

progress of competition. THREE TEAMS RUNNING EQUAL. Miserable weather with rain and a piercingly cold wind prevailed for the junior °Rugby games yesterday in the central division competition. Toko no longer retained the lead in the first juniors as they were unable to beat 'Cardiff, the game ending in. a draw. Consequently Inglewood and Pukengahu, who each had a win, are running level with Toko, each team having 6 points. Results are:— First Junior. Cardiff 3 v. Toko 3, Inglewood 11 v. Stratford 3. Pukengahu 3 v. Midhirst 0. Third Grade. School 17 v. Eltham 3. Stratford forfeited to Midhirst. Fourth Grade. Toko 11 v. School 6. TOKO AND CARDIFF EVEN. In light rain that continued throughout the match Toko and Cardiff played at Cardiff the ninth draw in the first junior competition by scoring a try each. It was football under the worst conditions but even so the game was highly exciting, especially when the scores became even. Cardiff were the lucky team on the day. They had the rain and wind during the first spell but failed to take advantage of high central kicking, a policy which Toko afterwards adopted with considerable success. ’ < Cardiff opened with a brisk attack which was scattered badly when the visitors counter-attacked. After ten minutes’ play, Verney led a rush from halfway and drew first blood for Cardiff with an excellent try. Toko replied with a determined effort which had Cardiff defending hotly for several minutes. ’Had the ball been dry, the visitors must have crossed the line at this stage, but more by good luck than good management Cardiff cleared. An immediate attack was launched t>y Toko on resuming and Cardiff' had to suffer a series of scrummages along their line and actually beneath their goal. During this battle the slippery ball eluded would-be Toko scorers in a most surprising manner. After “Shorty” Sangster had just missed with a well directed penalty kick which fell an inch below the bar, Lehmann and Bennett led the Cardiff vanguard on a brief visit to the other end, but when play drifted back, J. gangster scored by diving over from a forward rush. With scores even, both teams made strenuous efforts to wrest the victory and Toko were again unlucky in another sweeping assault. Indeed, Cardiff were hard pushed for most of the spell and the fact that they kept Toko out was a tribute to the energy of the pack. The game ended with the scores three all.. Mr. E. Scott refereed. MANGANUI HUT OCCUPIED. NIGHT SPENT ON MOUNTAIN. Wishing to claim the honour of being the first to occupy the new Manganui hut recently erected by members of the Stratford Mountain Club on Mount Egmont, two young men of Stratford climbed to the hut and spent Tuesday night there. They left their homes after tea, equipped with a liberal amount of bedding, warm clothes and a vacuum flask. Bunks have not yet been fitted, so the young men slept on the floor. They report that the hut is weather-proof and free from draughts. The stove has yet to be installed, but the, covering of eeiling, walls and floor inade the interior warm and comfortable despite the ice and snow outside. The young men were back in Stratford for breakfast.