JUNIOR RUGBY MATCHES

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1933, Page 8

JUNIOR RUGBY MATCHES

CENTRAL DIVISION CONTEST. BOTH LEADERS HAVE WINS. The junior Rugby competition in the Central Division was continued yesterday. The two leading teams, Celtic and Inglewood, both had wins. Celtic leads by three points. Yesterday’s results are: First Juniors. Celtic 24 v. Pukengahu 6. Stratford 13 v. Toko 10. Inglewood 16 v. Midhirst 3. Tariki 5 v. Cardiff 0. Third Grade. Celtic 13 v. Toko 3. Stratford 6 v. Inglewood 5. CELTIC’S EASY VICTORY. Pukengahu found it was short of players yesterday and made a team as best it could. Naturally the fifteen that took the field against Celtic was somewhat disorganised and it was not surprising that Celtic won by 24 to 6. That margin, however, cannot be taxen to indicate a one-sided game. Pukengahu made a good showing among the forwards but the backs had not the combination speed to get away from Celtic, The teams were: — Celtic: Lash; Jones, McGrath, Carryer; McCready, Cook; McCluggage; Pettigrew, Mcßae, Stephens, Milne, Lilley, Holden, Pukengahu: Bilski; Olliver, Blackstock, Taylor, Bonner. . Harper; Lash, P. Collins; Harris; Richmond, Hunt, Blackstock, Death, Sattler, Thomson, Death, Bulmer. Celtic backs attacked at once and during a period of open play in the Pukengahu twenty-five McCluggage cut m to let Cook over to score. Cook converted. Jones got away after the ball but accidentally kicked it over the deadball line. The next time he was given a free field he out-distanced the opposition to score in the comer. The kick failed. Half-time found Celtic leading by 8 to nil, Pukengahu having failed to finalise successfully two hotly pressed attacks that fell down through lack of cohesion. The total was raised to 11 when McCready, taking a cross-kick went away to touch down in the comer. Cook could not convert. Pukengahu held the advantage for a while but when McCluggage went down to the Pukengahu forwards in mid-field Lilley kicked through, picked up and handed to Bonner, who went over easily. The kick was unsuccessful. Then McCready kicked up and punted across for McGrath to colect the ball and score his first try of the season between the posts. Cook converted. Celtic offefided in line with the posts but well out and Collins was successful with his kick. McCready was in a handy place to pick up and run through, McGrath converting his try. Collins kicked another penalty goal as the game ended: Celtic 24, Pukengahu 6. Mr. G. Were refereed. STRATFORD WINS COMIC MATCH. “This is the football we like to see,” said the majority of the spectators at the Stratford-Toko match at Toko. While bemoaning the fact that Toko players could raise neither interest nor a full team after its chance of winning the competition disappeared the supporters enjoyed the game between 14 Stratford players and 12 Toko players, including the representative players P. Fastier and C. Sangster. The latter fac-. tor automatically gave Stratford the game and play proceeded in open, interesting and often humorous fashion. Stratford led at half-time by 10 to 6 but Toko scored a converted try and were ahead until five minutes from time. After several unsuccessful Stratford penalty kicks at goal the referee, Mr. J. Aitken, awarded Stratford 3 points for an illegal charge by a Toko player, who evidently thought the kick was from a mark. In the circumstances play was open and interesting. C. Sangster fed the Toko line well and W. Fastier and Watson were always running somewhere. The pace had both forward packs gasping and gave both full-backs, Evan Jones and Eric Jones, plenty of work to do. and it was done well. The teams were:—

Stratford: Jones; Harper, Paynter, Harkness; Watson, Fastier; Wellington; Mayhead, Latham,. Vivian, Nelson; Boyd, O’Leary, Harkness. Toko: Evan Jones; Pelvin, H. Wilmshurst, Donnelly; A. Sangster, C. Sangster; P. Jones; J. Jones, McGuinness (back row); P. Fastier, Corbett, Rumball. McGuinness opened the scoring for Toko by capping a sweeping forward movement with a try which was not converted. The Stratford team attacked and from a scrum on the line W. Fastier dived through well for a try which he converted. J. Jones broke away past the full-back and scored a runaway try to put Toko in the lead by 6 to 5, and then Watson shook off all pursuers from half-way to score a try which Nelson converted. Half-time arrived with Stratford leading by 10 to 6. Toko attacked solidly nearly all the second spell and was unlucky not to score more times, being pulled up on the line on several occasions for infringements of various kinds. P. Jones scored and A. Sangster kicked a difficult goal to give Toko a one-point lead. In the last few minutes Stratford attacked and had several free kicks, one of which taken by Fastier the referee gave as successful, making the final score: Stratford 13, Toko IL Mr. J. Aitken refereed.

The Stratford third grade team defeated Inglewood by 6 points to 5 in a very fast and exciting game. Play was very even but open, first one team holding the advantage and then the other. In the forwards Inglewood held the advantage but Stratford was slightly better in the backs. Ford scored for Inglewood, the try being converted, while Stratford gained two unconverted tries. Playing at Midhirst the Inglewood first juniors had an easy win over the home team, winning by 16 to 3. Although the ball was greasy some very good handling was witnessed. The forwards were evenly matched but Inglewood held a considerable advantage in the back play, making many pretty movements. Inglewood s tries were gained mostly from back movements. Good dribbling rushes were made by the forwards on both sides, ana on occasions half the length of the field was gained. Inglewood points comprised four tries, two being converted, while Midhirst scored one try. The points table is:— First Junior.

p. W. L. D. Pts. Celtic ... 11 10 1 — 20 Inglewood .... 'J’qJcq . . . ... 10 8 1 1 17 ... 11 5 6 - 10 Cardiff ... 11 5 6 - 10 Stratford ,10 4 5 1 J ... 10 4 6 — 8 ...11 3 8 - 6 Pukengahu ... .... 10 2 8 — 4