RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Observer, Volume XXXVII, Issue 38, 26 May 1917, Page 10

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

ALTHOUGH the weather on Saturday was mot all that could have been expected, yet very i interesting football was witnessed by fair numbers of people at both Eden Park- arid the- Show Grounds. V , First Grade. The match on No. 1 ground, Eden Park, between Railway and Grammar Old Boys was both fast and strenuous for the beginning of the season, and for- some time it was doubtful which .side would win. Railway had the advantage in weight, bait the Old Boys were nippy, and showed better combination. The latter also beat their opponents for the ball in the scrum, though at first they did not heel cleanly, and lost the advantages gained. No score was recorded at half-time, but the pace was telling on both teams;, especially the whites, ai:d, as a shower had fallen during the interval, the /advantage was more . than before with the heavier team. The Railway backs also showed good individual play, but at times lacked combination. The first score was obtained by a good piece of play. Slade made a fine opening, and .sent the ball across field to Hing, to Stewart, who shot across to Barclay, who, outpacing Somerville and Molloy, scored in the corner. His kick failed. The other try was the v-ork of the forwards, who were cone inn ally at w-ork on the. Old Boys' defence, and but for the gameness of th'rr opponents would have bee.n through more than once. McHugn, who led the attack, scored in a good position, but, as before, the kick was a failure. The Railway team ■-onsi.s<s of old and experienced players, and, with a little more play together, should carry off the championship this year. Hing, who .lispiayed good speed, Stewart and Pooley we re the most prominent players or- the winning side. For Grammar, Wilson played a very good game, using his • pace well,.and collaring cleanly. He is a player who shines against hard opposition. Laxon, Nicholson, and McLean also noticeable, although the forwards wore all working their hardest. University had an easy time with Ponsonby, who took the field four men short, and lost another man soon after play commenced. The depleted team put up a plucky opposition, but were at too great, a disadvantage. Maxwell, who is on leave from Trentham, played an excel lont game for 'Varsity, and .should be a great asset for the -blues aigainst Grammar Old Boys next SUturday. The 'Varsity forwards, who are a heavy lot, should make hard work for the Old Boys, who are getting two hard matches at the opening, of the season. Second Grade. The show ground was in good condition for play on Saturday. A shower or two in the afternoon, however, made the ball slippery and hard to. handle. Nearly all the groimd« ; all the afternoo^§|^^ic : h ; ;spe i Sks; ? .;^e ) ry well for the iriteres't tKe^boy«( ; atfSe' 'taking in Rugby. The referees deserve, honourable mention thiis season. As most of the younger ones are on active, service elsewhere. the older members who are left have a very strenuous afternoon's work. Two to three hours running round on Saturday afternoon, all for the love of the game 3 is a performance well worthy of mention, .■■._..

Grammar A and B had pride of place on No. 1, but most of the crowd soon went off to see the more interesting game between Grammar and Tykes third grade teams on No. 3 ground. The match between the two Grammar teams served as good practice to both. The B's, who could only muster a.lonely dozen, held their own well against the more numerous As. The game ended: A's 20, B's nil. For the A's, Mardon was the pick of the backs, while Boardman and Cashmore were prominent among the forwards. The latter should be more careful about his off-side play. . : • Ponsonby v. University.—Poor old 'Varsity! Never mind, better hick next time. With two teams in the second grade they failed to notch a win. The A's, who were reckoned a fairly solid team after their game with King's last week, met more than their match in the Ponies, who, after an interesting game, dished them up by 9 points. Grafton v. University B.—'Varsity could only muster about half a team, and spent most of the afternoon chasing the ball, which they never saw. Grafton, which is a really solid team, did as they liked, and ended up 41 in their favour. Third Grade. Both third grade matches on Saturday were productive of really good football for first matches. Newton failed to put in ah appearance, so Parnell claimed their win. without a game. Marist had a bad time at the hands of Grammar, and ended up with 23 against them. Tries for Grammar were scored by Nixon, Taylor, Clarke, Conlan, Goodwin (2), and MeCollough, wiho also converted one. Gramm!ar had the best team at the Show Ground on Saturday, and should prove a good match for any team in the grade. Both forward and back divisions are real solid players, the backs especially combining very well. They had the best of Tykes all through the game, which was not too friendly, Tykes objecting to several Grammar men on account of their size. The Grammar team averages about 10st. 71b., and so it was little wonder that Tykes Were sure they all had sons at the war. Ponsonby v. Normal Old Boys.— This match was a ding-dong go from start to finish, Ponsonby winning by the narrow margin of a converted try against an unconverted one of Normal's. Normal made a remarkably good showing for a new team, and should stand a good chance of getting even with the Ponies next time they meet. The game ended: Ponsonby 8, Normal 6, Wade and Shepherd scoring for Ponsonby, and Arneil converting one. For Normal, Ah Kew and Kronfeldt scored a try . apiece. The Show Ground was alive with youngsters on Saturday, who on the whole showed very good form for the opening of the- season. The old rivals Shore and Remuera had pride of place on No. 1 ground. The Remuera boys showed the better form, and emerged victors by ,13 to nil. Remuera. showed signs of careful training, while the Shore boys appeared very shy of th*j ball. A noticeable feature of the game was the "pointing" from' the side line. This we think should be discouraged in matches. It is not sport to have a master on the side line to tell each boy what to do. On SaUirday it seemed as though the boys waited till they got their directions from the side line before they made a move. This is not productive of good football, and where only one side has its coaches on the line it is decidedly unfair to the. other. The Roll of Honour has claimed another from the players of the Rugby code in the person of Lieut. T. Kokiri, whose death was announced at the end of last week. "Tango," as he. was familiarly known by iall who knew him, left New Zealand in March in command of a draft of the Maori reinforcements, a*i4 his de-ath "from disease

before lio .could have reached his destination comes a.s a swprise to all. He was well known in Auckland in the Niative Lands Court, and as a member of the Grammar Old Boys , Club. A hefty player, with a powerful kick, he was a prominent fip.ure at five-eighths for the Old Brys' senior team in 1915. Of a most genial disposition, he won th« friendship of all he met, and at the Maori camp, whore he was scat'oned for some time, he wias one if the most popular officers of the establ»hment. :