FOR FOOTBALLERS

Observer, Volume XXXIX, Issue 43, 28 June 1919, Page 10

FOR FOOTBALLERS

THE REALM OF RUGBY. And 'Varsity Leads. Mighty was the 'Varsity-Ponsonby match, and great was the enthusiasm

thereof. I suppose it does referees good to have to waltz around a bit, and they certainly gave Barney Donovan, of the old brigade, the exercise he wanted 1 Spectacular game from start to finish—quite an eyeopener to these benighted idiots who don't think Rugby football is fast, is open, or spectacular. And a good mo j of barrackers. The game was dead hard from start to finish, and was fine from we humble onlookers' point of view at the side line. I liked the 'Varsity forwards a wee bit, better than the backs, and I give a leaf from the laurel branch to the 'Varsity backs. Anyhow, I wouldn't have bet either way ten minutes before the end of the section. ... For 'Varsity. Thomas played the game of his life. He used his ebony-box, and knew when to use it—cool as a cucumber from Ato Z. He was always there when wanted, and his loi-.f-handed try, with its great preceding gallop from line to line nearly, was a sight for sore eyes. Biinsden, too, played a plucky game. He's a great one for making openings—if only he were backed up g bit better. Ro3s played a much better game than usual, but holds on too long, and should pass with more discretion.

well. He certainly woke up a bit, and his try was well thought out. I like Prentice's play. He's a tower of strength to the team. Stewart knew how to punt. ■ • * TYKES AND GRAFTON. Hai-rd luck for the Tykes entoirely Bedad, Grafton was shure the boys—the real Murphies! But seriously Grafton and Marists differ in one marked respect. Grafton takes the game and the hard training to play it, seriously—some Tykes do—one in the Rep. team especially, and some don't. That's all—just a word to the wise from a mere spectator, who only writes because he has to live. ... For Grafton. Dixon and his friend Nixon were both prominent- Nixon's a streaker —but sometimes his brains go for a walk. He couldn't help that offside though. Burns wasn't playing as well" as. usual,

For Marists. Only Hing and Courtney. * * * NEWTON AND THE RIFLES. Newton and the Rifles had their battle at Eden Park, and theoretically the Rifles danced a Highland Fling while their adversaries learned to walk slowly, painfully, on crutches. Why on earth Newton doesn't buck up I don't know, and I don't think the Karangahape Road players know themselves. Still, 40 to o—who were the batsmen '• m a For College. A whole tribe of players excelled. The old favourites, Grierson and his friend Wilson, Laxon, the sometimes lazy Laxon, and Richards—not so well known—shone out in the firmament of try-getters; also Sutherland. * * * For Newton. Kelly was a brave man. They didn't back him up at all, but he kept his place in the van. But, alas! whosoever else was there? (I have asked the critic to forsake pursuing a painful subject. He gets too maudlin, and is susceptible to tears.) —(Ed.) • » » PARNELL AND GRAMMAR. Also a bit of a walk-over- 30 to 3! saith the score. But Parnell weren't so very bad after all, as both teams will agree. For the pack made Grammar worry a lot. 30 points to 3! For Old Boys. Goodwin, Conyngham, etc. For Parnell. Poor old Simpson "struggled" across J And the rest—ho, where were they!) (Rest censored.) »* » ' A TEAM OF OLD 'UNS. Old footballers, look at this:—A team or two from Cambridge, at the Reserve:—Qne captained by old sport N. Edge, and the other by another old sport, Mr F. Strawbridge. The teams are as follows :— Norman Edge's team—Full-back, Edge; three-quarters, R. Fellowes, W. Howarth, H. McKenzie; fiveeighths, L. Smith, T. Donovan; halfbacks, H. Lorrimer, T. Norris; forwards, R. Chambers, V. Cornaga F Osborne, O. Strawbridge,H. Speight, S. Baldwin, D. Hicks. F. Strawbridge's team: — Fullback, Keri Keri; three-quarters, B. Smith, H. Davies, W. Woods; fiveeighths, J. Black-Davies, W. Murray; halves, J. Norris, W. Hickey; forwards, Billa Pollard, W. Johnson, J. Rowe, W. Morgan, R. Hannon, W. J- Brown, F. Strawbridge. The Cornaga's certainly are a footballing family I—(Ed.) ■ « • A Schools' Battle:— Quoth the "Herald" :—The King's —Sacred Heart game was to some extent a disappointment. There were plentiful flashes of individual brilliancy, particularly the fine seventyyard run of the King's right wing, which resulted in one of the best scores seen in Rugby this year. The combination, however, was not up to the standard of previous year—and so say all of us. King's meets Grammar on Saturday— to-day. Roll up, old scholars, and root! By the way, King's beat Tykes! « • ■ LEAGUE CONTESTS. Two Good Games. Well, after all the argument, Newton swung it across Ponsonby, much to that team's chagrin, and Maritime tried in a rather gentler manner to teach North Shore the conjugation of the verb "to stoush." • * • PONSONBY AND NEWTON. As it was in the beginning, so was it at the end. Rough, tough, and —enough. It was fought very hard almost at the end, and Jim Steel, the "Herald's" League fan, made no bones about saying that penalties hurt Ponsonby. Both sets of forwards were good—both sets of backs weren't.

The wee MacGregor, for Ponsonby, was at the place when needed, just as many others should have been. But some of them weren't! Little Neal, Ponsonby's half-back, is to be complimented. For Ponsonby. Delgrosso', the young gentleman whom I praised some weeks ago, should not have qualified for a larger hat so soon. He didn't do much good really. Brien and Rae—goodFor Newton. Keenan, the young half-back feller, and his bosom chum, lies, did some good work. Mansill, at full, was good. ■ ■ ■ MARITIME AND SHORE. A good game, in which 15—12 was the tally, with Maritime the kingfish and North Shore the sprat.