RUGBY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19986, 29 June 1920, Page 3

RUGBY.

JUNIOR NOTES.

(By WING-FORAVARD.)

The Junior competition last Saturday did not provide nearly so interesting games as on the previous week', four ol r-iie teams winning hy a very suoslaulial margin. All the. winning teams scored double figures, ami of the losers, Mansis alone succeeded *in breaking their “duck/' The most closely con--1 estecl game of 'tho day was at the Show where Albion heat Marisvs by 12 to 8. Liu wood sprang a, very groat surprise when, in addition lo winning their first match this season, they ran tip 17 points against ’Varsity. Morivalc had no difficulty in beati church by 22 to 0 at North Park, and at Rangiora. North Canterbury- finished the game 27 points ahead of technical. At Lyttelton the home team beat twelve Old Boys players by 44 to 0.

ALBION (12) v. AIARISTS (S)

In ten minutes aflcivtbe start Marists instituted a passing rush which completely beat the Albion backs, and enabled .Macdonald to score. Alcacbam converted, for some unknown reason the Greens tlion ceased their passing, and thereafter play practically was confined to the forwards. It was a good game throughout, though, and was always interesting.

Iho Albion ior wards were not quite up to their usual slaudiml. Their leader, Rutherford, was obviously off colour, though he scored Albion's first try by his usual bustling methods. Alagill was absent, and was replaced by Ballantync, who, considering that it was his first appearance in the team, played a very good game. Ho was spccialy good in the loose. Albion were better in the scrum, and generally booked the ball, hut in-the loose they were not up to their Usual form. Bowden played a very useful game, and was perhaps the best of the pack ou the day’s play. Ai’Clure also worked very htjrd. Albion, backs were responsible for some good individual play. The absence of combination was due io Condliffe, who is playing too selfishly. He put in some very pretty runs, but two or three times spoilt good opportunities by not passing. Smith, on the left wing, played a very good game, hut he did not get worked nearly enough. A welbpotted igoal was credited to him. Freeman and Burke both played well. Tho latter seems to be a useful man in any position, but appears to do best as a wing forward. The Alarists’ hacks were a bit of a puzzle on Saturday. Thev opened the game in great stylo and'their passing rushes in the first 'quarter-hour proved them to be fast- and well-combined, and‘able to handle the ball safely. Had they continued their - opening tactics they would have had Albion thinking all the time, and would probably have w’on the match. Their' second Hy, it might be remarked, resulted trom a passing rush, the only one they essayed in the second half. E. O'Brien,- at full-back, played a very good game. Once or twice he failed to get- rid of. the ball, but his performance, on the whole, was very creditable- L. Brqsnahan. and A. -Macdonald both played very well, and B. Grcenless, at half, was quite satisfactory, and bo was particularly good in working the blind side on two or three occasions. The iqnvard division was one man short-. They were beaten in the scrum, but in the loose there was not much to choose between the two teams. One of the hookers liacl a bad liahit of lifting his foot before the hall was placed m the, scrum, aiv offence' for which his side was more than once penalised. The tn*o best fonvards wre Dobbs and O’Connell. Thev led tho loose rushes and played hard throimliout the game. e

LIN WOO'D (17) v. ’VARSITY ((Y. Linwood sprang perhaps the biggest suipriso lit ttic second grurio this sgusou when thej deleated ’Varsity at Linwood i ark on Saturday. It was their Uvst mn of the season, and is all the more surprising as the College team has shown such a. lot of improvement lately. In the first half the game was verv even. ■’Varsity forwards were the better in the scrum, but Linwood were superior in the loose. In the second spell, however, / Varsity seemed to go to pieces, and Linwood had no difficulty in registering a substantial victory. Several of the Linwood hacks played well. 13. Stewart, at full-back, was in form, and his kicking was very good, la the three-quarter line Aldridge was especially prominent. All the Linwood backs are speedy, and if they worked together they would form a verv dangerous combination. Moore at first; and Gillies at second five-eighths both played well, the latter showing fine defence. Rigby, at half-back, is the best back in the team.

■Amongst the Linwood forwards King again led most of the loose rushes, and Prtiden, Hooper and 1. Stewart, all played well. There was very little combination amongst- the ’Varsity hacks. Shrimpton, iu goal, was not too safe, but his kicking was good. He is a. better player at five-eighths. R. Peiilington, at centre three-quarters, played a good allround game. Freeman, the half-back, still passes wildly. f„ other respects he plays a good game. The forwards held their own in the scrum, hut that is about, all that could he said -of them. Archer. Reed, Smith and Ay nicy played well.

LYTTELTON C-11) r. OLD BOYS CO). .Flaying on their own ground Lyttelton, made ”110 race" of their match against Old Boys, winning a. very onesided game by Tl points. The Old Boys' learn was three men .short, and most of the players were, mueh younger tha.iu their opponents. The game was more- iu the nature of a practice match for the. home team, who had. however, learnt tlio folly of under-estimat-ing, their opponents last Saturday, when Technical gave them a fright.* The Lyttelton backs hail many opportunities and they made the most of them. Cam was perhaps the most prominent, mainly on account of his line kicking form, and lie was responsible for the live goals that were kicked .

The forwards, without an organised opposition against them, practically did whnii they liked. Boyd played the best game, and in addition to proving a tirst-cluis lock, he uncovered a brilliant “corkscrew'’ run which brought him a line try and applause from both supporters and opponents of the team. The work in the Old Boys’ backs wap mostly done by tv)) or Three players, chief of whom was Dailey, who had been absent from the team for the two previous Saturdays, amf who gave a very good exhibition at half-back,' bis kicking, fielding and tackling _bcing particularly goo 3. The forward division was two men short, and so could not be expected to put up much of a resistance against a solid pack like Lyttelton. Though they were unable ; tp hold their own, they played hard throughout and struggled pluckily against ovenvhelmiugs odds-

LyUclton. a member of the Canterbury Centre of the Rugby Union visited Lyttelton last. Saturday arid inspected the ground. Me remarked that- the ground is wholly satisfactory, with the exception of one comer. This is where a . short length of. piping; into which the corner flag is placed, is protruding from the ground:. This can easily bo knocked into the ground. "Fortunately flic ball did not. go into the sea once on Saturday, and the visitor expressed the opinion that, the ground a ? S n °d !| x some of the grounds in Christchurch.

Pim most interesting match in the .junior competition next Saturday will t t i Canterbury auainst Lyttelton. Aferivalc, North Canterbury and Lyttelton are the three, lending teams in the comnctition. l/vttelton defeated Aferivale by 0 to 0! and Men vale defeated North Canterbury ny L to 8. This makes Lyttelton's chance look rosy, but the Morivalo team which played North Canterbury was a vast, improvement, on the team winch Lyttelton defeated. The game promises to be. a very, exciting and bard toughs contest, and f understand that it, will b e . played at the- Show Grounds. Groat intoresv is being shown m the match by the supporters of the Lyttelton team, and it is to be hoped that tho union will not do the same as they did with the North Canterburv--Menvale match, and stage it at Raiigiora. '