RUGBY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16416, 3 May 1921, Page 3

RUGBY.

•JUNIOR NOTES. (By ' WING-FORWARDv’) i There were two notable events last Saturday when the fourth round of the junior competition was played. The first was the defeat of ’Varsity B for the first time, and the second Avas_th© win of 'Varsity A for the first time. Merivale, though acknowledged a good team. Aver© not thought, able to lower the colours of the leaders of the competition. but they Avon after a close game. ’Varsity A created a surprise by beating North Canterbury by 111 points. Old Boys gained a victory hy a nariw margin over Albion, and a close match between Manats and Christo]lurch resulted in n AA-in for the former, whilst at Lyttelton the Pert* team decisivelv defeated T>inwood and gained top place in the competition.

(8). The Christchurch v. Marists mateli \vss < Imraeterised hy loose forward play, although there aactc occasional openings made by tho Mnrist backs. M’Donald played a good game, and scored tho first fry for Marista. O' lough tin whs a great succees ns 'three-quarter, and he was enabled by good support 1o secure iwo tries. f)*f the forwards the. most prominent avere (I’C'onnell. Dobhp and M. Delaney the last named scoring a try. l r or Christchurch. Richards played a solid game as full-back. He kicked a penalty goal, and also converted on© try. Bell Avas good at live-eighths, and it was from a clever hit of play that, he scored his try. Of the ('hristcluirrh forwards Robinson, Kinle\ . Sheen arid Spoonen were prominent. It. was unfortunate that- Spoonen had Io retire through injuries received in tin? second spell. OLD BOYS (9) v. ALBION (6). Both teams Avere short-handed, and as a result the gome was ro-bbed of a. lot. of interest. Generally play was {.nose and open. The Old Boas’ hacks were superior, hut Ai hen they looked like scoring the passing broke down. Buck hurst*. Crosbie and Harris scored for Old Boys, and Mercer i.md # Hollis for Albion, Done of the tries being converted. The best exhibition of back play on the ground Avas given bx' "Richards, ibe Old Boys’ full-back, who was always cool, no matter what, tho sitnnif.ion, was. Of the oilier Old Boys’ backs Buckhurst, Graham and Oorbott wore the best. In the forwards Rowe. Walker. Forsyth and Gunn were always prominent. Holliss. M’Gill and Smith were the best of the Albion backs, and Mercer, Chambers and Shaw were the prominent forwards. ft is a great pity that these two teams should be turning out shorthanded. as both would be rattling good reams if they were looked after. ft is .up G' l , the "beads” of the Old Boys and Albion dubs to give their "juniors every encouragement to win. and ther© is no reason why they should not turn out a full complement of well-trained players. AT HR TV ALE (9) v. ’VARSITY B (63. ’Varsity B had their sequence, of wins broken on Saturday by Merivale, after si "ding-dong” go. ’Varsity did not play their usual game, and it is difficult to find a reason their unexpected falling off. Porsponsible for tlieir dulness for the .greater part of the game. True, they nrightened lip considerably in the' final, and it is difficult to find a reason for their unexpected falling off. unless it was due to over-confidence and opposi lion of a strength quite unlooked for. In the last few minutes they tame to light, but the effort was too late to retrieve I lie slackness that had gone belore. Mei ivale, on the otlier hand, kept going from start to finish. They kept plugging away with grim determination. and their persistent effort was worthily rewarded. In two respects, however, speaking generally, they are capable of improvement. One is to quit talking, and the other is bear in mind that the rules of tho game are intended to apply to playing tho ball. For Merivale. 'Tipping, full-back, could ini prove his play. Yates, on tho loft, v'ing. again played a fine, game, and was responsible for a good try. Dickie, in the fire-eighths line, was tho lender of the team. Mis absence would make a. tremendous difference to tho Merivale game. In the forwards Bros, nan Avas. an outstanding player. Ho if- a good all-round man. Burrow©* and. 11. Whitfield .were also responsible for good forward play. For ’5 arsitv. TVnlington made some fme dashes up the lino. He is probahlr tho fastest three-quarter in the oompe-V-V ° n " Ifroy. second fivo.oighths. ■ lid nf>t play his usual siggressiA'o gain© Hiiefly through lack of initiatiA© oil tho Part of hip comrados. TVtre. Smith and Pag© were responsible for bard -work in the forwards. Merivale Avon bv 9 points (three unconverted trios) to 6 (t.Avo unconverted tries). LYTTELTON (20) r. LIN WOOD (5). '( he play in this match was very disappointing owing t<» Lin wood bein'; four men short. A keen game had been anticipated, but in vieV of the circumstances mentioned Lyttelton hud a comparatively easy taskj aud un- | doubtedlv could have won by a much : greater margin had they fully extended themselves. It is typical of Lyttelton that they play a much better and harder game when up against strong opposition than aa bon not called upon to fully extend themselves, and no doubt it wa* due to this tlval they P''"e it hat »-au only be regarded as ;m unsatisfactory display against Linwood. aUhougji the backs, from having :>r;iplo opportunities, plave.d better • ban usual. Linwood were badly disorganised, Cooper and Turpin, two of their bc-t forAvards, being compelled to piny in the backs. The team missed the sei-A-ices of Oldridge, and Gillett end Oleson were also absentees. H. Coe, at full-back, played a groat gam©, though lie Avas knocked about oonpiderably. Good kicking by the Linwood team generally checked Lyttelton and more than once when Port were at--1 a eking a Linwood player placed the ball to the other end of the field with a lusty kick. Had Linwood been at full strength Lyttelton would have had to go hard to ay in. Mat thews and Moir, the captain, were absent from the Lyttelton ranks. 3>ut th© team bad a full quote, of players. .Moir 13 still suffering from injuries received in a former match, but is expected to take tho field again next . Saturday. The kicking at goal aa ? j lamentably weak, ns out of six tries oniv one aa as converted.

Following; a re the positions of the tty. mis:— W Tj. V. Fox. rt«. fit SB* S: J.*vttelton ~ l 32 •u ’Varsity n l — -17 *20 3 Christchurch 3S J Old Boy* ■7 40 2 Marists ‘2. 2 — *25 40 2 Li Ji wood 1 2 1 no 3ft n N. Cant»rbtirv J 2 1 33 1 2 1 20 40 »* AiHon 1 3 - 2ft 32 ’Varsity A 1 3 — 25 20 i M.vnrsTS (t2) v CKRTSTOTTFRCH