Marist Face Waimairi In Fast League Game.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18161, 21 May 1927, Page 6

Marist Face Waimairi In Fast League Game.

OTHER COMPETITION MATCHES ARE PLAYED ON SUBURBAN GROUNDS. Marist attempted to lower the colours of Waimairi in a senior Rugby League match at Monica Park this afternoon. Waimairi were leading in competition points, with Marist and Hornby each two points behind. Hornby played Sydenham on Sydenham Park, and Woolston faced Addington on Jerrold Street Reserve, Addington.

MARIST V. WAIMAIRI.

A crowd that must have been a record for the season watched the clash between Waimairi and Marist on Monica Park No. 1 this afternoon.

After some minutes of exciting play in Waimairi’s territory, Waimairi asserted themselves, carrying an attack to Marists’ line, where a passing bout between Hansen and Gilroy ended in & try by the latter. Gordon Blazey failed to convert. Play then swung to the other end of the field, A. Gillespie coring. Robbins missed. Waimairi 3,

Marist 3. Waimairi again invaded Marist’s twenty-five, but several likely movements among the backs broke down through fumbled passes. Blackaby secured possession in a scramble and put in a good run, which carried play to Waimairi’s end, where Pearce kicked a penalty goal. Marist 5. Waimairi 3. ' Blackaby again came into prominence a minute later, putting in a great run from past half-way through the Waimairi defence and scoring under the bar. Pearce converted. Marist 10, Waimairi 3. Marist held the advantage for some time, keeping up a hot attack on Waimairi’s line. A penalty relieved, play swinging to halfway. A pretty passing rush by the Marist backs ended in a good try by Blackaby. Pearce missed. Marist 13, Waimairi 3. A strong wind and the sun hampered Waimairi. The Marist backs swept on attack to Waimairi’s line, Blackaby and Pearce being prominent. From a scramble in the corner Blackaby got over. The kick failed. Marist 16, Waimairi 3. In a melee Gordon Blazey was injured and had to retire, L. Farrell going on. P. Smith went to full-back. Waimairi were pressing towards the end of the •pell. At half-time the scores were: Marist 16, Waimairi 3.

On the resumption, Marist were penalised, and Spencer landed a goal from about half-way. The Waimairi forwards gradually worked down to Marist’s territory, where P. Smith goaled for offside play. Marist 16, Waimairi 7. At this stage an injury forced Blackaby to retire. Waimairi attacked again, and from a scrum on Marist’s line GilToy scored. Smith did not convert. Waimairi kept the pressure up, a series of hot ■ attacks giving the Marist defence a thorough testing. Rossiter and Farrell headed a promising rush by the Waimairi forwards. Again a breach dashed down the hopes of supporters. Marist bettered their position, reuniting a hot Waimairi attack with a spectacular try, the result of a runaway by Pearce, who received the ball from a scrum and raced from inside his own twenty-five to score under the bar. He also goaled. Marist 21, Waimairi 10. In the next two minutes a swift invasion of Marist territory by the Waimairi backs ended in an unconverted try by E. Pearce. Pahi was prominent in this rush. Marist 21, Waimairi 13. Play was fast to the finish. The final score was:— MARIST 21 WAIMAIRI 13 HORNBY V. SYDENHAM. This grame was played on the Sydenham Park ground before a fairly large attendance. Sydenham faced a fairly strong wind and a. bright sun. The opening stages saw Hornby on the attack. Tonkin relieved with a big kick, but Hornby soon returned to the attack, the backs executing a neat movement. There was a certain amount of loose handling by the Hornby backs, but eventually W. Stuart went over and the try was converted. Hornby 5, Sydenham 0. The next score also went to Hornby, J. Mundy diving over near the

goal posts from some loose play. Hornby 8, Sydenham 0. Fresh vim was infused by Sydenham and strong attacks were made, ending In T. Davidson scoring. The try was not converted. Hornby set out again, the backs passing freely, and Mundy appeared to have scored, but a penalty was called. Soon afterwards half-time was called with Hornby attacking and the score:— Hornby S, Sydenham 3. The wind had dropped considerably when the second spell began, and Hornby were hampered by a low sun. Following some erratic passing, E. Falgar got possession and made a good run down the side line to score well. It was not converted by O’Connor. Hornby 8. Sydenham 6. Play went to the other end, where a free to Sydenham was sent to the half-way mark. Midfield play followed, with Sydenham having the scrum advantages. The ball was sent out to -Davidson, who short kicked, but could not get to the scoring line, where Hornby were given a free. YVilson-Hall broke through, but his centre kick was snapped up by P. O’Connor and Hornby again became the defenders. Hornby were driven back to their corner, where, after scrums, Sydenham were given a free, but the side soon came back again in a passing rush, which was driven out at the side line. Sydenham continued to keep Hornby defending hard, only the interception of passes by the Hornby backs saving the side from disaster. A. free-kick to Sydenham gave no advantage, but Hornby remained the defenders. The game ended in midfield with the score:— HORNBY 8 SYDENHAM t> Mr J. J. Stevens was referee. WOOLSTON V. ADDINGTON. Sanders set the game in motion with a kick which Joseph fielded and, with a long pasg, sent back to, the Addington skipper, who let out to Stapley and Mayne. The last-named was well grassed by Armstrong. For Woolston Keemer set going a movement which Main and Murray loose-rushed to near the line. Here Main put over a penalty. Using the wind to advantage in line kicks Woolston kept coming into the Addington twenty-five, giving the full-back, O’Connell, plenty of work. Twice Woolston were sorely pressed. Then from half-way J. Amos got under way. Cutting out a man he transferred to Sanders, who gave Stapley a clear field for a speedy try, with M’Leod, who took E. O’Malley's place on the wing, In close support. Sanders goaled. Addington -5, Woolston 2. The Woolston tackling was deadly, and they obtained more leather from the scrum, but the backs lacked such a general as Addington had in Sanders. Nevertheless, their short sharp rushes frequently brought them into the opposing twentyfive. From one of these rushes Ed-

wards tried for a lightning goal, but Just missed. Another attack saw Armstrong, Newton, and Keemer handle to touch-in-goal. The Addington back line showed the better combination by far, and their play was more .versatile, but they seldom pierced the Woolston defence. From half-way Murray Jinked his way through most of the field, and from a scrum near the line he dashed over, also goaling from a difficult angle. Things looked brighter for Addington In a sortie in W’liich Stapley outpaced all triers. He scored, but Sanders allowed for the wind too ‘ much in his kick. Half-time was, called with the scores:— Addington 8, Woolston 7. Fast open play among the Addington backs let them into the Woolston twenty-five, where from a scrum O’Connell dived over. This time Sanders did not make enough allowance for the wind. Addington 11, Woolston ,17. The Addington backs, with whom tpe forwards combined in open play, could do nothing wrong. They threw , the ball about with delightful abandon. From a scrum in the Woolston twentyfive Stapley flashed to the line like lightning. Again Sanders failed with an easy kick, leaving the score double that of Woolston. The latter team pushed play to the line, and were within an ace of scoring on several occasions, until the Addington forwards, by a desperate counter, took play ou* of danger. After ten more minutes of hard play Stapley got across, but O’Connell failed with the difficult kick. Addington 17, Woolston 7. Addington had decidedly the better of the last ten minutes. The game, ended: ADDINGTON 17 WOOLSTON 7 Mr P. Kirton was referee.