TEAM WORK WINS FOR SYDENHAM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 804, 3 July 1933, Page 11

TEAM WORK WINS FOR SYDENHAM.

Brilliant Backs Counteract Hot Varsity Attacks.

SPLENDID DISPLAY AT LANCASTER PARK.

THOSE who saw the Sydenham-Varsitv game on the Lancaster Park Oval on Saturday were left with little doubt as to the standard of club football in Christchurch to-day. The forward play was of an exceptional standard, especially as far as Varsity were concerned, and in the second half the Sydenham backs gave a superlative display, playing more like an interprovincial than a club side. Sydenham have not had a harder test this year, and they rose to the occasion wonderfully well. The points margin of 22-9 slightly exaggerated the difference between the sides. Christchurch had to stage a fine last-minute try to beat Merivale, and, on Saturday’s form, will not hold Sydenham. The depleted Old Boys side was still a little too clever for Albion, winning by 11 points to 6. Athletic provided the big surprise of the day, staging a good finish to draw with Linwood, 9 all.

A Great Combination. Individual ability had a lot to do with the performance of Sydenham on Saturday, when, after being down 3-9 at half-time, they ran out winners against Varsity by 22 to 9, but the greatest factor in that great effort was combination back and forward. The Sydenham forwards were up against a superior pack, but after the interval they managed to get a fair share of the ball, and that was all that the backs wanted. L. Brown cannot yet be styled a fast half, but he gave a most creditable performance on Saturday. His passes were well directed, and on defence, he did enough hard work for two men. Hazelhurst was right on top of his game, and kept the Varsity backs on the jump. He and Inftes combine excellently, and on defence are quick to go up and tackle their opposite numbers, it would be a pity to separate them in the provincial side, as may have to happen if a full-back cannot be found, and .1 nnes has to take over the last line of defence. Innes played a very heady game on Saturday, and was soundness itself all the time. R. Brown, at centre for Sydenham, continued to play solidly, his main asset being’ the way he fits in with the more spectacular members of the back line. W. Brown was as dashing as ever, hut J. Hattersley, on the left wing, is the better player, and has as much weight and speed as Brown. Hattersley should get a trial, at least, for the representative side. O. Hattersley, in the forwards, is another whose consistently - good work should catch the eye of the Canterbury selector, though it will be difficult to get into the representative pack this season. Hattersley played a great game on Saturday, and, with King, was the best of the Sydenham forwards. King has played himself right back into form, and should hook again for Canterbury. Varsity have three good inside backs in M'Auliffe, M’Cormack and Parsons, individually they played fine games, and at times they went well together, but J hey still lack that finer understanding which makes for penetration. Loveridge played his best game of the season, ;<nd is still a wing to be reckoned with. .Fookes, at full-back, looks one of the best in the competition. Andrews was the best forward on field by a long way, but Hartnell is getting down to business now. On Saturday he was on the ball all the time. " ilson also took the eye for some good work, and was grafting wherever the l-all was. Hilgendorf, Roberts and Hamilton were others to make a good imIt is a notable fact that many of hiose whose work impresses in this season's club games are young players with their best football before them. OLD BOYS JUST WIN. Rankin, of Old Boys, will be unlucky if he does not receive a chance to play for Canterbury this season. Young, fit and possessed of a physique that refuses to grow tired, he is one of the most promising forwards the province has had for some years. Against Albion on Saturday he was the outstanding player in the Old Boys pack, and was the equal of the best Albion players. He began the season as a colt from the High School fifteen, and in senior football he has made good. In the line-out on Saturday he was always ready to break away, and frequently gained much ground for his side with, his powerful running. ~ The Old Boys backs saw plenty of the hall in the first half, and were able to run up a lead of 11 points to 3 that them in good stead after the change-over, when they were the defendJ . n S s */? e * Clark played gallantly behind the scrum, serving his backs well. '-, was good combination between , 1 .5* 11 and Jacobs, and it was this fac,Olr^rh.at gav ® Boys the victory. LJasier and Lake were the men who gave Albion’s pack the lead during the second half of the game, during which Ilad Old Boys virtually whipped. rf5 I jLr , f« S good j n th ® loose, but had a info his weight into the tight work. ATHLETIC 3 FIRST POINTS. The possibility of victorv which £££ fo™ V ,2l b £: n thc flrst since’the club ™ f eVera l years a e°. spurred on to make a great showing I *^ in th 6 sta ees of the wes t ground at LajimaderitPorS;Q A* things were Athletic maae it a draw and were attacking hotJy when the final whistle was blown Q ood ere almost at full strength, fh? A h t i 5 Awards had the better of « srllt worlc - Brownlee, Price and ila " sfiel d wer.e great workers. h v tiL W^ nin * _?f most of the scrums ny the Linwood forwards gave their Vff ks every opportunity. Their ing was crisp and generally well dir.ectcd and though the Athletic tackling wa s m ore determined than usual the Linwood men were often able to pierce w efence * ,Boor backing up, however, spoilt several good openings. played a fair game until a kn 2 c £ 01 } fhe nose forced him to retire, and Quaid and Dunshea were the bright spots all through. Quaid’s defence was ' er y sound and Dunshea showed speed and a great command of the ball at toe. M’Clelland, who scored a good try, was a solid winger. Solomon, T. Moran and T. Scully were among the best of the Athletic forwards. Coil’s weight was an asset. O’Connor, Woodham and L. Moran were again the brightest of the Athletic backs, and O. Scully, at centre, was a valuable link. a 8 CLOSE CALL FOR CHRISTCHURCH Christchurch came uncomfortably • lose to defeat when they met Merivale at Rugby Park on Saturday. Against desperate defence they could do nothing right, and up to within five minutes of the final whistle were nursing a deficit of 5 points to 6. With the crowd keyed up to concert pitch, the game waxed fast and furious, with Christchurch opening up back play at every available opportunity. The Merivale defence looked like weathering the torrid onslaughts, but in the moment of their triumph, G. Hart got his toe on to an erratic pass from Pawson, sped after the rolling ball, gathered and dived for a try. Fulton, who a few minutes previously had missed a “ sitter,” kicked a beautiful goal from out near, touch, and shortly afterwards ; < hristchurch trooped off the field the winners by 10 points to 6. The match was one of the greatest battles witnessed at Rugby Park for many a long- day. although it was marr.ed by the erratic handling of the Christchurch backs. Meri vale's tries were the result of brilliant opportunism by Bullivant. In the first spell he scored after a brilliant run of about forty yards, and later under similar circumstances, lie paved the way for a try by Stuart. He was the pick of the Merivale backs. fby, behind a pack which was up against a tough proposition in Man-chester-Catt rell and co„ played soundly. The Merivale pack worked strenuous-

ly throughout the day, and except for the line-outs and set scrums, more than held their own. Francis was always in the thick of it, and those who gave him the greatest support were Suckling and Rich. Of the opposing pack, the shining light as usual was Manchester. He was always grafting in the hard stuff, and in the iine-outs he did yeoman service, frequently propping the ball down to his half. Of the rest of the bunch, Cottrell and Wade were most conspicuous. Bouterey, behind a pack which saw the bulk of the ball, was just Bouterey —safe, nippy, sure-handling and always dangerous when near the line. He was tireless in sending the ball along, and it was not his fault that his wingers did not see more of it. Mullan at first fiveeighths spoilt an otherwise splendid; game by kicking a trifle much, and Shirtcliffe and Pawson, outside him, seemed to be able to do nothing right. The custodian, Fulton, was badly bustled at times, and played below form.

GAMES ELSEWHERE. Poneke Beat Hutt After Hard Struggle. ( Special to tliie “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, July 3. Unless something unexpected hap. pens, Wellington College Old Boys and Poneae should fight out the 1933 cliampionship. Hutt and Poneke were level in second place up to Saturday, when I oiveke forged two points ahead bv defeating their Valley rivals. Wellington, making a brilliant second round rerovtion of e r unn ly contenders for the posiThe game between Poneke and Hutt at Athletic Park was a disappointment to spectators who were looking for a fast and spectacular game. Instead they saw a dour, hard struggle. There was not a redeeming feature in the game which wafe ragged from start to finish. Hutt controlled the scrums, but threw away all their chances through over anxiety. Wellington, the most improved side in the competition, scored a narrow win over Petone, whose backs were not able ith Kilby, Page- and Diack, although their forwards held Wellington all the way. Athletic scored their second success over Eastbourne on the latter’s home ground. Eastbourne did not plav their best football, which seems always to bte produced at Athletic Park. A fast, open game was provided by Marist and Oriental, the Marist fast back line making a feature of their sidy? of the game. Robins and Macdonald played brilliant football. There were no highlights in the game between Wellington College Old Bovs and St Patrick’s College Old Bovs, the former winning comfortably l>v 18 points to three. Eastbourne, who beat Poneke in the. first round, will meet Poneke again on Saturday. This time Poneke should avenge the earlier defeat. Varsity Lead in Dunedin Rugby. (Special to the “ Star.”) DUNEDIN. Julv 3. Tall scoring was registered by the J ar team in the match against Taieri the students winning easily by dl to 0. The matches on Saturday were the first of the second round, and bv defeating Taieri and putting that side out of the running for championship honours, Varsity retain the lead. The championship points of the various teafns are as follows:—Varsity A IS, Southern 17, Kaikorai 14, Taieri and Pirates 12, Zlngari 8, Union and Varsity B 6, Alhambra 5, Dunedin 2. The Varsity A team was superior nil round in the match with Taieri. The students’ pack not only held its own against its heavier opponents, but also secured most of the ball for the speedy backs, who found little trouble in outpacing the opposition. Kaikorai, a greatly improved side, beat Pirates by 10 points to 3 in a game in which all the scoring took place in the second spell. Alhambra fully extended Southern, who won by three points, a try scored late in the game, when pressure by the Southern forwards, well led by Hore, began to tell. In well-contested games, Zingari beat Union by 19 to 11. and Varsity B defeated Dunedin by 8 to 3. In ten games this year the Varsity A team has scored 299 points, or an average of nearly 30 points a match. Another noteworthy feature is that Southern’s line has been crossed only once in ten games. Auckland Results. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, July 2. College Rifles 8, Otahuhu 3; Technical Old Boys S. Marist 5; University 14, Training College 8; Grafton 9, Ponsonby 8; Grammar School Old Boys 5, Manuka u 0. The defeat of Ponsonby places University in the lead for the championship. Championship points are: Varsity 16, Ponsonby 15, Grafton and Grammar Old Boys 14, Martst 12, Otahuhu, Training College and College Rifles 7, Manukau and Technical Old Boys 4. Schools’ Match. Per Press Association. HAWERA, July 2. In the annual match St Patrick’s College, Wellington 19, defeated New Plymouth High School 0. Ashburton Results. (Special to the “Star.”) ASHBURTON, July 2. The Ashburton Rugby Union’s competitions were continued on Saturday. The senior results were: Rakaia 27, Allenton 6; Methven 8, Mayfield 3. Other games resulted:—Juniors: Mount Somers 16, Springburn 0; Old Boys 31, Technical Old Boys 0: Hinds 6, Lowcliffe 0; Methven 23, Mayfield 0. Third grade: Allenton 8, Methven 0; Tinwald 13, Technical Old Boys 9; Rakaia 9, High School 6; Old Boys 13, Springburn 0. SOUTHERN SUB-UNIONS. Representatives to Meet Northern Side. The following team has been selected to represent the Southern Sub-Unions in the annual match with the Northern Sub-Unions on Julv 19:— Full-back—X. Musson (Ellesmere), (captain). Three-quarters—C. J. M fntosh <Peninsula), T. P. Robinson (Peninsula), vicecaptain), R. Jolly (E.). <

Five-eighths—E. Perewhiti <P.), H. Sanders (E.). Half-back—A. Blakley (E..). Forwards—R. C. Narbey <P.), A. TTodgen (E.), E. Watkins (E.), W. Bowden (K.), J. Billings (PL), L. Blomquist (P.), C. M’C. Wilson (P.), G. B'lanagan (P.). Emergencies—Backs; N. N. Mason (P.). J. Poison (E.); forwards: A. Fincham (E.), J. Vogan (P.). Wallabies Beaten. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. CAPE TOWN, July 1. A Rugby football team representing Western Provinces beat the Wallabies by 13 points to 9. Dr Ross, the Australian captain, is down with appendicitis. The doctors have not yet decided whether to operate. N.S.W. Beat Queensland. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. BRISBANE, July 1. In the interstate Rugby football series New South Wales beat Queens- I land by 23 points t.o 21. I