FOOTBALL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17572, 16 May 1919, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME

PIRATES AND MARISTS ON REC

TO-MORROW

The second senior cup match of the season will be played on the Rec. to-morrow afternoon, commencing at 3 p.m., when Pirates will meet Marist Brothers Old Boys, who put up such a good fight against Old Boys last week-end and only went under by the odd try in three. In a trial game against Old Boys a couple of Saturdays ago Pirates showed up well. There should not be much between Marists and Pirates to-mor-row, and the result will be a good hard and fast game of Rugby*

TEAMS FOR TO-MORROW

Pirate Seniors. — Dustin, Corby, S.A., Head, L., Fafcer, Phillipson, Stuart, McGregor, Lynch, Glentworth, Brown, Thomson, Smith, Wilson, Boyd, Crawley, Colman, Schmidt. j

Pirate lll.—Head,* Roe, Fountain, Feck, Wilson, Hammond, Denman, James, Burmester, Andrews, Benson, Price (2), Wansbrough, Kelly, Hicks, Roscoe, Snow.*

Owing to the Colegiate School being on vacation, the teams originally drawn to play them will have the byes, in addition to* which the odd number of teams in the' junior and third grades have byes. It has been suggested that the two teams having byes in these grades should play each other, but this is considered impracticable insofar as it would leave too many games and too much leeway to be made up by College at the back-end of the season. Those teams having byes to-morrow are: Old Boys (senior), Aramoho and Kaierau (Junior), and Aramoho and Old Boys (Thirds).

Perhaps the best feature associated with the opening of the Rugby football season last Saturday was the indication of revived public interest, the attendance being in marked contrast to the array of empty benches which was not an unusual sight in wartime. "■

The standard of play in the Marist Bros.-Old Boys' match was not up to senior form, and there was little play of the spectacular kind that delights the onlooker. It was a ve/y keen struggle nevertheless, and fi.ere was little real difference between the sides. Neither pack heeled cleanly, so the respective backs Were at a disadvantage at the outset. Behind the scrum combination was non est. Not once in«the game did the ball travel from the Old Boys half through the five-eigths to Ross, their centre three-quarter. The same could be said of Marist, except on the occasion Summers, their centre threequarter scored. The movement started from the scrum, although the ball was dropped in transit and Summers retrieved it on the bounce. Under these circumstances neither three-quarter line got a fair chance to show what they could do in attack.

Coming to the respective players, Rowe played a good game at fullback for Old Boys, fielding the ball cleanly, and always getting in his kick.

Palmer and Svenson were the pick of the backs. The former was as elusive as ever and played a good game. Svenson did some fine defensive work, but in attack he inclined to selfishness on occasions, and a couple of times was smothered before he could get rifl of the ball.

Credit is due to Dames for the try he scored, but he must learn to take and give a pass cleanly to succeed as a five-eighth.

The forwards were very even, Parker, Weekes and Green showing up well in the loose occasionally. Bennett, the ex-Aucklander, played as look, ana is in need of some hard training before he can hope to give his best.

.Reed, up to the time he met with an injury, filled the role of full very satisfactorily for Marist, and showed good discretion in the way he found the line.

The other backs had their attention- mostly confined to defence. Motu shaped promisingly and Quirk and Corliss made the best of the few opportunities that came their way.

Marist had a very useful pack, which will do much better as combination develops. Connop and Molan put plenty of energy into their play in the open.

Mr. Williams, who refereed the game, has had a very wide experience of the game, and the Union have been most fortunate in getting his services.

On Saturday, Marist Bros, will I>lEy Pirates, and it will be interesting to note what improvement the former show on their opening game.