FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 6, 11 August 1909, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY. The Ponsonby Team. The Ponsonby football team defeated South Sydney on August 4 by 25 point* to 6. There was a high wind blowing, and Ponsonby, losing the toss, played for ths first half against the wind, but notwitl* standing this, the game was very even. Savoury secured a try, which O’Leary converted; South Sydney scoring a try. In the second spell Ponsonby had aG their own way, and piled up a score, the locals only adding three points to this visitors’ 20. The line-out work of Ponsonby was much superior to that of theiv opponents, and their weightier forwards told. In the second half tries were secured by Francis, McGregor, Savoury, and Murray, and were converted by O’Leary in each case. Sydney was pretty certain Ponsonby would be beaten last Saturday week, judy> ing by “Arawa’s” remarks in the “Daily Telegraph.” Before the match he wrote; “Rightly or wrongly Aucklanders are aps to over-estimate the abilities of their players. In proof we need go no furthef back than the over boomed City tean% which had its back against the wall all the time it was here. The failure of thaA team to justify itself should make iW chary about accepting the Ponsonby tea® at its own or its friends’ assessment. True it is that the latter comes With a much greater reputation than the City team, and an eye-opening record. As to the big scores they have piled up it has to be borne in mind that they have had no opposition worthy of the name in the greater number of their matches, and i‘£ may be, taking a line from the City teaistwho defeated another Auckland team by 38 points to nil just before they arrived here, that their record is in a measure due to the ridiculous weakness of their opponents, more than their own skill. Be this as it may, the Ponsonby men 'v.Ul have no cause for complaint as to tk. enthusiasm and whole-heartedness of t§k opposition here. They are to be called upon to meet a representative metropolitan team, and the best available at that, This, too, the day after a long sea journey. These artless Aucklanders will be quite overcome at the modesty of the preparations that have been made to receive them. And then they were asked to have another little game on Monday, but this seemed to exceed their capacity for innocent enjoyment, so they declined. Saturday afternoon’s encounter against a team which the discerning writer in Wednesday’s "Daily Telegraph” has declared quite good enough to extend Queensland, will probably provide them with more excitement than they will find palatable until a few more combined teams can be got together. Of course the general belief about the game, in view of the faith in New South Wales football —in a large measure justified by recent worthy deeds—is that Ponsonby will experience a check. Had the contest been of a purely club character there might not have been so much cause for premature jubilation. For test purposes, then, that is Auckland club football as against Sydney club football, the real match of the tour will be that against Newtown. It will be rather unfortunate for the deservedly rising reputation of New South Wales footbull if this combined team fails to win creditably against only * club fifteen just off a sea voyage. On ths other hand, the Auckland club men will

have something to plume themselves .-’bout if, under the conditions, they can down the very best that Sydney has then available, especially as it will include four “Wallabies’’ and one “All Black” (one of the original team). Of course it is well known that the Inter-Stata team will be engaged in Queensland, and this, it is pointed out, is the reason why the club fixtures have fallen through. It is also well known that quite 30 or more players could be chosen in Sydney who are about equal in form. One lot is to play Queensland, and the next is to be pitted against Ponsonby. The programme may be highly entertaining, but it is certainly not club football. If the position was reversed, and say Newtown visited Auckland, while the latter's first team was on tour, and the next fifteen was selected to meet the Sydney club, what hope would the visitors have? In the words of one Johnson when he summed up Lang, “Dis am joke.” About 20,000 persons witnessed the Ponsonby match with Sydney Metropolitan, which was played in fine weather on August 7. Early in the game Francis missed th< goal from a fairly easy position, off a penalty kick. A fine bit of work by McCabe ended in a try, which Burge converted. After a lot of even play, Francis kicked • fine goal from a mark. This success spurred the visitors, and from a good forward rally, Elliott scored, but Francis failed to convert. The home team kept on the aggressive, and off a mark Francis added another goal. In the second spell the visitors were on the defensive most of the time. At the start Francis made a feeble attempt at goal off a mark. Some rough play on the part of one or two of the visitors called forth a caution from the referee. The home team eventually began to play all over Ponsonby, and a couple of tries resulted, one of which was converted, the Metropolitan team thus winning by 13 points to nine. Thames v. Auckland. The annual match between Auckland and (Thames was played at the latter place on Saturday, the Auckland team winning by 13 to 0. Er an hi in v. Auckland B. There was a good attendance at Pukekohe on Saturday, when the Auckland B team met Franklin. The Auckland team won by 13 to 3. j Taranaki v Wanganui. The representative match, Taranaki v. Wanganui, was played on Saturday at -Wanganui. Heavy rain had made the ground greasy, and prevented anything in the nature of a good display of back play. Taranaki won by 11 points to 3. f Wellington v. Taranaki. The following is Wellington’s representative Rugby team to meet Taranaki next Saturday:— Fullback: Ryan (Petone). Three-quarters: Ryan (Poneke), Mitchison, Evenson. Five-eighths: Walsh, McKenzie. Half-back: Roberts. Wing forward: Gardener Forwards: Ready, Houlihan. Wilson (Wellington), Wilson (Athletic), Bruce, McKellar, Tunable. Emergencies: Perry (forward), Ryan (back). Southern Matches. HOROWIIENUA BEATS MANAWATU. Horowhenua defeated the Manawain senior representatives at Levin by 14 points to 9. WELLINGTON. Poneke 9, beat Oriental 3; Petone 9, beat Athletic 0; St. James 11, beat Melrose 0; Southern 3, beat Victoria College 0. The Old Boys-Wellington match was not played, the ground being too wet. CANTERBURY. "Saturday’s Rugby matches resulted as follows:—• Merlvale and Albion played a draw neither side scoring. Linwood (10) beat Old Boys (3). Sydenham (6) beat Canterbury College (5). DUNEDIN. Tim senior grade competition closed on Saturday. The results are: Zingari 9 boat Port 8; Alhambra, 11, beat Pirates, 81 Taieri Rovers, 13, beat Union, 8; Dunedin, 12, beat Southern, 8. Alhambra have won every match in which they have taken part and take the championship. Kaikoral beat Zlngari-Riehmond for the final round of the third grade banner. In the Tnierl-Unlon match, W. Harwood, the Union halfback, got his leg broken towards the end of the game.