WET-WEATHER RUGBY

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 123, 22 May 1942, Page 4

WET-WEATHER RUGBY

A.A. Battery Beat Athletic CLOSE CONTESTS IN MUD Rugby footballers in Wellington are early getting experience of wet-weather conditions. The second series of the Wellington Rugby Union’s senior championship competition was played on 'Saturday afternoon on waterlogged grounds and in frequent heavy driving rain squalls from the north. So boisterous was it that the goalposts on the Hutt recreation ground were blown down, causing a delay of half an hour during the second spell. Players adapted themselves well to the conditions, using their feet cleverly, and the backs, for the most part, handled the greasy ball well. A.A. Battery maintained the good form they had- shown in beating Army in the first serie© of games by outplaying Athletic, last season’s 'champion team, by 14 points to 10 at Athletic Park, where conditions were, so bleak that no ballboys were available for the western line. Athletic, with wind and rain behind them, led by 10 to 3 at half-time, but the lead was not substantial enough, and the Battery team, well led by J. Brownlie, put on 11 points to nil in the second spell to win decisively. There were some' close tussles during the afternoon. University just managed to beat Eastbourne by two-points; Wei lington beat A.N.A.- Headquarters by three points; Onslow beat Miramar by three points ; and Wellington Regiment beat Air Force ,by the same margin. On the other hand, there were some runaway victories, Marist Brothers’ Old Boys defeating Pirates by 25 to nil, and PonekeOriental outplaying Johnsonville by 18 to 3. Seatoun notified that they were unable to play on Saturday, and consequently Petone won by default. The teams which have won both games played are A.A. Battery, University. Poneke-Oriental, Wellington College Old Boys, and Petone. Following are the results: —

A.A. Battery, 14 (tries by Troy, Brown-

lie and Eddie, one of which was converted by Brownlie, who also landed a penalty goal), Athletic 10 (tries by James and Mor. rison,jJ)oth of which were converted by Thomas). Army 11 (tries by Solomon, Donovan and Hunter, one of which was improved by Davies), A.S.C. 0. 'Wellington Regiment 9 (tries by Harding, McKenzie and Biessel), Air 'Force 6 (tries by Elton and .Seekup). University 8 (a try by Zambesi, converted by Skelly, and a penalty goal by Skelly), Eastbourne 6 (a try by Dellabarca, who also kicked a penalty' goal). Wellington, College Old Boys 18 (tries by Franklin, V. Gotlieb, and Mason, all of which were converted by Armour, who also kicked a penalty goal), Hutt 11 (tries by Staples, Botting and Barnes, one of which was converted by BramleyK Wellington 3 (a try by Illingworth), A.N.A. Headquarters 0. Onslow G (tries by Girarden and Galloway). Miramar 3 (a try by Moloney). Marist Brothers’ Old Boys 25 (tries by McHugh 2, f Norton 2, Lee, Dixon and Connell, two of which were converted), Pirates 0. Poneke-Oriental 21 (tries by Asher 2, Graham, Dixon and Marchmerit, and two penalty goals by V. Calcinai), Johnsonville 3 (a penalty goal).