RUGBY IN THE MUD

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 124, 29 May 1942, Page 5

RUGBY IN THE MUD

A.A. Battery And Petone Leading ARMY’S IMPROVED FORM Rugby players in Wellington on Saturday afternoon had further experience of wet-weather conditions. Though rain gave over about 2.30 p.m. and the remainder of the day was fine and sunny, grounds were water-logged and took some ploughing through. The only teams to come through the third series of senior games with unbeaten records ■were A.A. Battery and Petone. The Battery fifteen had to go their hardest to beat University at Prince of Wales Park by three points, while Petone had a comfortable win over Wellington College Old Boys at Petone by nine points. The Army team showed greatly improved form to outclass the unbeaten PonekeOriental fifteen at Athletic Park by 17 points to 6. Their captain, Donovan, was in outstanding form at centre-three-quarter, and had speedy wingers in Thornton and Stevenson. Hunter also showed speed and initiative at fiveeighths,' with the result that the Army rearguard had too much pace for the opposition. The try which Thornton scored came from a brilliant movement, the men travelling at top pace and handling perfectly. The Poneke-Orien-tal forwards infused dash into their ■work, and lasted well, but the packs had not enough pace to pierce the solid Army defence.

Athletic went well to run up 24 points against Air Force at Kilbirnie recreation ground. Potted goals' by O’Halloran and Metcalf, a couple of tries by Roberts, and good place-kicking by O’Halloran, helped to swell the score. . - ' There were some close tussles. Hutt and Marist Brothers’ Old Boys had a drawn game on the Hutt recreation ground, Wellington beat Seatoun by a point on Anderson Park, and Johnsonville beat Onslow by three points on Kelburn Park. Following are the results : — Senior. A. A. Battery v. University, at Prince of Wales Park.— A. Battery, 9 (a try by Little and two penalty goals by Brownlie) ; University, 6 (tries by Smith and Fountain). Petone v. Wellington College Old Boys, at Petone. —Petone, 12 (tries by Barton, Bills and Ashton, and a penalty goal by Mallett); Old Boys., 3 (a try by Mason). Army v. Poneke-Oriental, at Athletic Park. —Army, 17 (tries bv Donovan 2, Hunter, Thornton, and Scully, one of which was converted by Davis): Poneke-Oriental. 6 (two penalty goals by Calcinai) A.S.C. v. Wellington Regiment, at Johnsonville—S.C., G (a try by Brimmer and a penalty goal by Thompson): Wellington Regiment. 0. Athletic v. Air Force, at Kilbirnie Recreation Ground. Athletic. 24 (tries by Roberts 2, and Morrison 2 two of which were converted by O’Halloran, and fieldgoals by O’Halloran and. Metcalf; Air Force, 0. ' , . Hutt v. Marist Brothers’ .'Old Boys, at Hutt Recreation Ground. —Hutt, 6 (two penalty goals by Bramley) ; Marist, 6 (a try by Woodham and a penalty goal b«y Stanaway). ~ • Miramar v. Pirates, at Polo Ground. — Miramar, 18 (tries by McCann, Dumbleton, Douglas, and . Spurway, and penalty goals by Smith and McKnight) : Pirates. 0. Eastbourne v. A.N.A. Headquarters, at Eastbourne. Eastbourne, 14 (tries by Isaacs, Girdlestone 2, Duffy, one of which was converted by Sanson) ; A.N.A.. G (a try by Finlay and a penalty goal by Ransfield). , , Wellington v. Seatoun. at Anderson Park.—Wellington, 9 (a try by Palmer, which was converted by Taylor, who also potted a goal); iSeatoun, 8 (tries by Mildenhall and Stenberg, one of which was converted by Grant. Johnsonville v. Onslow, at Kelburn Park. Johnsonville, 6 (a try by Grant and a penalty goal by Powell); Onslow, 3 (a penalty goal by Heatherwick).