JUNIOR MATCHES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 272, 10 August 1908, Page 8

JUNIOR MATCHES.

PETONE V. PONEKE. The junior teams belonging to the Pctono and Poneko Clubs met on No. 2 ground at tho Athletic Park ;on Saturday afternoon. Glimpses of interesting play occurred during the, game, which resulted in an easy win for Potone by thirty-one points to three. If tho winning team is not unsuccessful against Kia Ora next week, it wijl securo the championship. At tho outset Pctono pressed for somo time, but tho Poneko defenco proved sound until twenty-five minutes had elapsed, when the ball was carried over tho line through the efforts of tho Petono vanguard. Corson then raced up from centre and scored. Smyrko added tho major points with a fine kick. This reverse caused Poneko to liven up considerably, and for some minutes tho Petone line was in danger. For about a quarter of an hour the attack was kept up! The Petono forwards, working very hard, slowly shifted play to tho other end. Hero tho ball camo out into the loose from a scrum, and rolled, over tho line, and Dent managed to fall 011 it. Corson failed with the kick. A fow minutes afterwards Corson, after a pretty, dodgy run, -scored a third trv, but Smyrko was unsuccessful with tho kick. Half-time sounded with tho score —Potone, 11; Poneke, 0. Play during the early stages of the second spell was fairly even. Fogden scored a try for Petone, and a few minutes afterwards Elliott got over for Poneke, this being his side's only try. Subsequently, however, Petono had a " walk-over." Three moro tiies wore scored by Fogden, who wa3 playing an excellent gamo on tho wing, and Corson scored another two. Ono of the tries was converted by Smyrke. The filial score was —Petono, 31; Poneko, 3. Mr. J. Manning controlled the game. i THIRD CLASS. Oriental v. Wellington College. — This game, which attracted a .considerable amount of attention, was of ,a very fast and open order. After a hard struggle Oriental proved the victors by tho small margin of 12 to 11. For the winners, Leydon, 13ey, M'Combio, and Bittosi scored, the latter having several unsuccessful attempts to convert. St. Patrick's beat Wellington by 18 to 3. Tries for the winners were obtained by Baker (2), Rochford, Cullen, and Stewart. Ryan kicked a penalty. Karori defeated St. John's by 9 to 3. FOURTH CLASS. Potone defeated Southern by 5 to 3. Old Boys drew with Oriental, 3 points all. Luke scorod - for Old Boys.

FIFTH CLASS. Wellington College A boat St. Patrick's Collego by 12 to 3. I'etone defeated Southern by 8 to 7. Selwyn defeated St. Jamos by 3 to nil.

MANAWATU v. HAWKE'S BAY. . WIN FOR THE LATTER, (ur telegraph—rizESS association.) Napior, August 8. The representative football match, Manawatu v. Hawko's Bay, was played in the Recreation Ground this afternoon. The day was beautifully fine and tho attendance was large. The ground was a bit heavy in places after the recent rain. Manawatu won v tho toss and played with the sun behind them. Bailey set the game going, Hawke's Bay getting to work without any delay. From the first lino out, they bustled the ball over tho line, Manawatu forcing. This they wore compelled to do at frequent intervals to seek relief from the solid rushos Hawko's Bay treated them to. On tho lino out and in_ tho loose, Hawke's Bay were much superior to their opponents, and more than held their own in tho scrums. With tho spell half way through Hawke's Bay registered their first score from a scrum a few yards from Manawatu's lino. Smith got the ball and passed out to Heta Kani, the latter beating Stalker and grounding. Skelley failed to convert. A few minutes later, the same dodge by the same players again came off, but Lewis failed to add the major points. Archie M'Minn and Stalker led Manawatu in an assault oil tho Hawko's Bay lino, but the effort was not sustained. From a penalty Archie M'Minn all but landed a goal, the leather missing the posts by inches. Off-side play by Manawatu forwards then, brought trouble, Lewis converting from a penalty after a free charge had been allowed. The spell ended in Hawke's Bay's favour by 0 points to nil.

The game was much moro even in tho second spell, both sides treating the spectators to some excellent open work. Tho visitors opened the scoring account after a good bit of footwork by Archie M'Minn, during which he carried the ball at his feet from his own twenty-five to the Hawke's Bay twenty-five, Skelley saving splendidly. Paddy M'Minn then secured a mark, and AVard piloted the ball over the bar. Hard loose play followed, Hawke's Bay first having tho advantago and then Manawatu. Tho best bit of play of the day followed. From a lino out a. couple of yards off tho Manawatu line O'Connor got possession and aftur beating a. couplo of opponents made a short kick up tho field. Stalker came along and picked up beforo reaching half-way, beat Skelley badly and'raced for all ho was worth to the goal. Archie M'Minn was in attendance but Stalker needed no assistance, reaching tho lino and grounding beneath the bar fully twelve yards ahead of his nearest opponent. Archie M'Minn was entrusted with the kick and made. no error. For a time Manawatu held their own, but then Hawke's Bay had things all their own way. Evans scored the last try of tho gamo a few minutes before the call of time. \A good game thus ended tho scores being— Hawke's Bay ... 12 Manawatu 8 Mr. W. O'Connell was referee. Stalker and O'Connor were the mainstays of the backs, Archie M'Minn being the pick of a hard-working lot of forwards. RANFURLY SHIELD MATCH. AUCKLAND DEFEATS MARLBOROUGH. RAPID SCORING. (Di TEIiEORAPH—PSESS ASSOCIATION".) Auckland,. August 8. The first Ranfurly Shield match: of the season was played to-day between the representatives of the Marlborough and Auckland Provincial Rugby Football Unions. The weather was calm day and cloudless sky—but tho attendance only numbered about 4000, duo no doubt to tho largo number of counter-attractions. Magcn's placekicking 'was a feature of tho match. Tho Marlborough team at times made a very good showing, but the Auckland'players woro possessed of a greater knowledge of tho finer points of tho game. For about half of the first spell, play was very even, and then the Auckland team had a scoring mood ■and ran on fourteen points in an equal number of minutes Cooto opened tho scoring account with a try obtained at the corner, which Magco failed to convert. A minute later ho again scored, Magee converting. Magco next kicked a goal from a mark by Gillet, and then Wilson ran in and scored close to the corner. Magee did not convert, and tho spell ended: Auckland 14, Marlborough 0.

The visiting team put up a fine defence in the second spell, and occasionally tho forwards did some good work. Thero was 110 scoro in this spell until half an hour had gone by, v and eighteen points wore put on the total in fifteen minutes. Magee, Francis, and Seeling' each scored tries in quick succession, Magee converting all three. Murray also scored a try just on time, but Magee failed to convert, and tho game ended—

Auckland 32 Marlborough ... 0