RUGBY'S PROLOGUE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1717, 7 April 1913, Page 7

RUGBY'S PROLOGUE.

.THE SEVEN-A-SIDE.TOURNEY, •.VICTORS: ATHLETIC AND ST, PATRICK'S COLLEGE. The annual seven-a-sido tournament, with which tho football season is usually opened, was held at tho Athlotic Park on ■ Saturday, afternoon. Tho weather was fail-,, and the - grounds hard and fast. There were about 2000 spectators. The senior event went to tho Athletic seven, who wero undeniably the best team entered. It was apparent quite early . from tho decisive manner in which they won their games Hint Athletic and Petono were the two likely teams. They did not meet in the final, but in the-semi-final, and Athletic won after a very exciting match. Tho winners stayed out a series of games remarkably well, and it is safo to say that tho Athletic senior -fifteen will take the field for their , first senior competition match in really fino condition. _ , . ' Following are the results;-— SIXTH CLASS. FIRST ROUND. St. Patrick's College beat Athletic, 16-0. ' Petone beat Poneke B, 20—0. Wellington College beat Poneke A,.3 —0. Second Round. ■'. St. Patrick's College beat Petone, s—o. .'. . .. ' Final. ... St. Patrick's College beat . Wellington - College by 5 points to 3, a converted try to a penalty .goal. . FIFTHv CLASS. FIRST ROUND. Melrose beat Poneke, s—o. Athletic beat St. James, 11—0. ' / Wellington College beat Marist Bros. Old Boys, s—l. ■ St. Patrick's College beat Selwyn, 26—0. . Second Round. ■ i St. Patrick's College beat Wellington , College, 13—0. Melrose beat- Athletic,- 9—l. •Final. St. Patrick's College beat Melrose by. 5 points to nil. - The game was keenly con- ; tested,-and -was very fast throughout. No-score was registered-until the last half-minute, but then.W. Redmond, ,a brilliant young player, ran from his own twenty-five, outpaced - all . pursuers, and grounded the ball safely over the line. The kick at goal, taken by himself, did not add to tho score. SENIORS. -. : FIRST ROUND. .- "Selwyn A beat Wellington. A bv 8 points to 5, in, a very poor game. Wel- , hngton had the better"piiysique and pace, but were very weak in tackling, passing, and other essentials. - Melrose A boat Oriental Bby 4 points yto nil. As the scores show, the bout was a very evenly-contested one, • but not ;■ otherwise interesting.." V" St. James beat Ppiieke' A; by 18 points to nit. I he' St. James backs were immeasurably superior, ''and when they were-moving together they over-ran tho ' Poneke men. ■ ? teat Poneke B by default, /.retone A beat Victoria College "by 18 points, 6 tries to 8, a converted try and a. penalty, goal. ' College werß lucky to score ab-all, and Petone had the game .comfortably in hand always. Wellington B .beaf Athlotic B by 8 points to 5. The Wellington men made a much better showing, than their A team*- and deserved their ; 1 .'Athletic A'beat Petonc'B by 11 points tries, one of which was converted, to-ml. Thp .Bluo and Blacks won very . easily. . - Oriental -A beat'Petone Cby 10-points •to ml. Second Round. St. James -beat Selwyn B very easily by 23 points to nil. ,Melrose A. beat Selwyn A by 6 points, 2 tries, to 3 points, a penalty-goal. When ..time/was called tho scores were even, 3 points each, but after' a minute of extra play Melrose registered their second try. Petone A teat Wellington B by 19 points to nil. The Blues won without exerting themselves, and. the game was not interesting. ... Athletic A- beat. Oriental A by 29 points - to nil. Oriental-wero not a strong side, . nnd they .could, offer little, serious resist- , nnce to the very fine'seven representing .(Athletic,-. • - • • ■ Semi-Finals. ' Athletic A beat Petone Aby 11 points to 5. It was: generally recognised that this bout was .virtually the final. Eariy in the' game, Price, for Petone, scored very . lucky try by snap'ping up'the ball sharply from a knock-on, and running in practically untouched. ; A goal was ■kicked. After -this.- Petone played for safety, and ."it was late in- the first spell before the Athletic men v/ero set moving from their own twentyfive by E. Roberts and S. Wilson, to score a -try in tho opposite corner. No goal was kicked, and tho sidjs charged over with tho score 5—3 in favour of Petono. Petone kept on with tho safety ■ game, and it appeared as if Athletic's chanco would never come, when "Banji" Wilson broke away .and scored a try. No , goal. was kicked, and the score stood: Athletic G,' Petone 5, with two minutes to go. Athletic nover left the issue in doubt after-this,'and at-the last-moment Bell scored another try, which was con■verted, tho'final score reading: Athletic, 11: Petone, 5. .. St. James beat Melrose A by 5 points - to 4, a. con/erted try to a try and a force, down. Both teams were : plaved out . .ivhen time was called. • * - Final. Athletic A beat St. James bv 11 points to- nil. Neither team went well at the outset, the men being obviously tired. In about, three however, the Athletic forwards bolted with the ball at foot, and Bell, following up well, scored the first try, _which was. converted. Tries wero scored iu rapid - succession afterwards by Evenson and "Ranji" Wilson, but neither try was improved, although ■ the second attempt was from directly in front of goal; Athletic, 11-0. At the last moment, when; nobody else could run, S. Wilson got the ball in a handy position, and ran.,in, making the score: Athletic, 11; St.. James, nil.