RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1806, 19 July 1913, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

[Br Abistobulus.]

Orientals' Great Fight, Oriental did not play quite tho good ' game against Athletic that they did sgainst Petono. Still, they put up a great light—one that would probably nave accounted for any. other team in the. com- . petition except Athletio. Tho Oriental forwards started off with great vim, but they did not maintain tho pressure till tear the ond, as the pack which wore the Black and White a fortnight previously flid. When Oriental defeated Petone it )vas due mainly to the several young forwards who were moved up to the senior yrade. Last Saturday's team was very different forward, and it was most likely on account of the absence of the youthful element referred to that the sajne Juantity of dash Was not infused into the play. However, Oriental put up a most creditable fight, and had their backs been better they might have won. Only ill-luck kept them from scoring in the early stages of the game on more than : 1 one occasion, and later in the day it took. their', fumbling backs all their, time to' avoid try-getting. The Blues on Their Mettle, Nevertheless, one can only say, "They might have won," for every close follower sf .the city's Rugby knows that Athletio ure capable of big things when they are thoroughly on their mettle. As it was, the Blues took the upper band, and scored , the winning try ; when they were either two ..or three men short. Adams's Try and "Rangi's" Dance. The Athletic forwards were as solid in Bvery way as usual, and the backs were • sound. Their collaring was deadly, and on the whole the rest of their work was good. Roberts, the mainstay, was as resourceful and as übiquitous as ever. Adams's try, though extremely fluky, • stamped the scorer as a particularly promising player—an impression which has been growing in the minds of patrons of the Park for some time. The star item at this stage of the proceedings was a joy danco by "Rangi" Wilson, who hopped about tho paddock clapping his hands and patting Adams on the back like a man yho had just had tho bad luck to strike •"Tatt's." Petone and Melrose. The match between Melrose and Petone last Saturday does not call for much men- . Son. During the greater portion of the itamo Petone team did not seem inclined ■to exert themselves. There were certainly patches of individual play, but, taken as a whole, the game was far below standard. . ' » On occasions the Petone backs failed to come round and aid the defence, and this occasioned extra work on the forwards. This should not be, even though the task in front of Petono did happen to be "easy." Melrose (with. 13 players in the. first spell) did well in keeping the score down. For a portion of this half they "had Petone thinking," but were' unable to carry out their own intontion for lack of "the little bit of skill that counts." Oakes played a/fine game both as a back and a wing. The other prominent back was Capper. . Gilchrist and Sullivan were the best forwards. Hors de Combat. ' Cliff. Ramsden, who injured his knee in the Petone-Athleitic match, is still undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Wellington. i