RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 230, 17 June 1918, Page 7

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

• TRENTHAM AND PONEKE EASY WIN FOR THE SOLDIERS The Trentham Camp (earn met Poneko it Athletic Park ou Saturday afternoon, and scored a rather substantial victory. There Was■» good crowd present, and tho weather was excellent. TJio match was fairly evenly contested until half-way through tho second spell, but Poneko were, nevertheless, fighting an uphill battle throughout. TVenth.wj wero a team of heavy men playing against n team consisting of a considerable proportion of light and youthful members. It wns perfectly clear from Iho start that Trentham were so much tho heavier team that the two side 3 should Jiot have been 'matched. This opinion was very generally expressed at the Park, but, of course, (he public had not before it all tho information which was available to the Eugby Union when that body decided to admit tho camp fifteen lo tho senior competition. What happened in tho match was that l'oucke, by considerable exertion, managed to hold Trentham fairly well in tho first spell and in tho early part of the sec-, mid spell, but the effort told on them, and Trentham eventually won easily. Tho football was not of the highest order, but was good, and there wero Hashes ol really first-class play. In the first spell Trentham established a lead of seven points. i'or- the soldiers, Davidson, a three-quarter with an excellent idea of Jiow to score trios, crossed tho Poneko line twice, and both his tries were converted by l'l. i<ok>erts. One of (he tries was considered to have beon awarded Trentham by tho referee in mistake. Horn's kicked a penalty goal for Poneke, and the spell ended: Trentham, id; Poneke, 3. Tho second spell had been some timo in progress before there was any scoro. - Then, from half-way, Morris broke through, and, running trickily, got well into' the Trentham twenty-five, and centred. One of tho defending backs iieklcd the ball, but his kick for the sideline Hew low and parallel with tho goalline. Heaps, tiie Poneke three-quarter, saw the opportunity, and taking tho ball on the gallop dived across at tho corner, and scored a splendid try. No goal was kicked. Trentham, 10; Poneke, (i. TrenIbain wore not long in replying lo this. Their forwards swept play to Poueke's end of Hie field, am) tlidro a passing rush was instituted. Davidson wound lip a capital attack by scoring in a good position. The attempt to goal failed. Trentham, 13; Poneke, li. A little later ltogers raised the enthusiasm of tho crowd by r.otting a . goal from a considerable distance out. Trentham, 17; Poneke, fi. Poneko rallied, and a determined rush was stopped only by ono of tho 'Trentham back? kicking to dead ground. Tho city team continued tho attack. Trentham wero penalised, and Morris decided to have a shot at goal. He secured what appeared to be at best a posler, but tho referee awarded a goal, and this somewhat evened out matters as regards the try which had been given against Poneko earlier in tho match. Trentham, 17; Poneko, 9. In the last few. minutes Davidson scored again for Trentham, so tho game ended with the scores:

I Trenlham i 20 | Poncko 9 j llr. Cleland was referee, | PETONE AND SELWYN. I I'etone defeated Selwy ll by 2fi points to 3. ; Futons held the upper hand very easily 1 Uiioughoul, but played poor Bugby. [ They had tho ball in possession aii the afternoon, but tlisir passing was For Petone, A. Thomas, ili.on, I'ancred, Pole, Shanaghan, and Corner scored tries. Nicholls and Am bier each converted a try, and Hamilton potted a goal. Pol - Selwyn, ■ Cell kicked a penalty goal. ORIENTAL V. UNIVERSITY. At Duppa Street, Oriontal had a win over University. Generally, play was not of a brilliant order, but. nevertheless, it was a good, oven game. During tho last few minutes of the match University caused some excitement by several rushes that were almost successful, tho game finishing Oriental 12. University 3. During tho first spell Irvino potted a goal for Oriental, and other scorers were Jones, one try, which M'llwraith converted, aud Perry, a try. Lusk was the scorer for University. Mr. G. Wade was referee. NO GAME AT PETONE. match set down to bo played at Petone between Trentham B and Athletic did not take place. Third Grade. The match between Old Boys and Bailway Battalion resulted in a win for the ex-ccllegians by Gto 3. The victory was well earned. Mansfield put the ball nicely between tho posts for the winnors twice—each from a peualty. Bailway's points were the result of a try. Dalrymple, for the winners, played a splendid game, saving his Bide many times, Air. L. Simpson was referee. Fifth.Class. * The match played by Bet'haiupore and St. Patrick's College, at Duppa Street,' resulted in a win for the iiret-named team by 18 to 3. For Berhampore Hester scored two tries, and Brown scored a try, Charles kicked a penally goal, and Bruce potted a goal from tho field. Greig converted one try. Oriental defeated Wellington College B by 20 to nil. Tries were .scored by Grant (2),' Nightingale (2), Leslie (1), M'Ginnity (1), Clarke (1), Burton (I), one'being converted by M'Farlane, and Burton kicked a penalty goal.