RUGBY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 212, 2 June 1919, Page 7

RUGBY

SATURDAY'S SENIOR GAMES

,-Tho Rugby competitions, were advanced another stage on Saturday, the results of the games being as under:—

ATHLETIC (18) V. PETONE (8),

There was attendance of spec tators to. 'witness: tho match Athletic v Petone. played at tho Suburban Oval on Saturday. ■•■•There was 6ome fast, open play, both teams playing a. good game. " Jiijiht ■up to the last jive minutes tho issue ivas in ■ doubt, and at one. period of the game it. looked very" much lis -though Patone was going to win. However, such was not to be, and in the , List ten minutes Athletic increased their lead very appreciably, and left.no doubt. ,as .to tho iinnl result. ■ It is to be re-' ' Wetted'that the game, did not conuuencc earlier, as towards thocloso of the match it became extremely difficult to see, owing to tho failing light. There •was.'some good individual play on both jeides. Corner playing witli . his usual 'dash, for Potone, and M'Cabe and Eyttn especially working well for Athletic. Dur",iriK the progress of the game a Petone >ian, Parker, had tho "misfortune to sustain some injury, and had to be carried 'off the field. ■ .

]' Athletic kicked off, and almost, im- , mediately carried the play to the Petone .lino, Kyan scoring o' neat try aear the corner. ' There was no attempt made ,to convert. Soon after, from a scrimmage near tho line, Athletio were award'cd a free-kick, and Roberts mjido an un- . successful attempt, to kick a goal. Play then shifted down to thp Athletic twenty/five, and Petone were "awarded a • free- ' kick. Ambler had a ehot at goal, hut the attempt proved abortive. _ From then on Petone looked like scoring several times, but they, were always held up by 'tiio good play of the ..Athletic backs. Play continued up and down the. field lor some time,-and just before half-timn 'M'Cabo broke away, and lhade a brilliant run, scoring a good try for Athletic.. .The' attempt at converting again failed. .•Athletic. 6j; Petone, nil. . From the out eet of the second spell play livened up considerably, Petone •. pressing very, vigorously. A rush over the line was saved by the Athletic "back forcing down, .'from a free-kick awarded to Petone, '•Ambler kicked a beautiful goal from half-way. Athletic, G;,Petone, 3. Athletic livened ,iip again, and .several times looked : very much like! scoring, , but the situation was repeatedly saved -.by the 'Rood defence of tho Petone backs..-Play again shifted ' down to the Athletic twenty-five, and Hamilton gotover, and scored l'or Petone near the posts. Corner' made ' no mistake with the kick this 'time." Petone, 8; Athletio, fi. This '• gave Petone a slight lead) and it remained to bo seen whether they could [keep the lead for the. remaining fifteen ■ minutes or so. • piay con- ' tinned for some'time, and from a freej kick awarded' to Petone, ,'Ambler made ' an unsuccessful attempt to kick a goal. After that.Petone,only oneo again looked dangerous, arid a" promising rush ended in the Athletic full-back forcing. From then.onwards Athletic had.almost .their own way, and twelve points were added to! their score in rapid succession. Cunningham scored, and 600n after M'Cabe' potted a; "goal. Just on call of time Church scored for Athletic and Hele.r converted. The final scores were: 'Athletic, 18; Petone, 8.

Mr. .1. Francis controlled the game.

POPIEKE (24) v. WELLINGTON (0). Playing: on. No. 2 ground, Athletic Fark, • Poitelce , had an easy win over Wellington by 24 points ,to nil. . The game was not exactly a classical display of Rugby, and Wellington did not have a chance to,score at any time. In both departments, forwards and rear, Poneke were manifestly superior. The •Red and Blacks ralloped all over their opponents from the start of the* game, and when half-time sounded they had compiled 18 points. Tries were scored by. Troy, J. Tilyard (2), and Calcinai. Algal' potted'a goal, and Tilyard converted one of his own tries. Wellington put. up a stronger defence in the second half, and Poneke wore able t« cross their line only twice. On each .occasion Slater was the -tiy-gettor."; The niatch. aroused very little interest, lesil than a hundred spectators concentrating their attention on. the play. Mr. G. Wale was feferee. . . . UNIVERSITY (3f) V.ORIENTAL (3). The game "University v. Oriental, played at Duppa Street, was a very one-sided affair. WRen there was an opening for the losing team not one of its members was able to grasp it, whereas University took advantage'of every opening. Players in the match complained that the ball had been pumped up too tight, and this was noticeable when the University backs began to throw the leather around. For the winners' the following '.scored tries: Barker (three, one converted by Scott), .lackson ..(two), and MartinSmith, Dightoni arid Aitken. Barker also converted Aitkea's try, and, Scott kicked a' penalty goal.' Pa'pvs notched T*> losers' only three points by kicking . ft, penalty, goal.

. Junior... . . Patrons of the. Athletic Park ok Saturday were treated to a good exhibition of football on No. 1 ground, where, Hutt and Wellington College juniors ' fought out their differences. Both teajns played an excellent' gaine,. and until pretty well near the end .the result was in

-doubt. .. From tlio .point of view of weight ■ the advantage Iny i with Hull, who were about a stone heavier all round than 'their opponents. The Wellington College backs- dill splendidly, however, and some of their passing rushes were a treat to'witness.. Mutt lanyards, however, wore too much for' the other teanj to face with anything like equality, and it was really due to their work that the Collegians were heuten. Collego m»«o tlio pace warm from the start, nut Hutt quickly got the upper hand. The forward division came away in a strong rush, and Bengo scored a good try under the posts. Gi-iersmi aded the extra points. Hutt, 5; Wellington College, 0. The Collegians then opejieil' np the game; un<i there was a t?oo(I clesil of fast up and down the field. I'or sometime College held the superiority, and Gibson and Nicol each scored a try in pretty rapid succession. Wellington College, li; Ilutt, 5. Some time after'this, Hutt swooped down on tile Collegians, and by sheer weight drove them back on to their own line. Sullivan got bringing the Hutt score to 8. Tho Collegians were not to be denied, and they kept pegging away, but the Jlutt linekicking was very fine, and this saved them several times. Before the close ot the spell Sinter scored another' try for Hutt, and lie converted i>it himselt. Hutt, 13;' College, 6. • _ ■ . College made the going strenuous m the second spell, but the Hutt hacks.were an extremely, nippy lot, mid they proved difficult nuts to ..crack. • The College forwards were playing _well, and some good dribbling work was witnessed. For a time there was a hard struggle' on the Hutt line, until the Blacks got possession. The hall passed to Edwards, who dashed OTer smartly, scoring a good try amidst loud applause. The. try was not converted. Hutt, 13; College, 9. Play now become very exciting. An excellent passing rush on tho. part of the Collr.go backs was brought to a successful issue, and a try was scored by Smith. This .was converted by Nicholls, aiid the Collegians were placed in the lead by one point, the score being: College, U; Hutt. 13. The interest in the game was intense at this stage, and Hutt strove hard to increase their total. For a considerable time the Collegians kept them in check, but .at. last the'weight of the Hutt forwards .told in favour of tho visitors. and J. Osborne got across the line. Just before the .close of the spell, Hazel wo rid scored another try, which was converted by Grierson. The final score was: Hutt, 21; College, 14. Mr. B. Fordyce was referee.' ' In the Berhntnpore PMarist Old Boys matoh, the first-mentioned were successful by i 17 points to 8. . • . ' Petone 6, University 0. . Third Class. - " Old Boys 6, Johnsonvillo 5. Athletic 31, Petone 0. Railway G, Oriental 3. Berhampore 12,1'orinia s'. St. Patrick's College 13, University A 3. Fourth Class. Playing at Duppa Street, Marist Old Boys succeeded in defeating Poneke by 11 points to G. Mascot 16, Petone 0. Oriental A 20, Old Boys 3. .Y.M.C.A.; 13, Oriental B 0. Berhampore 18, Wellington College' 6. • Fifth Class. ' Oriental • were successful in defeating Berhampore at Duppa Street by 11 points lo nil. M'Farlane, Todd, and Hepburn scored ,for the winners/ atul M'Farlane converted.one of the tries. v Wellington College B 5, Selwyn 0. - Wellington College A 12, St. Patrick's College 6.., , Athletic 9, Petone 6. Sixth Grade.St. Patrick's "College A 11, Wellington College A3. Wellington College B defeated St. Patrick's College B; ' i

TO-MORROW'S REPRESENTATIVE MATCH. PIONEER (MAORI BATTALION) V. . WELLINGTON. At 2.45 p.m. to-morrow the Rugby representatives of one of .the finest-battal-ions in the New Zealand 'Expeditionary Force,' will meet Wellington first representatives on Athletic Park. The Maoris are.a fine combination/and their four matohes on the'present .tour should have 'giveil them" good combination. Two notable absentees are Kaipara (killed in action), the North Island live-eighth, and French, who lost an arm, was the best forward the Maoris possessed. .Two .fine players in Captain Vercoe and-Captain J. H. Hill, , the' North Island representative, a ra'playing to-morrow.. Both are South African war veterans..' The Maoris are not playing a wing-forward, the scrum consisting of seven men, with two helves, and as the Wellington selectors have, chosen a winger the result should be interesting. . The teams are as follow:—

Pioneer Battalion.—Full-back, Corporal Edwards; three-quarters, Lieut. H. Wilkinson, Lieut. W. Barclay, Sergeant Mapii; five-eighths, .Serjeant F. Barclay, and Sergeant R. "Rodgcrs; halves, Lieut. H. Jacobs, Capt. P. Yercae; forwards, Sergeant Tui Carroll. Ptfcatc P. 0! Tapihana, Capt. J. H. Hall (lock),. Lieut. .T. .Ormond, Corporal Tirihi. "Lieiit. A. Auliaua, and Corporal Te TJiupu. • "Wellington—Full-back, M-alin (Poneke); three-auartors,Jl'Arthur (Poneke), Corner (Petone) Holey (Athletic); fiveeighths,- E Robert's (Athletic), L. Algar (Poneke); half-back, Pollock (Poneke); wing-forward, Gair (Oriental); i'orivnrds, Bruce (Sehvyn), A; Parker (Petone), T. Beard (University), Priton (Athletic), Taylor (Poneke), Ryan (Athletic), Marks (Poneke)! Emergencies; Backs, Jackson