A DULL DISPLAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20021, 21 August 1939, Page 11

A DULL DISPLAY

LIFELESS SENIORS MARIST SCRAPE HOME Marist Gpts. Celtic 5 Play in the senior grade Rugby games in Gisborne on Saturday was very dull, the players apparently feeling the effects of a three-week rest. Little interest was taken in the games, the collegiate match being the chief attraction.

Marist never looked like the champion team and were very lucky to take the honours from Celtic by a onepoint margin. The blues never got going, despite weak opposition, and the game was one of the poorest in the grade this season. Both, teams frittered away chance after chance, with Celtic being very unlucky on countless occasions. The greens had the better pack, Marist being lifeless without Chris. Anderson and Wrightson. Bright played a surprisingly good game in the winning pack, but the side as a whole lacked sting. The fast blue back-line did not get a gallop all day, and on defence Moughan, Heeney and Hoy were the outstanding players.

Malone was the Celts’ best back and was a reliable full-back. R. McKinley showed enterprise, but held on to the ball too long. For the winners, Rigney scored an unconverted try and O’Brien kicked a good penalty goal right on the call of time, when Celtic were leading 5 —3. For the losers, J. McKinley scored a try, which was converted by R. McKinley. The referee was Mr. H. Hunter.

OLD BOYS GO DOWN

H. 5.0.8. SWEEP THROUGH TWELVE-POINT MARGIN H. 5.0.8 12p(s. Old Boys 0 Old Boys never looked like scoring in their game with H. 5.0.8. on Saturday, and the maroons swept on to a very comfortable victory. As in the other senior game, the players in this game were very languid and the match was a poor one, with H. 5.0.8. calling the tune all day.

Dick Short showed plenty of speed and *hrust in the winning rearguard and, aided by weak tackling, he made some, very fine runs to place the side on the offensive on innumerable occasions.

Old Boys were too bad to be true and never looked like the side which had given Marist a tough championship battle. The majority of their players seemed to be more interested in the game on No. i ground than in their actual play. For the winners. C. Waide, Gardner, Field and McGuffie scored unconverted tries.

The referee was Mr. A. E. Ingram