Rugby.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 15

Rugby.

"Omni")

DECIDING GAME Indications Point to Marist or M.A.C. as Champions PLAY IN THE MUD

(By

Corxattlons underfoot, were unpleasant last Saturday, "but players rose supreme and the various matches provided, without exception, mterestmg contests. lt is said that in Rugby, miid is a good levelier, but even so, the two leading fifteens, M.A.C. and Marist, continued on their winning way. Technical Old Boys slipped further down the iadder through halving the points with Celtic, while at Havelock North the local team, in appreciation of their first match at home, rccorded their initial win of ihe season at the expenae of Hastings. Tho club championship is xiow approaching tbe final stages, and appearai'ees point to the meeting between il.AC. and Marist at Hastings on August 7 as being the deciding one concorning the destination of the Maddison Trophy. Marist and Napier H.S.O.B. McLean Parlc provided only two muddy patches on the area occupied by ^rari'st and Napier H.S.O.B., and in consequcnco the participants were able to tbrow the ball about in good style. j Marist wOh at the finish by .16 to nil, scoring two tries in each spcll, but all four 'wtre secured in face of hot opposition. Old Boys were without the scrvices of Bradley, a somewbat fortuuate circumstaflCe for tbe Greens, as with the feast of the ball that Craw-ford-Smith provided Clotliier from tbe serums' there is no doubt that Bradley 's presonce would have paved tbe way for a try or two. Somewbat out* weighed, tbe "White forwards stuck to their taak- manfully and were really outpointed only in the line-out. It was the three-quarters that really failed, although I doubt if any back llne cotild have stoppcd two of tlie Marist tries, wbich were brilllantly conceived and carried out Vrith a precision that waa good to watch. Thefe is no doubt.ing the excellence. of the Marist rearguard at piesent, with Robins as the leader. On Saturday the Green forwards were more thorough than usual if one excepts the scfummaging, and it is in this phaee of the game that a sharp improvement is necessary in view of the hard games ahead with Technical O.B. aud M.A.O» Individuai Players. Tho outstanding forwards for Marist were J. O'Brien, Allsop and Griffln. The latter never shirks the real hard work dnd he is working into the necessary condition required .to last 90 minutes of strenuous football. In the rearguard Hanan gave a finished display at .full-back, and closer to tbe sci'uni, Mclvor, Robins and Moss attracted most attention in a really good rearguard. Of H.S.O.B. it can be saxd that they are nearly a great club side; by that I mean if they had two heavy forwards and a strong centre three-quarter it would supply in full their deficiencies. On Saturday both of their wing three-quarters were eontinually out of position and through this two grand scoring opportunitxes were lost. L. Clotliier, Marr and Hutchinson were the pick of the Old Boys backs and Orawford-Sxnith, Ennor and W. Clothier tho most noticeable in the forwards. W. Clothier in particular was a splehdid workpr in the heavy rucking, aiid witb his pace constantiy harrxed the opposixig xnside backs. M.A.C. 's Good Eecovery. Tkough Hastings Old Boys weht down to tbe Maofis by 15—8 on Baturday iix the main attraction at Hastings, they were by iio means disgraced. They gave a good showihg, ahd qUite up to expectations, which wero high enodgh becauae of the good exhibitions they Luve givcu during the past few ivecks. They unquestionhbly have shown the greatest'improv'eiiient of all the teanis to date this season. M.A.C. found they had to exteud themselves agaili to con« txnue their winning way, aud the manxior 'in which they dxd hoad off tbe exsludexxts coula not but raise admxratiou. Certainly the forwaxds were largely respoueible, as is usual with them, but cn this' occaslon the backs ocoupied a motu pfoxninent place in the linieliglit, tbe tWO spCcially shining being Btaples aud Artbur Wali'ord,- There still continues to be little combixiatiou among : tbe Mauri backB; and this was in contrast to tbat of Old Boys, who have dovelopcd a liue rearguard, with Devine, Holt qnd tbe two wingera, Apsey and Palmer, all playing good football individually aud colloctively. For qUite a time tbe Old Boy. for- . wards bad pomewhat the better of things. Tbcir kick-and-follow-up tactics were gppd, all'ording theni full scope for using tbeir specd in tbe open. With the exception of Ford and Ashiuan, they w;ere a very dveu lot aud kcpt well bunchcd. The two exeeptions wero both in fipe fettle as soloists, with > Ashman playing a straigbt-out wingt'orward game. * The Maofi pack went as good as they , usuallv go, and that is sayixig quite a. lot. There were no passongers and generally tliey were an even lot. Reid and Ilaekson were .right up to their best' form. l)u t tlie most improved player

was Jury Thompson. It is a long timo since he played a better game than he did on Saturday, Celtic Make It a Draw. The mtid is a great levelier, and playing under unusually poOr cdnditiona, fd t the outer area at Nelson Park Was a great deal worse than the No. I ground, Celtic, aiicl TecbuicaL Old Boys shared the honours. As a inatter of fact they shared jusfc about everything, for tbere was little difference between tho two teanis in .an.y phase.or department. Among the backs. Byford, Plested aud Herbert gave good showing for Technical, and. Reid was quite tbe best »t Celtie backs, with Puilen next. But' the backs did not have a great deal to do for tbe play -was muiuly conllued to tlie forwards. Certainly they wero callcd upon to dcfend, and they d'd it stoutly, all doiug excelleutly in tbi« regard, as justly indicated by the fact that each only seored oue try. The' main interesting feature of the forward play was the packing of the 3 — 2 — 3 serum by Tcehnical, but it was not altogetber much of a success, though possibly the eonditions prevailihg were not conducive to much succeae. It must be admitted, however, that the scrummaging work was hard and very tight, unusually so at timea.

Villagers* First Win. „ Hastings, the oniy leaih to have had the privilego of scoriltg a victory over the present competition winners, suffefed defcat on Saturday and by ko doing they gave Havelock North tbe distinction of scoring tbeir first win of the season. The game was really a long mudscramble, with plenty of miniature "lakes,'' and tbough both sides played 1 commendable football under tbe cxrcumstances, tbere can be little doubting tbat tbe game should not have been played at al] in the state tbe Donniin was on Saturday.