GRAFTON’S LAST CHANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 97, 15 July 1927, Page 11

GRAFTON’S LAST CHANCE

TO-MORROW’S MATCH WITH PONSONBY

LEADER’S POSITION LOOKS SECURE

THE match with Ponsonby at Eden Park, the Rugby headquarters, to-morrow, represents Grafton’s last chance of upsetting the leaders, and remaining a factor in the senior competition. Even if Grafton won to-morrow. Ponsonby would still possess a saving two points in hand, so the position of the leaders, altogether, looks fairly secure.

THE remaining matches to be played in the senior competition have as their chief object the matter of ascertaining whether either Grafton or Grammar is good enough to beat Ponsonby. Grafton has its chance to-morrow, and Grammar will line out against the leaders a fortnight later. Both have excellent chances, but on form and performances it is unlikely that both will down the strong opposition. Superlative rearguard prowess, on which a kindly providence has throughout bent a beneficent eye, has been largely responsible for Ponsonby's ►success, and the luck would have to change in totally inconsistent fashion if the victorious team was to be dethroned now. FINLAYSON AND THE MEASLES Grafton’s prospects to-morrow cannot be considered over-encouraging, which is to be deplored in view of the fact that the club has throughout the season waged a plucky fight against a series of rather unfortunate circumstances. First there was the defection of Finlay son, smitten by measles, who is still in hospital, and will not be playing to-morrow. The crowning misfortune, should it materialise, will be the defection of Paewai and Ruru, whose probable change over to the League code has been announced. This morning the secretary of the Grafton Club stated that lie knew nothing about the inten-

tions of the two player*, but he added, significantly, that it was not usual for players changing over to come and inform the club they were leaving of their intentions. While Grafton will be more or less affected by absentees. in Ponsonhy it will meet a team practically at full strength. Berridge. who was away for the hrst two club games, will be back in the five-eighth line, and the attack will therefore resume its normal forand is unlikely to appear to-morrow. ODDS ON PONSONBY When Grafton beat Ponsonhy in the first round their margin was pretty narrow, the scores being 9—B. The odds therefore appear to favour P«*nsonbv to-morrow, and the latter may avenge the earlier loss, in which ease they can bo hailed again as champion team of Auckland. The other matches to-morrow have no significance, other than that they may determine the order of teams down the roster, or affect the position of Grammar, who will he in the running if Grafton strikes a win tomorrow. Grammar should be capable of bolding its own against Marists. and College Rifles still look a better side than Training College, while if Shore manage to overthrow University, the win will be inconsistent with the losing tradition the team has lately established on its home ground.