Rugby on the March

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 349, 9 May 1928, Page 11

Rugby on the March

GRAFTON SLUMPS AT NORTH SHORE Marists May Be Surprise Factor THE fancied Grafton team slumped at North Shore on * Saturday, when a draw was the best it could manage against an improved home side. Grammar and University promise to be their old familiar selves, in and out sides capable of brilliant successes and rank failures. There is left the possibility that Marists, who have scored two convincing wins, may be a surprise factor.

TP Saturday’s match reflected Ponsonby’s true form, there is a chance at the championship for any one of * or on such a display the Ponies are unlikely to go far without meeting defeat. Against Manukau, the Ponsonby backs repeatedly passed prettily, but gained no ground. Punch and penetration were lacking. * * * Heroes in Defence Bo . th Berridge and Falwasser were heroic in defence. Falwasser’s tactical skill was revealed at its best in the ease with which, single-handed, ho broke many Ponsonby movements. On attack he excelled Berridge, who repeatedly lost contact with his colleagues. Manukau Forwards * Manukau has some good forwards notably Ferguson, Taylor, Kohn, and Housham. Taylor, the rover, is both enterprising and elusive, and appears to be a handy scoring man. Kohn wears a pronounced frontal curve which together with his listlessness toward the close on Saturday, suggests that his 17 stone is not all bone and muscle. Odds and Ends * * Last season’s half-time edict appears to be “off.” Players may now leave the ground during the spell. Auckland has a Saturday match, August 25, against New South Wales. The Waratahs will be popular visitors. There are IS matches to play in the senior competition—that is, if two rounds are played, as proposed. It is a big order, what with rep. matches, and other fixtures as well. Pars About Players Pelham, Ponsonby’s fullback last year, is playing halfback for Athletic, Wellington. Heazlewood, Otago’s fullback, who was hurt in the All Black trials, is in the same team. C. B. Stone (Auckland University) is now in Taihape.

Crook (City) has the intercepting fever rather badly. This malady is often fatal to a footballer’s success.

F. C. Corlett, the Auckland provincial oarsman, is a new candidate for the Ponsonby pack.

A. Tancred. the Waratah forward, went through the strenuous tour unscathed, but dislocated his shoulder in the first match played after his return.

Wedding bells rang this week for “Shorty” McManus, popular Ponsonby skipper, and rep, halfback. Fletcher’s Pace If b. Hook is as fast as most people imagine him to be, then Manukau has an exceptionally speedy customer in Fletcher, an emergency wing, who overhauled Hook in a straight-out race on Saturday. Realising that his pursuer had the pace, Hook tried to fend desperately, but Fletcher simply dived for his heels, an expedient to which not even the fend is an effective answer. * * * Flying Scotsman Another speed merchant who turned out on Saturday was C. E. W. McIntosh, the University wing. Formerly a crack sprinter, Mclntosh later represented Britain in the Olympic Games long jump, and he has covered considerably more than the existing New Zealand record. Representing Oxford and Scotland at Rugby, he was associated also with London Scottish, and played in the same team as C. C. Aitken, R. McCullough, and R. Park. Park and McCullough formerly played for Auckland University, so that rather an unusual set of coincidences is associated with Mclntosh’s appearance for that team this season. All Alike * There is a uniformly dusky tinge about most of the Manukau team, with the result that on Saturday the crowd found it difficult to distinguish between the players. Falwasser, Watene, Rata, and the wing forward, Taylor, are very much of a type. Watene, however, could easily be picked out by his blue and white stockings, a reminder of association with the Mormon Agricultural College, Hastings, Hawke’s Bay. The same school turned out Nepia, Paewai, and Falwasser. There seems to be a fairly general belief, quite incorrect, that Nepia and Paewai both played for Te Aute.

When Keene Comes Back University is a vastly different side

from last year, though, its win over City does not yet entitle it to be considered an improved team. The absence Keene, Miller, Keegan. Stone, Cashmore, Bradanovich, McLeod, and Butler is notable. Cashmore is in Napier, and Keene has been in Waipukurau. There have been rumours that he would be ’ joining an

Auckland B grade club, and these cannot be challenged until he returns to the city. He is expected back this week. McLeod, now playing B grade, was full of promise at the end of last season, and deserves more opportunities in big company. Bradanovich is now at Otago University.

Money’s Worth? The Auckland Rugby Union cannot be commended for its programme last week. Three senior matches were staged at Eden Park, yet only two teams out of the six were listed in the programme. This might have been overlooked had the sale of programmes been restricted to the grandstand enclosure, but they were sold at all the outer gates, and even in the streets. Incidentally, the main text of the “souvenir” programme never varies from Saturday to Saturdaju By the end of the season it becomes a very unattractive sixpennyworth.

Ground Improvements Eden Park itself has again been substantially improved. The new concrete terracing gives capital accommodation for the “bankers,” and there is an excellent system of duckboards between Nos. 1 and 2 grounds. Wirenetting, to prevent encroachment of spectators, who caused endless trouble until a firm stand was taken with them last year, is another satisfactory innovation, and lastly the union is contemplating the erection of a Press-box between grounds 2 and 3. This will excite rapture in several gloomy hearts..

Moascar Cup Scornea The warm patriotic and sentimental associations that cluster round the Moascar Cup are causing the New Zealand Rugby Union to be concerned about the manner in which New Zealand secondary schools are ignoring the trophy. It has actually been suggested .that, because Te Aute College at present holds it, the colour line is being drawn, which is so much nonsense. More to the point is the charge that English headmasters have influenced New Zealand opinion against any form of trophies, and the “gladiatorial contests” in which so much evil is seen by well-meaning but imaginative people.

Strong Varsity Pack In th© second half of the Univer-sity-City match, when weight was beginning to tell on the Red pack, Varsity l forwards made the most of their opportunities. Several Blue forwards had their first real gallop of the season. Hindenach, the ex-Otago representative, played a splendid game in both tight and loose. His hooking was largely 2’esponsible for the manner in which the ball shot out of the scrum to O’Halloran. Anderson, Linton and Brooker, an imposing trio in weight and height, played sterling games for Varsity. City’s Centre Again the outstanding back in the City side was the übiquitous Crook. His play as centre was exhilarating, though it unfortunately contrasted vividly with the play of the other Red backs. If Crook could learn to swing a more powerful boot and shed his habit of waiting for a chance to intercept stray passes, he would be one of the most dangerous backs in the senior competition. Unfortunately, when playing against Varsity on Saturday, he injured his knee, and was thus unable to show his best form in the latter stages of the game. His try, when he intercepted and cut in in bewildering fashion, was a very smart piece of work.

Jeffries a Success Although he played half-back for Taranaki, 'C. Jeffries, who learned his football at the New* Plymouth Boys’ High School, has adapted himself readily to the first five-eighths position in the Marist side. He handled exceptionally well and never gave an inkling of the direction in which he intended to strike. He was responsible for some pretty work when he cleverly corkscrewed infield, past two opposing players, to score a spectacular try. It seems that he is going to go further as a five-eighth.

Stoupe Conspicuous Stoupe, who hails from South Auckland, played • well on the wing, while Stuart was a decided success as centre, ancl had a handy boot for goal kicking.

As rover, Howard was an outstanding player for Marist, and participated conspicuously in scoring movements. He fed his backs consistently and made some excellent openings. Having won the representative jersey in the past, Peters was looked to to show up prominently in the pack, and lie fulfilled expectations. Locke, who is appropriately named (he held the scrum together) played with plenty of dash and handled like a back. Behind the scrum Wright was in good form, and the Wright-Jeffries-Loft combination was a strong one. WAIPA UNION MEETS Mr. F. Quin presided over the weeklv meeting of the Waipa Rugby Union on Monday evening. A request from Taumarunui Sub-Union asKmg for a match with Waipa’s third grade rep. team at Te Awamutu on Monday, June 4 (King’s Birthday, was agreed The referee in the Te Awamutu v. Karamu senior game on Saturday, rehe had i a diffic ulty in controlling P, layers ’ who talked too much, and he had occasion to order two men off the held. It was decided to notify all clubs that they must adequately control the specdur'lns .matches on their home e,rounds, otherwise the grounds will be disqualified, and fixtures that would ordinarily have been played there will he played at Te Awamutu. Four teams: Te Awamutu. Karamu. ■High School and Mangahoe were nomin^ e .d f ? r the third grade competition. hollowing is the draw for the third grade competition:— May 12.—High School v. Karamu; Te Awamutu v. Mangahoe. May I.9.—Karamu v. Te Awamutu; Mangahoe v. High School. May 26.—Te Awamutu v. High School; Mangahoe v. Karamu-. MERCURY BAY GAMES The Mercury Bay Rugby Union opened its season on Saturday, Mercury Bav playing United. United had a decided advantage in weight but the Mercury Bay players, some of whom were onlv bovs, put hip a great fight, and the game", which was hard and fast all through, was much more even than the final scores indicate. United won by IS points to S. For Mercury Bay Gordon Lee showed up conspicuously, and for United B. Hamilton played a fine game, but both teams plaved well, considering this was the first match of the season. Kuaotunu visited Tairua, where again both teams, considering the sodden state of the ground and heavy rain during the match, played a good game, which resulted in a draw, one try each.