Ponsonby’s Recovery

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 365, 28 May 1928, Page 6

Ponsonby’s Recovery

Surprise Defeat of Richmond Maroon’s Fail to Gross SATURDAY was a day of surprises as far as senior Rugby League games were concerned. The youthful Richmond Leaguers suffered defeat by the much improved Ponsonby thirteen, while last year’s champions, Newton, found City a strong defensive side and left the field losers by a 3 point margin.

Although the Ponies had shown a remarkable improvement the previous week in their games against Marist, it certainly came as a surprise on Saturday when they clinched a victory from the youthful Richmond Leaguers, who have given great displays of the code in previous matches this season. While Taylor’s fine kicking proved the backbone of the Alaroon’s, Ponsonby on the other hand is not likely to have made such a good showing without the services of the invincible Delgrosso. “Delly” made brilliant openings and his experience of big football and his thorough knowledge of the code, marked him as the most valuable man on the Ponsonby side. Richmond failed to cross the line, and this side owes much to Taylor who ran up the six points by his fine kickChiefly because of the services of Delgrosso, Ponsonby excelled in its team work, while the Richmond men lacked that usual combination which has won for them many hard struggles on previous occasions this year. Certainly their backs were not given the same chances as those given the Ponies rearguard, for Stephens, Ponsonby’s hooker, proved himself one better than Jones on the opposing side, and from the majority of the scrums managed to get the ball back. Moore, lurking behind the scrum for Ponsonby, did not throw any opportunities away, and got his backs going in good style. Litton and Cole at fiveeighths, make a good couple, Litton

especially, being a good cut of a fiveeigth, and should make good. Scholfield, on the wing, was well fed by Delgrosso at centre, and put in some fine runs during the game. Among the Richmond backs, Taylor at centre was the shining light mainly because of his fine kicking and good following up. He has plenty of speed and is a great spoiler. Wheaton and Prentice making up the five-eighth line combined well, and are as hard as nails. ‘'Speedy” Swift and Turton, the two wingers, were not given the chances they have been given in previous matches owing mostly to Ponsonby’s rushing tactics. Hanlon, at fullback, who has been making a good showing this season, appeared a little off colour on Saturday, and was by no means playing up to his old form. AMONG THE FORWARDS

Both forward packs were hard workers, but with the services of the two hefty second row men, Payne and Hutt, .Ponsonby, no doubt, made

a better showing than Richmond in the forward division. Gardiner, as last man down, however, was not playing up to senior grade standard. Fagan, Stephens and Ford, the front row men, all did a heap of work and are a fine combining trio. Not so much was noticed of the Richmond forwards. Jenkinson, as usual, did not disappoint ths Richmond supporters, while Colebrook, a.lwavs up with the game, Stewart, McCarthy and Dixon all made a good showing. CITY JUST GETS THERE NEWTON RANGERS DEFEATED The game between City and Newton, played on the Domain under wretched conditions, proved a battle royal between two evenly-matched teams, City 1 unning out winners by 6 points to 3. City has given evidence lately of being on the improve, while Newton was without the services of several of its prominent players, through injuries received in its match with Ellerslie the previous week. The game was evenly contested and was played with a heavy cross-wind. In the second half the rajn came down to add to the discomfort of players and spectators alike. City played with the slight advantage of the heavy wind in the first spell and had Newton doing a lot of defending-, and it was coniidentlv expected that when the red and whites j turned round in the second half they | would win, but the solid defence of the City backs kept them out. NEWTON UNLUCKY Newton was unfortunate on more than one occasion in not adding to its score. In the first spell Hardgreaves made a fine opening and after tho ball had been handled by several players Herring was over the line between the posts ‘ was held up by the City forwards and a scrum was the result. In the second half Little raced over at the corner and in trying to improve his position lost possession and a certain try. For the winners Bare hard at tullfor

POSITION OF TEAMS Following is the position of the Rugby League teams in the senior championship competition;—

City had a lot to do and did it well. Perry at centre is showing good form. Wade on the wind made some nice runs, but spoils his good work by beating his man and then kicking. This looks well if he regains possession, but an in-pass would always be better. Iverson is a promising young fiveeighth and with that football wizard Wetherill alongside him ho brought off some good moves. “Giggy” is undoubtedly the brains of the back division on attack and defence. Crouch at half did not get too much of the ball in the scrums, but got through a lot of work. W. Hadley was the pick of the red and black forwards, but they were all toilers. For Newton, Wilson at full-back played his first game at League and shows considerable promise. He belongs to Papakura and has a great reputation in the Rugby code. Little on the wing did not get too much of the ball, but made a good showing. Hardgreaves on the other wing was unfortunate in getting hurt in the first spell, which seemed to take the steam out of him. Hales was played at five-eighth and showed promise. McLeod, his partner, got through a lot of hard work and is improving every week. Cammick at half was only fair. Clarke, the big Newton man, was the best forwrd on the ground, and has evidently recovered from his injuries. Of the other forwards Henery and Rhodes were perhaps the best. Somers had complete control of the ball in the scrums.

MARISTS OVERWHELM ELLERSLIE MOISLEY SCORES FOUR TR'ES As was generally expected, Marists had little difficulty in scoring a win over Ellerslie in the Auckland ‘.Rugby League’s competition on number two ground at Carlaw Park on Saturday. The wearers of the red, white and blue jerseys were promoted from the senior B to the senior A competition at the beginning of this season, and began with a well-merited win over Newton. Latterly, however, they seem to have fallen off a little. Contrasted against this, the Tykes are a wonderfully improved team. At last they seem to have settled on a good capable back line to finish off the movements of a hot pack of forwards. On Saturday Moisley, formerly a forward, played in the threequarter line with distinct success. Cronin went in from five-eighths to half, his place being taken by Hassam, while Knott replaced Sweeney oil the wing. With the single exception of Cronin, who has got into a bad habit of passing wildly, the line combined well Cronin frequently secured the ' ball, and let it out without looking to where a man “ought to have been.” As men are not always where they ought to be in football, such tactics spell disaster. BRISBANE’S SOLID GAME Brisbane at centre-threequarter played a good solid game, and on more than one occasion showed flashes of his old brilliancy, both in attack and defence. lie and Moisley will become a regular scoring machine. The latter has weight, speed and brains for the game, and scored four tries on Saturday. “Pope” Gregory played a great game as Tykes’ last line of defence, spoilt only by one unhappy incident, which led the onlookers to exhort Referee Mincham to “send him off.” I-lik tackling, handling and kicking was outstanding, while it was a frequent sight to see him worm his way through the Ellerslie team, leaving behind him a string of would-be tacklers. On four occasions he piloted the ball over the bar, converting tries.

ELLERSLIE BACKS WEAK The Ellerslie backs were an unhappy band. Seldom was the whole line seen in action. E. Crewther, their diminutive half, stood up to the burly green forwards in fine style. His brother, Robert Crewther, at first five-eighths, did not combine too well, however. He invariably stood too far away from the half, with the result that many passes went begging, or were intercepted by enterprising Tykes. Yet another brother, ;S. Crewther, played a good game at centre, when the ball did get out that far. He was ably supported by Littlew r ood. In the early stages especially, the red. white and blue fullback, Perry, was almost .always caught in possession, seeming to disdain any such tactics as passing, and even at times kicking. In the second stanza he showed a marked improvement. Graham again stood out as the best of Tykes forwards, a toiler throughout in tight and loose. Noble and Johnson were also conspicuous, the former especially putting in some fine solo efforts. The pack as a whole showed a commendable tendency to hunt together. The Ellerslie forwards, with the bulky Cooke always in the van, fought the greens every inch of the way. Cooke was ever in the thick of tl\.e tight work, and chased the ball like a hare in the open. Jones and Dance were perhaps the pick of the remainder. While playing in a third grade soccer match at Wellington a member of the Y.M.C.A. team, named Fuller, had a leg broken. Gilbert Kane, aged 15, while playing in a football match at Christchurch, fractured his left leg. Another player, E. F. Thompson, received a kick in the body. Both were admitted to hospital, but their condition is not serious.

Devonport P. W. L. D. Points, For. As: Clip. Pts . 4 4 79 46 8 . 4 2 46 32 4 N e wton . 5 2 3 — 59 54 4 Marist . . . 4 2 2 — 66 68 4 . 5 2 3 — 64 67 4 City .... 4 2 3 — 44 49 4 Elterslie 4 1 3 — 31 73 2