NEWTON KNOCKED BACK

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 679, 3 June 1929, Page 6

NEWTON KNOCKED BACK

Devonport Maintains Unbeaten Record With Dazzling Play in Big League Game DELGROSSO BEATS ELLERSLIE DEVONPORT rose to inspired lieiglits to maintain its unbeaten record against Newton in the feature League match at Carlaw Park on Saturday. For a race-day, the 7.000 crowd which saw the match was a remarkable tribute to the hold the code has on its patrons. Six goals out of six attempts was the amazing performance of the Ponsonby skipper, Delgrosso, who was the kingpin in Ponsonby’s overwhelming defeat of Ellerslie. City and Marist battled out an even game for the Red and Blacks to win by the difference between a converted and an unconverted try.

DEVONPORT BACKS TOO GOOD FOR NEWTON XIII. GREAT SECOND SPELL BURST Greater all-round speea, combination and finesse carried Devonport to one-sided victory over Newton on Saturday. Shore’s inside backs turned the tables in its favour in thrilling style before the second spell was half The score does not tell the true story of the match. Newton did much better than that. Up to Trevor O’Leary’s magnificent try in the second half, Devonport was fighting all it knew to pin Newton down. That was the turning point in the game. After that, Devonport rose to its most brilliant form, but faded out in the last ton minutes, to let Newton score its only try. Newton’s inside backs were the stumbling block to its chances. Slow off the mark, and uncertain in their handling, they could not hold Seagar and O’Leary in check. Apart from that, their own brilliant wingers, Hardgrave and Little, had to make the most of the play for themselves. That is the whole, story of Devonport’s win and Newton’s defeat. Alf Scott led his side in masterly fashion. He is playing great football this season, and if a representative team had to be picked tomorrow, he would probably be the first man chosen. Trevor O’Leary has got to be more accurate in his passing and has to learn when to pass out. Apart from that, he is the makings of a real little crackerjack. Both Simons and Len Scott were getting bustled in the first spell, but they improved later on. Simons, especially, was in great form in the second session. McCarthney’s hard, tigering play was missed in front. “Mac” had a day off in view of his fight at the Town Hall tonight. PROSPECTIVE REP. MEN? Seager has improved out of sight this year. Tie will be hard to keep out of the reps.; and so will Beattie. , Ruby, too, is working harder in the pack—a real forward this season. Rhodes has only got to keep on the way he is going to cause the selectors some hard thinking later on. A fine bit of dribbling by this fine big packman caught the eye on Saturday, j Auckland wants more good dribblers of his type. A bad knock affected Hall’s sterling 1 play in the second half. It was a wonder ho kept going as well as he did. The Newton inside backs deserved a hearty vote of no-confidence on their display on Saturday. “Wally” Somers gave them a fair break from the scrums, but they were too slow and erratic to do their side of the job properly. Hardgrave and Little were starved by the men inside them, but even so, they were a constant thorn m the side of the Blacks. Devonport is inclinded to fade away worse than 21'A at times, but still and all it will take a great team to beat. them. Ponsonby may do it. but so long as the Devonport forwards work like they do at present, their rest Can lje depended on to do the The scoring register was as follows:—Devonport (tries by Beattie, 2, A. Scott, T. O’Leary, Seager and I °’ Lear . v s conversions by Simons and Seager, 2: 24 points; Newton: Trv by Rhodes; three goals by .Dufty; 9 points.

PONIES’ EASY WIN LOW STANDARD OF PLAY Of the few marked features in the Ponsonby- Ellersl ie clash on Saturday, when the former thirteen gained a decisive victory by 24 points to 5, not one could be associated with lively or spectacular team work. Generally, the play was drab. The apparent certainty in the earlv stages of the game of such a decisive win for the much stronger Ponsonby side did not assist to make matters more interesting, but apart from this fact, play was ragged and could hardly be classed with the average standard ot senior football. In past games Ponsonby has proved itself a clever combining side and a team capable of the open style of play so pleasing to the fans, but on Saturday, playing “care-free” sort of football, possibly because it felt so “cocksure” about its win, it nothing approaching its best, there being throughout the game only one neat and spectacular rearguard passing bout. It appears that the Ponsonby Leaguers have forgotten lessons so well taught in previous years when, by haphazard football, they sul'D—'M deleat by much weaker sides. The old saying still holds good: “If the game is worth playing at all, it is certainly worth playing properly, and tv.-. ne is never won until the. finnl whistle.” In a nutshell, the game was Delgrosso and the rest v. Ellerslie. The great generalship and the actual playing ability of this veteran Leaguer was a much pronounced feature of the game, but ho. with all his brilliance, without the services of a combining side could not make the match colourful. During the game he kicked six goals, many of which were most difficult shots. Ellerslie’s forwards—great bustlers, they are—worried the Ponies at times, but with a flighty set of backs which lacked solid attacking qualities. they gained only one try for the hard slogging work which they put in. Throughout the game half-back Olliff. the makings of a good footballer, snapped the ball away from the scrums in an endeavour to send his rearguard away, but the Orewther Bros.. at fiveeighths, although showy at times, were not always sound, and many attempts to pierce the Ponsonby defensive by a decent passing turn fell to pieces. One of the hardest workers in the Ponsonby pack was Kimberley. Although a little unorthodox in his style of play at times, lie continues to work hard and puts his best into it. His i performance was indeed a marked con-

trast to that of Lou Hutt, the big international packman. Lou got a bad I knock on Saturday and during the latI ter stages of the game was not feeling his best, but even this mishap it was noticeable that he was not 1 putting his usual dash into the game. Practically every member of the j Ponsonby back line shone out at various stages of the game in individual efforts, but combination was not at all strongly in evidence. Mclntyre, at half, found strong opposition in Olliff, while Thompson at five-eierhths made many good runs, although perhaps Riley, next to Delgrosso, made the best showing of the day. Tho spectators found it most difficult to distinguish the players during the progress of the " n “ne owing to the hopeless confusion of the numbers, and this annoying fact aone deprived the game of considerable interest. This is a matter which directly concerns the Auckland Rugby League and in the interest of the code and its popularity it can be hoped that in future games a little more consideration is shown enthusiasts and followers, by pla’*”~ in endeavouring to carry the numbers on their backs as programmed.

MARIST UNLUCKY IN GAME AGAINST CITY CLARKE ORDERED OFF Befeated in its two previous games, the City League team, weakened seriously in the backs, just managed to hold a two-point lead from the determined Marist side in the big game on Carlaw Park No. 2. City certainly had a close call, and, with luck, the fast-pacing Marist backs would have clinched a win. It was the losers’ game in the second half. Watene and the two Perrys were missed from City’s backs and the .Reds had a problem in organising a back line. The winners were relieved when no-side camo with the score 5-3 in their favour. Up to half-time, play was dull, and the teams took scarcely more than a casual interest in their fortunes. The crowd’s biggest thrill, indeed, / was when the referee, Mr. A. MeKubrey, ordered Clarke, the big Marist forward, off the field for questioning decisions. At the time Clarke offended, five Marist men were caught f flagrantly offside. Mr. McKubrey’s action Avas effective. It was not long before both sets of forwards forgot the glaring offside tactics that mar- • red the opening play. FORWARDS’ TASK In the first half, City’s forwards wisely bore the brunt of the work. Battling solidly, they had the Marist backs more occupied on defence than on attack, and the opposition forwards at a disadvantage. It was from on© City assault, resulting in a scrum ten yards from Marist’s line, that Reynolds, half, flashed the ball to Iverson, who slipped through for the only try to City’s credit. L. Banehard kicked an easy goal from in front of the posts. Even this shock did not stir Marist to really hard play, and it was not until Hickey scored a splendid try, unconverted, in the second spell after brisk back play, that the Tykes realised that a win was possible. From this out Marist’s backs ran headlong at a sorely-tried defence, while stirring work by the Tykes’ forwards gave advantages in scrum-work and the loose. It was City’s lucky afternoon. Resolute tackling upended the Marist flyers time and again'. Brisbane, it was, who, in His position as centre for Marist, made many openings for the wingers, Batchelor and Hickey, both of whom were sturdy and up with the play. In the second spell Brisbane proved that he is regaining his form by streaking through the City inside tackling and reaching points of attack. In one mighty run, Batchelor took the pass cleanly, but was pushed into touch at a corner. McLaughlin useful City’s best defensive work included the efforts of McLaughlin, the strongrunning forward, who was commissioned as centre arid gave a good account of himself, and L. Barchard, the alert fullback. Barchard’s mistakes were few, and he did a good deal more work than X. Campbell, the Marist full, although Campbell played serviceably. His long punting impressed. Lawrence and 'Whitehouse were ordinary as wingers for City, but the insides, Reynolds, half, AVilson-Ilall and Iverson, fiver eighths, shone out regulary. Wilson-Hall was usefullj' solid anti he attacked determinedly. Well-treated by the clever Marist half, Hassan, the five-eighths, Purdy and Brady, did not play remarkably well until the second half. when they caught Marist’s spirit. Brady did better than Purdy, who spoilt two moves by faulty judgment in the first half. From' two energetic forward packs, Moisley, of Marist, stood out. Pie was right on his game and followed up keenly. Pascoe, in the first half especially, and Hamilton, in the second, played soundly in the City pack. Both handled weli. Hadley was generally in their company, but the City forwards, although dominant up to the interval, had to give way perceptibly to Marist’s fire for the last part of the game. Johnson and Campbell supported Moisley notably in the hot Marist forward play and the pack, even without Clarke’s assistance, easily earned the right to share honours with City. Even if City had its full set of backs, it would have found Marist’s play unpleasantly dangerous. RICHMOND BACKS TRIUMPH SENSOR B ENCOUNTER Richmond senior B team deserved its | j win, 19-11, over Xorthcote in the cur-tain-raiser on Carlaw Park No. 2. alj though the winners were behind in j points on an even first spell. Xorthcote | crumbled badly under the sweeping j J Richmond attacks in the second half. Hurley, for Xorthcote, opened the j

scoring with a smart try, converted by Simpson. In the face of Richmond onslaughts, Northcote battled back and Neal scored a try, which was unconverted. A fine try for Richmond by Clarke, converted by Edmonds, made the scores at the interval S-3 in favour of Northcote. Richmond was the live force after half-time, Verrall, Patterson, Bond and Hobbs scoring and Edmonds sending over a penalty. Near the end, Dean scored a try for Northcote. Verrall, the Richmond half, was an outstanding player. He gave his backs many chances. Two dashing wingthreequarters were Patterson and Hobbs. Snappy combination by the Richmond backs actually triumphed, for Northcote held its own forward. Mr. V. Simpson was the referee. GAME DECLARED OFF REFEREE TAKES STERN ACTION The Mount Wellington v. Kingsland second grade League match, set down for decision on the Mount Wellington Grci j on Saturday, had not proceede. rar before it was evident that stern measures would have to be enforced by Mr. Moore, the referee. * I ’HE* visitors overstepped the mark. time after time with appeals and questioning of the referee's decisions. After several warnings, the controller of the whistle issued a final reprimand that any future offenders would be sent to the side-line. ORDERED OFF It was not long before the final whistle was sounded. The Ivingsland captain was ordered off the field for questioning the referee’s decision. One of his team-mates appealed on his behalf, and lie was ordered to keep his skipper company. An earnest debate then ensued among the remnants of the team, as to whether to proceed with the game or leave the field. It was not long before a decision was arrived at, as the referee very wisely declared the game off. When proceedings finished the score was five all.