PONSONBY BACKS SPOIL RICHMOND’S REPUTATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 769, 16 September 1929, Page 6

PONSONBY BACKS SPOIL RICHMOND’S REPUTATION

CLEVER MANOEUVRING Keen, and with an ability to spring surprises, Richmond took the field against Poneonby in the early semi-final at Carlaw Park. At no-side Richmond had not scored a point, while Ponsonby had run up 23 points easily. Richmond did not reach a degree of the effectiveness it revealed when it beat Shore in the first round of the Roope Rooster. The team’s showing was highly disappointing to those who had regarded it as a side which would be difficult to beat. Against Ponsonby, Richmond managed scarcely any combined efforts which placed the winning thirteen in danger. One or two disjointed rushes hv Richmond went near to gaining the team tries, but Ponsonby’s defence was as reliable as its attack. It was colourless League on the whole. True, the passing rushes by Ponies in the last quarter of the game showed, some of the high-lights of the code, but, by then, the game was so one-sided that the edge was taken off the play. One excellent feature of the game was the judgment of Riley, who played centre for Ponsonby. He would run Schofield into posi*‘on anc * .then would race round th® to receive a pass. Riley s game at centre was extremely valuable. BACKS WORK WELL From Mclntyre, the busy half, to .Delgrosso, who figured as fullback for a change, the Ponsonby backs plaved Eat Skelton. second fiveeighth, was a good scoring man, and ihompson, his partner, was efficient. Richmond’s backs were mainly occupied m hurried defensi%e measures. Paxton was weak at fullback. and .Hamilton, in the important centre position, played an unusually dull