Championship Final Tomorrow

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 773, 20 September 1929, Page 6

Championship Final Tomorrow

Varsity and Ponsonby AFTER a lonjr spell of representative matches senior Rugby will he staged at Eden Park tomorrow when Varsity and Ponsonby will play off in the final of the Rugby Union’s competition. Both teams are equal in the competition table and a keen struggle for premiership is expected.

When these teams last met in the I first round Ponaonby defeated Uni- I versity by 15 points to 9, or by three j converted tries to three unconverted. ; On that occasion Ponsonby was j considered to be a little lucky in ob- j tu-ining the victory. Ponsonby, how- I ever, was without the services of L. Hook. McWilliams and Palmer, who were in Australia with the All Blacks. With tire exception of It. Hook, who is out of action through injuries, Ponsonby will be aide to turn out its ] best fifteen. McLeod will re place ' Hook and this will in no way detract | from the speed of the Ponsonby rear i division. Varsity will also be minus one *of j its best men, Keene, the representative rover, having injured his leg. Two strong sides will take the field and a keen struggle should result. Several lower grade games will also be played. Following are the teams: Senior Grade University.—Bush, Minns, Carter, flood wrir, Stotter, McKay, X. Jenkin, Ston*-. Jlobinson. Edwards, Linton, J. Jenkin, Anderson, Clarke, Brooker; emer- j gencies, Hudson, Jensen, Keegan, Moorehouse. Babbadge, Mllliken. Ponsonby.—Fraser, L. Hook, Lucas, McLeod. I'ammick, Jamieson, McManus, Solomon, Hey wood. Palmer, McWilliams, Edgars, Bunting, Righton, Ashley.Citv, v. Waihi representatives, at Waihi.—Blakey, Allen, Kerr-Taylor, Turei, Barnes, Linden, Harding, Holt, Flay, Roberts, Fitzjames, Sorrenson, Farnall, Kahu, Sherman, Skelton Smith. Second Grade St. Heliers.—Derham, Wrathall, Koefoe.i. Tennant, Diamond, Crewther (2), Stubbs, Lear, Logan, McLeigh, Lulu, Coleman, Clarke, Dixon, Pearson, Holden. Third Intermediate Grade Grammar 0.8. A.—Bell, Fenton, Rawle, Stevenson, McCormich, Macey, Holmes, .Mi-Indoe, Robertson, Chambers, Mariott, Owen, Adams, Copeland, Drummond, Miller, Keen, Williams. Grammar 0.8. B. —King, Davidson. Canning, Davenport, McKearney, Stuart, Res ton, Sealey, Walton, Taylor, Barker, Warren, Wyberg, Whitley, Sefton, Lofley. JUNIOR REPS. The following team has been selected to represent the Auckland junior representatives against the Manukau Subi.niun senior representatives tomorrow: Fullback, Loomb; tnreequarters, Ashby, Blythe, Garlick; five-eighths. Cowan, llardtey; halfback, Inglis; forwards, Cobb, Papisch, Heane, Danby, Pollock, Gillett, McVeagh, Boswell; reserves, Pierce, Tapper, Hardy. Any player unavailable is requested to notify the "Rugby Union immediately. The team will leave the Post Office at one o'clock sharp. JUNIOR NOTES Grafton has certainly invested the junior championship semi-final with additional interest. The A section leaders, Ponsonby A, went under against Magpie’s superior back combination on Saturday by 20 points to 5. The writer anticipated Grafton’s min in last Friday’s notes, but not to the extent proved. Magpies’ back-line, last and dashing, improved beyond recognition late in the second round with practice and coaching, and principally by this means the team piled up the points against Ponies. The teams have to meet again to decide which shall opposo Grammar, winner of B section, in the battle tor the premiership. The second Ponsonby-Grafton clash is set down for tomorrow', but is likely to be postponed. The reason lies in the fact that the fate of whether Grafton, one of the oldest clubs in Auckland, can retain its status or be relegated to senior B, lies in tho club's ability to draw on its best junior players to field the best possible team against the challengers, Marathon.

A strong junior representative team, | selected from all clubs other than Grafton and Ponsonby, will travel to Pupakura tomorrow to meet the Manukau Sub-Union reps. The teams should bo fairly evenly matched, so that a keen contest should be staged. On September 28 two intermediate teams are to be sent to bluntly and Pukekohe, respectively. * * * Tho semi-final stage has now been reached in the fourth grade. Principal interest in Saturday’s fixtures will centre in the game* between Technical Old Boys and Grafton, which went down on Saturday, after having roundly trounced Technical a fortnight earlier.