Champion of Champions

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 781, 30 September 1929, Page 6

Champion of Champions

MARIST” S GREAT RUN OF SUCCESS

Brilliant League Club Final

THERE Lave been some great club games at Carlaw Park this year, but perhaps none better than the magnificent tussle which thrilled close on 10,000 spectators on Saturday. Marist won, 28—14, and thoroughly deserved its win, but the score does not indicate the tenseness of the game right up to within 10 minutes or so of the finish, or the wonderfully sustained pace, variety and brilliance on attack of the two teams. By its victory on Saturday, Marist earns the right to meet the crack Sydney club side nest month.

In one respect only (to be referred to later) did the game fail to reach the standard expected of a championship final. For the greater part of the game it was magnificent football. There have been some dismal prophecies this season about the League having fallen off, but Saturday’s match furnished a convincing and overwhelming answer to that contention. It can be said without hesitation that the standard of club play is definitely on the up grade, and some great football should be witnessed next year, with a wealth of fresh talent coming on and a trip to Australia to spur on the players. In some respects it has been a quiet year. It may even be admitted that the game has touched rock-bottom, with few big attractions to draw the crowds, but the League has every reason to feel that the foundation of the game—club football—has been severely tested and has come through the test with flying colours. The attendances have been well maintained, despite strong counter-attractions, and the club season finished on Saturday in a blaze of brilliance.

Before the game started on Saturday a nasty shock awaited not only the Marist supporters, but keen followers of the game who do not worry much who wins, so long as it is a good keen contest, with each side having a fighting chance. Neither Graham nor Moisley was able to take the field on account of injuries, and when it was learned that Brisbane, too, was unable to play owing to illness, it looked all up with the Tykes. Certainly Ponsonby was unlucky not to have J. Skelton and J. Peckliam. But its loss was nowhere near as serious as that of Marist, and it had Mclntyre back, although later on it was apparent that the little halfback was giving a great exhibition of sheer grit and determination in deciding to carry on under the handicap of a prevoius injury.

When all is said and done, Marist played one of the greatest games in the history of the club to lift the Stormont Shield for the second year in succession. It looked to be fighting a hard uphill battle all through the first spell, and when it rose to the occasion in the second half it gave a display of high-class football that would have been a credit to an international side. Ponsonby started off. full of vim and dash. It was a brilliant burst of combined play by Winters, Riley and McIntyre that fairly cut the Marist defences to pieces and left the Ponies with five clear points up. Nobody could have expected the wonderful way in which the Marist substitutes, McDonald, Johnson and Fleet, would rise to the occasion. But it was Johnson who opened the Marist saoring "with a great dash nearly half tho length of the field, and McDonald’s fine straight running, his resolute defence and dashing all-round play, was proving ample compensation for Brisbane’s inability to play. THREE-POINT LEAD

Meantime Gregory was holding the side together in masterly style. He got the Tykes out of trouble time and again by deadly tackling and clever clearances. He and McDonald it was who set Batchelor alight for another try close on half time, giving Marist a three-point lead, which, with full allowance for the Tykes’ gritty display, rather flattered the Iloope Rooster winners.

Ponsonby started the second spell full of confidence. The Ponies looked as if they meant business, and they hemmed Marist back into the Green twenty-five in a series of sweeping rushes. Only a great tackle by Gregory stopped Winters from scoring. Then came the injury to Delgrosso,

which caused a re-shuffle in the Pony rearguard and left the club champions a man to the bad, until a head injury to Clark evened up matters again. When Gardiner landed the second of his two penalty goals, however, the score was 13-9 in Marist’s favour. Ponsonby still had a fighting chance. Then it was that the superlative cleverness and dash of the Marist insides definitely turned the scales in favour of the Greens. Gregory and McDonald made the opening for a penalty try to Batchelor, which Referee Simpson unhesitatingly and rightly awarded for obstruction over the goal line. When the everreiiabl© Gregory put over the goal kick the score was 20—9 in Marist’s favour. PONSONBY CAME BACK But Ponsonby came back again in gallant style. Gardiner, playing like a giant possessed, led the Blues in a series of thrilling assaults on the Marist lines, and the Tykes’ defence fairly crumpled up under a spectacular dash by Pat Skelton. Gardiner’s conversion made it 20—14. The'pame was a thriller all the way. With the minutes flying, Ponsonby made a last desperate effort to smash its way across. Both sides were mak ing deplorable mistakes on defence, the tackling being as weak as watered milk, but attack and counter-attack by both sides were terrific. It was Marist’s old system of plaj r —forwards joining in with backs on a zig-zag front —that finally settled the issue. Brady, Batchelor. Duane and G. Campbell were all in a great movement which ended in the latter scoring. Then, and not till then, did Ponsonby throw up the sponge. The game ended with O’Brien sending Batchelor over for a ridiculously easy try. At the whistle, it was hard to realise that Marist had rattled on 20 points in a whirlwind second spell. j The tackling during the match ]

requires some plain speaking - . It was shockingly weak -at times. Give Skelton his duo for a lino try, nevertheless the fact remains that he ran past hall’ a dozen Marist men who looked to bo scared stiff to go hard and low for the big fellow. And Ponsonby, too, was just as bad at times. Have club players so soon forgotten the lesson of the first test last year which was won primarily by the wonderful tackling of Prentice, Wetherill. and Delgrosso? Certainly, this criticism can hardly be applied to Gregory, McDonald and Hassan, who won the match for their side as much by their great work on defence as by their superior thrust and cleverness on attack.

Once, McDonald fairly hurled himself at Gardiner when the big fellow had gone berserk in a shattering run down centre-field. McDonald got up looking very groggy, but it was one of the finest and gamest bits of work in the whole match. Gregory, too, did great work on defence.

To these three, a big share of the honours of the game are due. Gregory

and Hassan will not mind a special reference to McDonald, because they have been playing great football all the season, but it can be said that the youngster got his big chancb on Saturday, and he rose to it like a little chamcion. Certainly, his handling could bo improved, and he threw some bad passes, but he played a magnifi- j cent game all the same. The rest of the backs did not get so I much to do. but Batchelor was splendid on attack, and N. Campbell safe and reliable. Brady made some mistakes at centre, but lie was up against a hot proposition in Riley. All things considered, this beautifully-built little player gave a first-class display, solid, resolute running being a feature of his play. Duane played one of his best games, tie got into the heavy stuff like a good ’un. and used his great speed to advantage on a number of occasions. He can be unreservedly congratulated on his display. TWICE PENALISED Jim O’Brien was twice penalised wrongly, in the opinion of a number of close and experienced watchers of the game. There is an old story about giving a man a bad name. Nobody deserves more credit for Marists’ great come-back this year than the burly Jim, who is still one of the greatest forwards playing under either League or Rugby rules. Johnson fairly jumped at the opportunity to “make good.” He did some great work in the loose. G. Campbell, too, was right on his game—he hooked well and he got a well deserved try which put the result beyond any pos- , sible shadow of doubt. Fleet made a promising debut, and Clarke was doing great work up to the time he went off. Ponsonby was said to be lucky to win the club premiership from Devon - nort, but luck generally evens up in the long run, and the Ponies have certainly had their share of ups and downs lately. They played a great game on Saturday, but they were beaten by a better team, and that is all there is to it. In both the Rooster final and the Stormont Shield, Gardiner has been the dominating figure. He is the Ike Robin of the League game, a great giant of a fellow, who seems to have the ability to rise to the occasion. He is a player of moods, but nothing finer has been seen at Carlaw tor many a day than the wonderful way in which he rallied his side with defeat staring it in the face. It was certainly no fault of Gardiner’s that Ponsonby lost either the Rooster or the Stormont Shield. Great in the loose, and the possessor of tremendous kicking ability which Ponsonby should have used to better advantage this season, he deserves a high place in the outstanding individual performances of the match. Ponsonby’s besetting weakness throughout the match was poor following up and failure to support its men on attack. Fagan committed far too manv infringements to be really effective, but he was solid. Payne was better —a hard, solid grafter throughout. Whatever else may be laid at Moore’s door, there is no denying his grit and unquenchable spirit. He is a great battler under all circumstances. Stevens, too, played a great game in the tight, and Lunn also did well. First at fullback and later at first five-eighth, Thompson gave a really creditable display, considering that in both cases, he was out of his usual position. Winters is playing better with every match. He has improved out of sight in the last month or so. Riley was quick and clever at centre. Skelton was. in and out, but he scored the finest individual try of the match. Delgrosso was giving a glimpse of his old form up to the time he collapsed under a heavy tack’e from behind, and had to be carried off It was a stroke of real misfortune both for himself and his team.

OTAGO LEAGUERS WIN

CAIiTERE-URY BEATEN Press Association DUNEDIN, Today. Otago defeated Canterbury at League football on the Caledonian ground on Saturday by 24 points to 15. The weather was glorious, the attendance* being between 2,000 and 3,000. Otago juniors defeated Canterbury juniors by 19 points to 9.