DOWN THE GRADES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1021, 11 July 1930, Page 8

DOWN THE GRADES

NOTES ON SENIOR B MATCHES For the first time in two seasons, Marathon’s colours were lowered on Saturday, by Parnell, who scored a decisive victory by the substantial margin of 15 points to 6. Parnell’s success was the result of its employment of wet day tactics, the sweeping forward rushes keeping Marathon on the defensive for the greater part of the game, while the backs performed their part well by maintaining the pressure with judiciously placed kicks. Among the Maroon forwards, who were markly inferior to their opponents on the day, Newland and Davis, were prominent: for their dribbling coming through the ruck, and in leading loose rushes. Hill and Clark were the best of the backs, while Dyett’s exhibition at fullback was exceptionally good, He handled the greasy ball excellently, and his powerful line-kicking was particularly valuable. Marathon could not find its feet* on the wet ground, and its open style of play was cramped by tho difficulty of opening up passing rushes. In the latter stages, Marathon hurled in desperate forward sorties in an effort to snatch victory, , the rushes however, lacking the finish to carry them to scoring account. The five-eighth, Wales, was easily Maratlion’s outstanding player. Because of the non-appearance of the referee appointed, Otahuhu and Tramways were compelled to play two short spells at Victoria Park. The game was uninspiring, Otahuhu early gaining a five-point lead, which it held to the finish. The country fifteen were superior in the forwards, but were prevented from increasing the lead by the splendid defensive work of the veterans, Mitchell, Warren and McCoy in the back division. Of the forwards, Ross, Williams, and Jones, as rover, worked hard in the tight and showed fine dash in the loose. The Tramways pack toiled hard, but lacked cohesion. The Otahuhu backs wero more solid than brilliant, several scoring chances being lost through tho threequarters being unable to hold the greasy ball. The drawn game—three points all—played by Eden and Varsity B at North Shore, provided good football, considering the ground conditions. The Eden forwards were superior as a pack, controlling the ball better in tho set scrums and the tight. The rover, Purdie, and Hayes, Andrews and Holmes were the best of an even lot. The Varsity forwards, who were without tho services of Kaa and Boswell, brought off some excellent loose rushes, but did not pack solidly, enabling the Eden forwards to break ihrough continuously with the result that the Varsity backs were called upon to do an abnormal amount of rush stopping. Among them Watts, half, and and McGlashan, fullback, were outstanding, while Babbage played a very dashing game well adapted to the conditions and Stewart showed surprisingly good handling. The Eden backs handled the greasy ball very well, but might with advantage, have exploited footwork to a greater extent. The halfback, Manning, played a particularly good game and Cowan, Ellis and Campbell were also prominent.