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oa i | yr: Sue Charlebois * Sports editor *« Irish deflate Bulls in last second by Doug Reed Midland Bulls Rucker Club, playing in the Ontario rugby league, came within a whisker of defeating visiting Toronto Irish last Saturday. Irish locked the game up on literally the last second of play with a drop- kick goal for three points from 35 yards out to make the final score 16-15 for Irish. It was probably the best game Bulls have ever played since forming several years ago. Midland actually was ahead for most of the 60 minutes the game was played on the pitch at Midland Secondary School. Midland took command early after Irish arrived later than had been expected. For the Toronto team it was to be their second game of the day. Todd Clark opened the scoring for Bulls on a 25-yard romp for Midland's first four-point try. John Gibson failed to convert for the extra two points and it was 4-0 Midland. John Nix scored Midland's next try from seven yards out with all sorts of Irish players mauling him as he went over the goal line. And it was 8-0 Midland after their second two-point convert attempt failed. Then it was Todd Clark weaving his way through Irish players on a 65 yard dash to make it 12-0 Bulls. Their third convert missing the mark. Ahead 12-7 With less than fives minutes to go in the first half Irish scored an un- Exciting rugger action converted try and a penalty kick it was 12-7 for Midland going into the last half. Irish opened the scoring on a try they converted to a jump ahead 13-12. But it wasn't over for Bulls who bounced back with a penalty kick off the foot of Bob Krista for three points and it was 15-13 for Midland going into the last two minutes of the match. Bulls' efforts were deflated though on the final play of the game when Irish kicked a drop kick goal for three points to win the game 16-15. The game was a lively affair with only one official as usual, the referee in charge of the game. For Bulls it was the first game they have played since the pitch (playing field) went metric. The field 100 meters long saw both sides play 15 men at a time in some of the most exciting rugger we have seen in years. Players, dressed in only jerseys, shorts, socks and boots: and some wearing headbands or scrum caps literally tackled each other into submission. Their scrums, rucks and mauls were especially devastating. So it is rest and relaxation until the fall schedule when most of Bulls' scheduled games will be home affairs. Saturday's turnout of fans was most encouraging and if Bulls continue to improve the way they have of late they'll be real contenders this falls when action resumes. Well done Bulls! Rugger? Soccer- football? Not quite! by Doug Reed What is rugby? It is a combination of soccer and football. It is an exhausting sport. The official rugby league' allows 13 members on each team to play at a time while the rugby uion (amateur) calls for 15 players to be fielded at a time. The rugby ball is fatter than our North American football. Made of leather or other approved material it measures 11 inches in length and is oval in shape. Each half can range from 30 to 40 minutes depending on _ the league. The scoring is rather simple: four points for a try (grounding the ball in the opposition's goal area). Three points for a drop kick goal, two posi ag Ppostes points for a conversion and three points for a penalty kick goal. Team change ends at the half following a five minute interval (in- termission). A referee may caution and or dismiss players and award penalty kicks and tries if things get a bit rowdy. Since rugger is a gentleman's game this doesn't often occur. Although there are plenty of bumps and bruises when the game finally ends so does the hard feelings that might have developed over the gruelling match. Players wear very little protective gear aside from shin guards, and the name of the game is to wrestle the ball away from your opponent and run like the devil with it. The best action is Top Canadian OTTAWA -- The Post Office has just issued a 17- cent stamp to mark the accomplishments of a Toronto-born oarsman, Ned Hanlan. He was the first Canadian rower ever to win a world championship. In 1880 Hanlan won the title and remained champion until 1884. He died in 1908. when players pee! off in order to catch the ball from their mates...this can be done in a series of plays that may ex- tend from one side of the field to the other as players rush towards their opponent's goal line. The best way to un- derstand the game is to attend Midland Bulls next home game in September and ask lots of questions. The fans are keen and they know their rugger. - Where do the ball go? Traffic jam on MSS' pitch Senior ball hockey IGA Strikers on top in race for first place Penetang IGA Strikers have taken over as the class of the senior division ball hockey teams with a convincing 6-2 pasting of the Dupuis Groceteria Leafs. The game, played last Thursday, pitted the league's top two con- tenders against one another. A single point separated the two Penetang sponsored teams. Strikers' win knocked the Leafs into second spot, one point behind the Strikers and only three ahead of the Cumming-Nicholson Stompers. On Sunday, all three top teams picked up wins so the standings remain changed following the fight for first last week. John Larmand paced the IGA Strikers' attack against the Leafs, firing two goals past Dupuis' goalie Mike Duquette. Three St. Amants-- Brian, John and Dan-- added singles, along with Paul Lefaive. Terry King and Basil Ladouceur got the two Leaf goals. On Sunday Penetang IGA dumped E.G. Mink Insurance Premiums 8- 2 while Dupuis Groceteria edged Dock Lunch 8-5. Third place Cumming-Nicholson is back on track after a five game _ slump. Sunday they beat M. Forget Construction 6-5 and beat the Dock Lunch Penguins 4-3 last Thursdday. Stewart's Gulf Oilers picked up another win Sunday, beating V. Robitaille Construction 3-1. The two points keep them in fifth spot, two points behind McLarney Marine Vikings. The Vikings were upset Sunday 5-4 by the Hustlers. Stewart's Gulf had battled the same Hustlers to a 4-4 draw last Thursday, scoring with 20 seconds left to . play. With four games left for each team to play, playoff spots could be decided very soon. It's still anybody's game for first spot. In fact, only four points separate the top three teams. The next three teams are all bunched up in the standings too. Even the lowly Dock Lunch Penguins, still looking for their first win of the season, will make the playoffs, which start July 22. Graphics climb back into first For one brief day the Pen-Mid Merchants of the junior ball hockey league were in first place after their 13-2 win over the Penetang Legion Sunday af- ternoon. Then they played Graphics Monday night and got bombed 8-0. It's back to second place for the Merchants, one point behind Graphics. In the Sunday win, Merchant Carl Cowan scored five times to lead his team to victory. Rob Huson got a hat trick, Pat Duval scored twice, as did David Gravelle. Brian Garner added a single for the Pen-Mid team. Blair McReynolds and Greg St. Amant were the only marksmen for the last place Legion team. They lost again Monday night 4-0 to Olympia Sports. Olympia Sports won their third game of the season Sunday, beating Graphics 6-3. Lyle Buttineau got four goals for the Sport. Hawks. Brian McReynolds and Louis Pilon rounded out the scoring. Wayne King replied twice for Graphics. Colin Restrup got the third goal in a losing cause. Jobs at Wonderland Canada's Wonderl- and, the 320-acre park north of Toronto off Hwy 400, opens next May. The $108 million park will provide 170 per- manent jobs and 3,000 seasonal jobs. An estimated 2 million guests will visit Won- derland in the first year. Wednesday, July 9, 1980, Page 15