CANTERBURY WIN

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 133, 7 June 1930, Page 11

CANTERBURY WIN

HOME TEAM SUPERIOR. MAGNIFICENT EXHIBITION. BRITAIN PLAYS DEFENSIVE. GAME. . i HUGE CROWDS SWARM THE FIELD. The following account of the Rugby match between Britain and Canterbury at Lancaster Park, Chrii3.teh.urch, to-day was taken this afternoon from the broadcast 'by 3YA. The crowd was estimated at about 32,000, and the match proved fully as fast and exciting : as the one last week at Wellington. The following are the teams:— Britain.—Bassett. Reeve, Aarvold, Bowcott, Jones-Davies, Knowies, Poole, Farrell, Martindale, M. S. Jones, Black, Dunne, Wilkinson, Beamish, Welsh. Canterbury.—H. Lilburne, C. Oliver, S. R. Carleton, G. Hart, F. D. Innes, D. M. Hay, W. C. Dalley, C. Scrimshaw, J. T. Burrows, A. I. Cottrell, G. T. Alley, R. T. Stewart, J.. E. Manchester, R. K. King, P. Serra. The captains were: Beamish (Britain) and Dalley (Canterbury). THE PLAY. Auckland reception from Christchurch was very erratic, and an account of the game could be picked up at infrequent intervals. There was a light north-east wind blowing, but it was not sufficient, to affect the play. The weather generally was gloriously fine and the ground was bone dry. The British team received a great ovation when Beamish led them on to the field. Aarvold received from the .kick-off and touch was found at halfway. Within three minutes a passing rush carried Canterbury over the opposing line. The name of the scorer could not be picked up. Canterbury 3 Britain 0

Following a few minutes' ragged play in which Canterbury were sternly on the defensive, Lilburne, with a splendid kick, reversed the. position. A free kick for Canterbury followed on tight work by the forwards.. The ball just went outside the posts and Britain forced. At this stage the announcers description of the play again became inaudible, but it was possible to hear just as a. mighty roar from the crowd announced a successful penalty goal by Carleton, which was the culmination of a sustained home attack, Canterbury .... — . 6 Britain 0 Then followed a force on Britain's line. The Canterbury forwards hammered again and Alley looked likely- to score, but a dribbling rush carried the ball into the dead area. Scrimshaw then got off-side, and from the scrum which followed Britain found the line. From the throw-in the British forwards took the ball on their toes right through to Lilburne, who saved brilliantly, finding touch in neutral territory. At half-time Canterbury were leading and had had all the best of the play. The game had. been in local ground only about three times. The half-time score was Canterbury 6 Britain 0 Second Half. On resuming Canterbury continued the pressure and penned Britain to its twenty-five. Bowcott, Aarvold and Davies endeavoured to break away in a passing bout, but could not get past- the solid Canterbury defence. At last Aarvold and Bowcott got clear and the ball came out to Reeve, who sprinted down the side-line and passed infield. The attack was only stopped when the ball was in the Canterbury twenty-five. When the game in the second spell was seven minutes old a British assault gave the visitors a score and the kick at goal was a beauty. It was again impossible to get the name of the scorer. Canterbury 6 Britain ..... .." 5 This seemed to set the British team going, and it looked as if the visitors would soon overhaul the Canterbury margin. According to the run of the play in the first half the local team should have had at least a fifteen-point lead. I

Further brilliant back plav liacl Canterbury defending madly. Davies fended off Hart's tackle, but was grassed from behind. Then Knowles went to witlun ten yards of the line. It was a veiy anxious time for Canterbury, but eagerness on the part of the British forwards brought about a penalty and (rreat relief. Toole inaugurated a quick movement, in which Bowcott figured brilliantly, but the tackling of the red and blacks was sound. The visiting forwards showed unrelaxed vigour and put the ball again into Canterbury's territory, where Bowcott put his boot in to secure a further advantage. The movement was capped by a penalty goal, which made the score Britain ® Canterbury 0 A fast game was becoming faster all the time, and Britain seemed to be holding its own more readily. They were securing most consistently from the scrum, and their backs were working like a machine. Canterbury, however, after being 011 the defensive for some little time, retaliated with a sudden dash, the outcome of which was the grassing of Hart three yards from the goal line. The visitors battled out of danger, but Canterbury came back again, and Dalley sent the ball to Hay, whose pass was dropped. The opposing backs snapped it up to retaliate again in thenturn. Bowcott was accounted for by Scrimshaw, but the former got the ball to Eeeve, Hay stopping the winger brilliantly. Play came to touch 011 the Canterbury side of half-way. ■ Brilliant Canterbury Play. Dalley, Hay, Innes, and Oliver swept back with a clean rush. Oliver sent infield, but the pass went astray, and the blue backs were quick to clear. From a half-way scrum Hay set off, then cut in, only to see all the ground he had gained retrieved by Aarvold, who mere j punted back.

But Canterbury persisted and from a, melee near the line Scrimshaw picked up and dropped the ball ere he coidd cross the line. Stewart raised hope with a wildly cheered pot, but the ball went under the bar. Canterbury Scores. Still attacking, Innes ran through the visiting forwards to the full-back and sent it on for another of the Canterbury •side to score. Lilburne goaled. Canterbury 11 Britain 8 "It is a wonderful game, full of pace and incident," said the radio announcer. Bowcott put the visitors on the attack from the kick off, but Oliver and Hare won the game back. Welsh and Wilkinson returned the play again with splendid footwork, but Lilbourne was safe. Beamish, who had been doing much obstruction, was penalised duiing a line-out. Lilburne had a shot near half-way, but the ball fell short of the bar. Stewart, Carlton and Scrimshaw, with splendid determination, carried attack right on to the British line, wheie there was a wildly exciting moment with Canterbury attacking as strenuously as Britain were defending. The British forwards worked the play back to the twenty-five, where a British passing bout finished with Aarvold in possession, but he fumbled, and the red and blacks pounced 011 the ball like a terrier on a rat. Dalley whipped round the scrum, passed in-field, and the bail got to within ten yards of the line. Here relief came to the British "team with a penalty for illegal scrimmaging. Scrimshaw sent his backs off again, but both Carleton and Hart dropped "their passes and with five minutes to go play centred ten yards from the British line. Stewart, whose magnificent play was a feature of the game, led the Canterbury forwards back again. Then Bowcott broke through but his long pass to Reeve, who was following up fast, was dropped. Another penalty against Britain gavo Lilburne the chance to put over another goal,. „ Canterbury 14 Britain 8 Before the play could take definite shape again, the final whistle shrilled out, and the game was over. Then the crowd swarmed over t.he field, and there was the weldest enthusiasm. The heroes of the day were undobtedly Lilburne and Stewart, though each man in Canterbury's side played magnificently. They had the 'better of fully three-quarters of the game, but they lost many scoring opportunities.

What a reception the crowd gave Lilburne! It was almost impossible to get liim to the dressing room.