CANTERBURY’S 15-3 WIN

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25610, 27 September 1948, Page 5

CANTERBURY’S 15-3 WIN

RUGBY FOOTBALE

match with south CANTERBURY

LAST REPRESENTATIVE GAME .The last representative game for the 1948 season in Canterbury was played at Lancaster Park on Saturday in conditions that were all in favour of bright and open football. The oval, which still carries a good sole of grass after a .heavy season’s work, had been improved by the rain on Friday, and there was hardly a breath of wind to interfere with the handling of an easy ball. Canterbury won a bright, open game by 15 points to 3, making its forty-second win in the 55 games played between the two unions. Both teams set out to play the open game and, while the South Canterbury backs included J. W. and M. P. Goddard, likely All Blacks, Canterbury’s back-line, with the exception of J. Roach and L. Savage, consisted of young players who had had little experience of representative football.

The Canterbury forwards had the edge on their opponents all through the game and, while the hooker, M D. Hodgins, secured a fair share of the ball, the real advantage lay in line-dut work and individual dribbling efforts by the forwards. The greatest interest of the game centred in the play of M. P. Goddard, who was expected to provide the fireworks that have made him one of the most brilliant players in New Zealand football during the last two years. The crowd had reason to be disappointed. Although Goddard was not getting a regular supply of the ball, he was given enough chances to have shown some sign of his great brilliance. At no stage did he resemble the player who has provided thrills in so many games. It says a great deal for the tackling of the young Sydenham centre, M. Dixon, that Goddard was kept subdued. Dixon played a very fine game in a responsible position and, while he was sound on defence, he gave the Canterbury back line a thrust that it had not had in previous games this year. With L. Savage and later P. B. Vincent behind the scrum receiving a good supply of the ball and sending it away smartly to Roacn, the young backs raced into their work with a purpose and with a confidence that was good to see. Both Savage and Vincent played bright football, Vincent especially providing thrills in sharp dashes from the scrum. Kitchingham, at second five-eighths, playing his first game for Canterbury, proved a straight runner with an eye for an opening, and his passes to Dixon seldom went astray.. In turn K. Davidson and A. Harding, wing three-quarters, received their chances and carried on with the good work. Each young player tackled well and took heavy tackles in return, and both showed a determination in going for the line that was refreshing. A Promising Full-back In K. Stuart, the Marist player, who Is still eligible for junior grade football, Canterbury has a full-back who may do big things next- season. He ptayed with the assurance of a veteran, handling accurately and putting plenty of power behind his long line-kicks. He came up into the attack more than once, choosing the time with judgment, and he showed that he could tackle when he brought down M. Goddard on one of his characteristic dashes to the goal-line. For this effort Stuart deserved the applause accorded him. While the young backs all did particularly well on attack and defence, they were assisted by the generalship of J. Roach, whose kicking to gaps had the South Canterbury defence all at sea.

J. W. Goddard, at full-back for South Canterbury, played a game that was sound without being marked by any great show of brilliance. He did what came his way in the* manner of a tradesman and on occasions got his side out of difficulties with a clever jink and a long line-kick. He seemed a little surprised at the speed and thrust of Davidson’s attack when the latter scored his try. The crowd would have appreciated a real sample of M. P. Goddard’s brilliance, but young Dixon, the Canterbury centre, had other ideas on the subject and effectively carried out his intention of bottling Up the Timaru flyer. Goddard was taking few risks and was possibly holding something in reserve for his big trial next Saturday.

R. T. Pratley and J. Taylor, wing threequarters, were given few chances on attack because of the sure tackling of their opposite numbers and the inability of their inside backs to get the ball out smartly. Both showed ability, especially Pratley, who kicked a field goal and several times got his side out of trouble by clever defence. More than ones he raced -behind his own goal-line and sent the attack back with long line-kicks. D. Keane, at half-back, substituting for the regular scrum half, J. Coulter, was plucky enough in stopping forward rushes, but there was no speed in his passes from the scrum, and the two fiveeighths, A. Moore and J. Fraser, often took the ball flat-footed. Line-kicking on defence was the best feature of their Play.

Bond and Stuart Impress The outstanding forwards for Canterbury were G. Bond and R. Stuart. Bond, No. 2 in the line-out, did not get the ball as often as McKenzie and Chandler, but time and time again he broke away with the ball at toe dribbling in the manner of a really great forward. The speed at which he went away from loose scrum and line-out was shown by the poor support he received in these dashes. Seldom was another player handy enough to capitalise on his good work. R. Stuart was another splendid worker all through. He handled with the sureness and precision of a back, and, a utility forward, he acted as half-back when Savage or Vincent was buried under the scrum. Stuart w probmost improved forward in Canterbury this season. Surprisingly little was seen of D. Herman, whb did his best work in the line-out where B. Chandler and A. D. McKenzie also shone. In the loose, there was no more energetic worker than I. Mitchell. L. A. Grant, recognised as one of the best line-out forwards in New Zealand, did not shine with his usual brilliance for South Canterbury, and, like M. P. Goddard, appeared to be saving himself for a more important engagement. In loose forward work he was often noticeable, and he tackled opposing backs with plenty of vigour. J. Bryce was one of the best forwards on the ground, for he performed well in the line-out and was always in the heavy work, and at the head of loose rushes. B. Fitzgerald, playing the loose forward game, frequently broke from the side of the scrum to race amongst the Canterbury backs, and it was possibly this quick breaking that unbalanced the scrum and allowed Canterbury to gain possession of the ball. M. Harrington and C. Chamberlain were honest workers in a good, average pack. The teams were:—

Canterbury.—K. Stuart; K. Davidson, M. Dixon, A. Harding; G. Kitchingham, J. Roach; L. Savage: G. Bond, M. Hodgins, I. Mitchell; D. Herman, R. Duff, B. Chandler, R. Stuart; A. D. McKenzie. L. Savage and G. Kitchingham were injured and were replaced by P. B. Vincent and J. Gascoyne. South Canterbury.—J. W. Goddard; J. Taylor, M. P. Goddard, R. T. Pratley;,A. S. Moore, J. Fraser, D. Keane; N. H. Hobbs, C. Chamberlain, I. Paterson; L. A. Grant, B. Fitzgerald, J. Bryce, E. Smith; M. Harrington. In the second spell, S. Grant replaced Harrington.

Incidents in the Play Soon after the start of the game, J. Goddard narrowly missed with a shot from a penalty 35 yards out, and he was called on for solid defence when Savage gained ground with a kick and Bond and Chandler headed a forward rush. Harding tackled Taylor in possession, and glaring offside play by a South Canterbury forward gave K. Stuart a chance to open the scoring with a penalty goal. South Canterbury kept Canterbury penned in its own twenty-five until R. Stuart kicked to half-way where, after loose play, the ball went out to Davidson, who beat Pratley for speed, outpaced other backs, and fended off J. Goddard as he dashed over at the corner. K. Stuart missed the shot at goal. Fraser made a good attempt to pot a goal, and Pratley was called on for fine defence when the Canterbury forwards broke through. Moore passed out to M. Goddard and was on hand to take a pass outside, but the movement broke down. Davidson missed in an attempt to tackle Pratley, who raced inside and potted a goal. _ Some clever passing between Savage, Kitchingham, Harding, and back to Savage ended in Savage scoring at the corner. The kick at goal failed. The whole Canterbury pack combined in a dribbling rush, and Pratley forced in time. Savage, who had been playing a bright game, injured a leg and retired. P. B. Vincent came on. At halftime Canterbury led by 9 points to 3. Early in the second spell, Kitchingham kicked too hard, and J. Goddard returned play with a kick that gained 50 yards. Pratley narrowly missed with a shot at goal from half-way, and S. Grant came on in place of Harrington, injured. K. Stuart sent in a long kick and got up in time to tackle J. Goddard in possession. From the loose, Roach just failed to get to the goal-line. When a scrum was formed on the South Canterbury line, the ball came out to R. Stuart, who scorfed a simple try. J. Goddard had a shot from a penalty, and M. Goddard narrowly missed with a pot at goak K. Stuart tackled Taylor when the latter looked like scoring, and Kitchingham, after being heavily tackled by L. Grant, left the field and was replaced by J. Gascoyne. K. Stuart, with a good kick, added another penalty goal to Canterbury’s total. Canterbury won by 15 points (three tries and two penalty goals) to 3 points (a potted goal). Mr J. Garthwaite was the referee.