RUGBY FOOTBALL CANTERBURY WINS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26516, 3 September 1951, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL CANTERBURY WINS

UNINSPIRING GAME AT TIMARU J. W. GODDARD PLAYS WELL (From Our Own Reporter) . . TIMARU, September 1. Canterbury beat South Canterbury by 20 points to 6 at Fraser Park, Timaru, this afternoon, in an uninspiring match. The ground was hard and the weather cold and overcast. The teams were;— South Canterbury.—J. W Goddard; L. Jack, M. P. Goddard, J. Taylor; C. Wilson, T. Doherty; R. Green; R. Sharpe, B. Fitzgerald. D. B. Gibb, E. P. H. Smith, J. S. Brooking, G. Cormack, M, Casey, I. Paterson. Canterbury.—K. C. Stuart; K. Davidson, A. E. Elsom, R. Smith; B. McCormick, J. Hotop; M. Logan; A. Couling, R. C. Stuart, E. Hern, R. H. Duff. K. Meates, P. Eastgate, D. Young, I. Mitchell. South Canterbury opened the scoring but Canterbury equalised within the first eight minutes of play. Twelve minutes later Canterbury established a lead which it kept throughout the match. The halftime score was 11-6.

K. C. Stuart, for Canterbury, played a grand game at full-back. His kicking was sure most of the time although he missed several shots at goal from easy positions. Elsom at centre and Smith and Davidson on the wings played wtll and were well served from their inside backs, Hotop, who made some fine runs, and McCormick. Couling, Young, and Meates were prominent among the Canterbury forwards. J. W. Goddard at full-back was the best South Canterbury player on the field. His kicks were strong and sure and his defensive play was excellent. At centrethreequarters, M. P. Goddard, and the left wing, Taylor, played well, and Wilson and Doherty mad? some good runs. The half-back. Green, caught the Canterbury backs off balance a number of times with his fast breaks round the blind side of the scrum, but he was usually stopped by the hard tackling Canterbury inside backs. Cormack and Paterson and Gibb worked hard in the South Canterbury pack. Both teams threw the ball about and tried to keep play open, but there was little brilliance and the match was unspectacular. The forwards worked well both in the tight and loose. The defensive play on both sides was good and few back passing movements were allowed to go far.

The Play After four minutes of play J. W. Goddard opened the scoring for South Canterbury with a penalty goal from 45 yards out and straight in front of the posts. Three minutes later K. C. Stuart equalised with a penalty goal from the twenty-five yard line. M. P. Goddard, Wilson, Green, and Gibb came away from a ruck and made a fine run up the field. A sure scoring chance was missed when Gibb dropped a poor pass from Green 20 yards from the line. The next points came when Hern and Eastgate broke away near the half-way mark and ran down the touchline for Eastgate to score. K. C. Stuart converted. After 20 minutes of play Canterbury scored again when Smith passed to Elsom, took a return pass, and raced down the sideline for a good try. Wilson for South Canterbury kicked a penalty goal. The half-time score was 11-6 in favour of Canterbury. Within 'a few minutes of resuming, K. Stuart kicked a penalty goal, to put Canterbury eight points in the lead. Canterbury added to its score with a fine try by Mitchell, who got possession from Smith, from loose, play near half-way, and with a clear field touched down five yards from the corner. The kick missed. Almost.on time, Elsom scored after a passing rush. The kick missed. Canterbury won by 20 points (a goal from a try, three tries, and two penalty goals) to 6 (two penalty goals). Mr J. Fraser was referee. In a curtain-raiser, the South Canterbury fifth grade representatives beat a Belfast fifth grade side by 33 points to 14.

COLTS'MATCH

CANTERBURY BEATS OTAGO LAST MINUTE TRY

Any doubt as to the quality of the material available for Rugby in the future was dispelled on the oval at Lancaster Park on Saturday when team* of colts (players under the age of 21 years) from Canterbury and Otago engaged in an exhilirating display of Rugby which had few dull moments. At all times play was fast and open, and the changing fortunes of the teams added zest to the game. The Otago men, who had had a game against Southland two weeks ago, appeared the more experienced in the early stages, and settled into their work so effectively that when half-time was called they had established a lead of 18 points to 8. Canterbury set out in the second spell to bridge the big gap. and the score went from 18-8 to 18-11, to 18-14, to 1817. to 21-17, to 21-20. and in the last minute of the game Canterbury took the lead for the second time with a thrilling try, to make the final scores Canterbury 23, Otago 21. Following were the teams:— Canterbury.—D. Mayo, J. Douglas, D. Taylor, R. Borwick, M. Munnerley, J. Waine. P. Collins. J. Cummings, B. Stewart, E. Bullmore, K. McNicholl, D. McMillan, A. Moore, D. Bryson, P. Stuart. Otago.—R. Edgar, R. Borland, L. Ross, D. Rout, M. McLeod, R. Archer, L. Edwards, N. Moore. J. Keegan, T. Farquharson, A. Kane, J. Betting, K. Scott, W. Drury, R. Swan. Both teams staged passing rushes in the early part of the game, and D. Taylor, the Canterbury centre, showed plenty of dash when he cut through the Otago backs. Rout, the Otago wing, showed speed in a dash for the line, and the quality of Otago was shown when McLeod, the first five-eighths, made a straight run in the manner of a Ron Elvidge, cutting straight through the Canterbury inside men. His pass was cut off when a try seemed likely, but the position was retrieved When the halfback, Edwards, who had been throwing out long well-directed passes, scored a fine try after running from a loose scrummage. Edgar converted. A grubber kick by Collins set the ball rolling for Canterbury, and Waine and Munnerley were almost over. Ross, the Otqgo centre, raced past Taylor, and Douglas, the Canterbury wing, was called on for stout defence. Collins again set his backs going, and after Waine had been tackled by Archer. Douglas put in a determined dash before in-passing to B. Stewart, who scored for Mayo to convert. Taylor made the next try when he broke through and passed to the quickmoving full-back, Mayo, who scored. His kick hit an upright. Otago regained the lead when Edwards secured from a loose ruck, and handling by Archer, McLeod and Ross ended when Ross raced past Taylor to score a try which Edgar converted. Rout, the Otago wing, was almost over when he badly beat Borwick, and Immediately a penaltygoal was kicked by Edgar. McLeod, who had been playing very well, received from Edwards and raced past Munnerley and Waine to score a try which Edgar converted. At half-time Otago led by 18 points to 8. / Fast Play In Second Spell Mayo reduced the lead with a long, low shot at goal, and a splendid burst by Douglas paved the way for a try by McNicholl. After Collins had received from a set scrum he made a fast, dodgy run and passed to Taylor, who scored a very good trv. The score was now 18-17 in Otago’s favour.

Collins committed a breach in putting the ball in the scrum, and Edgar kicked his second penalty goal. Collins made amends, however, when he worked the blind side and passed to Borwick, who beat three men in scoring a try. It was a bright effort. With the score at 20-21 and the clock showing that time was almost up. Canterbury was still one point behind, from the half-way mark Collins, Waine. and Munnerley’started passing, and 25 yards from the line the ball went to Cummings, the Training College forward, who showed surprising speed in his race for a try. He reached the line just in time to give Canterbury a win by 23 points (a goal from a try, five tries and a penalty goal) to, 21 points (three goals from tries, and two penalty goals). Both full-backs, Mayo (Canterbury) and Edgar (Otago), were sound, and wing-three-quarters in J. Douglas (Canterbury) and D. Rout (Otago) showed most promising form. Edwards, the Otago halfback, gave fine service from the scrum, and of the forwards. Moore, Scott, and Kane (Otago), and Cummings. Bullmore, and P. Stuart (Canterbury) were the best. Mr L. Walsh was referee.

NORTH CANTERBURY SUB-UNION

In the final of the North Canterbury Sub-Union’s under 20 knock-out competition Rangiora beat Southbrook by 29 points to 3. The following is the draw for the North Canterbury Sub-Unton’s competition matches on Saturday next:— Junior—Ox v. Cu (Mr Cowens); Oh v. Rang (Mr Wagner). 1.15 p.m. A match will be played at Dudley Park between Canterbury Colts and a North Canterbury junior representative side. Mr Grant ia referee.