SCHOOLS’ MATCH

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27111, 6 August 1953, Page 3

SCHOOLS’ MATCH

OTAGO BEATS CHRIST’S COLLEGE

Otago Boys’ High School beat'Christ’s College by 10 points (two ’ goals from tries) to 8 (a goal from a try and a try) in the annual match yesterday. College was the better team, but its inability to finish off some fine movements, and inaccurate goal kicking, cost it the game. Both Otago’s tries were runaway efforts. The teams were:—

Otago Boys’ High School.—J. N. McGill; W. B. Russell, K. A. Wing (captain), P. C. Dickson; H. J. Wills, D. J. L. Chetwin, N. R. Cotton; S. R. Horne; J. R. Scott, R. A. R. Black, R. J. Klitscher, B. H. James; E. A. Fleming, J. D. McKenzie, D. G. McAllister..

Christ’s College.—J. W. Clarke (captain); A. J. Park, R. L. McGee, R. M. Ford; P. H. EHworthy, H. C. Prain, K. R. Greenslade; C. S. Batchelor; R. Williams, D. W. Russell. P. P. Kennan, J. D. Hutchinson; A. R. Cottrell, R. S. Stevenson, R. W. M. Greenslade.

The game, which was the sixty-eighth between the two schools, 70 years after the series was begun, was played at the College ground in cold, misty weather before a large number of spectators. The ground was wet, an d while it offered a reasonable foothold, it made the ball sometimes difficult to handle.

The second half will make the match remembered as a thrilling display of schoolboy football. With two tries scored in five minutes after resumption, the crowd settled down to 35 minutes of excitement. College won practically every set scrum, and its backs were able to dictate the play. Two well-matched sets of forwards fought solidly for the ball in the loose, but College generally managed to gain possession. In the College team Greenslade (halfback) was the best. The remainder of the back line were all prominent with the exception of Park, who did not impress. In the forwards Cottrell, Stevenson, and Russell played well. For Otago McKenzie and Black were good. All the Otago backs were good. especiaHy Cotton (half-back), Chetwin (first five-eighths), and Wing (centre three-quarters). The Scoring The first try was a surprise. College had made two probes deep in Otago territory and a try seemed imminent. From a line-out Cotton received the baU and passed to Chetwin. Willis secured and broke through to draw Clarke. McKenzie. racing in support, received the ball and ran round behind to score. Wing converted. At half-time Otago led by 5 points to 0. The second try was a repetition of the first, only more breathtaking, and came within 30 seconds of play being resumed. College had thrown four attacks at the Otago line, but could not get through a solid wall of tackling. In the fifth attack Wing intercepted a wild pass from Prain to Ellworthy. From inside his own twenty-five he ran for more than 40 yards with the ball. As Park tackled him he handed on to Russell, who raced down the centre of the field, with College backs in pursuit, and touched down between the posts. Wing converted. College swept back and rucked the ball in a melee after a line-out. Greenslade secured and barged across in the corner for an unconverted try. For the remainder of the 'match College was inside Otago territory for most of the time. Otago not once looked like scoring. College was unlucky. Time and again spectators leaped to their feet expecting to see a College player go over, but it was not until Russell caught Cotton in possession after a ruck on the Otago goal line that they were rewarded. Clarke converted. With half a minute to go College was given its last opportunity to make good with a penalty goal. The proverbial pin would have made a lot of noise .as Clarke paced his six steps back. The kick wpnt outside the far upright by a matter of inches. Mr J. Kirk was referee.

MALVERN SUBUNION

DARFIELD WINS SENIOR COMPETITION

Darfield, with 19 points, won the Malvern Rugby Sub-Union’s senior competition this year, and will receive the Senior Shield, the Gray Cup. and the Centennial Shield. R.N.Z.A.F., Weedons, was second with 12 points. It also won the Tollerton memorial prize for best dress, punctuality, and conduct.

The following were the positions ol teams:—

Darfield, 19 points; R.N.Z.A.F., Weedons. 12; Kirwee. 11; Black Diamonds, 8; Sheffield 7; Hororata, 3.

Points gained for the other three trophies were:—

Gray Cup.—Darfield 9, Kirwee 6. R.N.Z.A.F., Weedons, Black Diamonds, and Sheffield 4, Hororata 3.

Centennial Shield.—Darfield 27, Black Diamonds 21, Kirwee 14. Tollerton Memorial.—R.N.Z.A.F., Weedons, 38. Darfield 31$, Black Diamonds and Sheffield 28, Kirwee 265, Hororata 26. The Junior Cup was won by Black Diamonds with 13 points; Combined with 12 points was second; Darfield had 8 points, and Kirwee 3.

RUGBY LEAGUE

AMERICANS BEAT TARANAKI

N.Z. PLAYERS SCORE ALL TRIES

(New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH. Aug. 5. The American Rugby League team, which included four New Zealand players, today beat Taranaki by 21 points (five tries, two of them converted, and a dropped goal) to 18 (four tries, three of them converted), before about 3000 persons at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth. Conditions were ideal.

There were but the briefest patches of good football, but the Americans did their best to give the crowd something by which to remember them. They are still ignorant of many of the finer points, but they hurled long passes almost with the speed of bullets, dummied, and tackled very solidly indeed, but it was the four New Zealanders, T. Hardwick. R. Roff, F. Mulcare, and D. Barchard, who gave most of the thrust. Mulcare was outstanding. Roff won the scrums for them 20 to 1. and, with Barchard and Hardwick, was alert for the slightest opportunity. The five Americans tries came from Mulcare (3). Hardwick, and Roff. The Taranaki team was disappointing. Two of the backs who did live up to their reputations, however, were R. McKay, the Kiwi representative, and C. Mallinder, a former Wellington representative.

Kaufmann converted two of the Americans’ tries and kicked a dropped goal. Taranaki's points came from tries by R. McKay (2), R. Edwards, and R. McKinnon. McKay converted three.