Southland Outclasses Mid-Canterbury, 28.9

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 14

Southland Outclasses Mid-Canterbury, 28.9

RUGBY FOOTBALL

Southland, which will play Canter-, bury in the first 1954 Ranfurly Shield challenge match on Saturday, beat Mid-Canterbury yesterday by 28 points to 9, a margin of points that did not do full credit to the winners. Last Saturday Mid-Canterbury had beaten South Canterbury by 17 points to 6, and on Tuesday Canterbury was fully extended to beat South Canterbury by a solitary try to 0. From start to finish Mid-Canterbury was outclassed in every department of the game, and the play suggested that Southland, like Canterbury on Tuesday, took the game as a trial for the main engagement. The weather was more suitable for cricket than Rugby football and the ground was in ideal order for a fast, open display* All the highlights of the game were provided by Southland. A preponderance of the ball from scrums and lineouts presented many opportunities for the backs, who used the game for experiments.

In spite of the decisive win scored by Southland, it did not seem that Canterbury supporters need be greatly worried over the result. With the captain, W. A. McCaw, acting in the capacity of director of operations and taking comparatively little part in the actual play, the Southland backs and ior wards were so much superior to their opponents that the backs especially were allowed to take liberties that normally would not be taken. Too many balls that should have been taken comfortably were dropped and in the first spell the ball did not come away from the scrum in a manner that might be expected from players of the type of J. T. McKenzie, half-back, and A. L.’Wilson, first fiveeighths. The two sets of forwards appeared too light to compete with a properly drilled heavy-weight Canterbury scrum, although the Southland pack was always lively and might be troublesome on a heavy ground. Two Good Wings Southland is lucky to have two very fine wing three-quarters in E. S. Diack and R. W. Gilson, both of whom played in the AU Black trials last year. Gilson impressed as a very fine player of good physique, fine control of his hands and feet, and a likely scoring man in any company. Diack is a hard-running wing three-quarters who played for Otago last year and has the experience for big football. Miller, the full-back, played brilliantly against Otago last week. Yesterday his positional play left much to be desired, and his line-finding kicks were those of a good average full-back.

At five-eighths, A. L. Wilson figured more than once in elusive solo runs. Although R. S. Terry only played in the second half, his strong running impressed many who saw him at work. A young country back, Terry is the making of a splendid five-eighths, and only needs experience of big football. J. T. McKenzie, a half-back of some experience and engaged in the All Black trials, shot the ball away smartly from set scrums and had no difficulty in finding his first fiveeighths.

Of a good, honest if not outstanding set of forwards, C. E. Robinson, L. M. Miller, and A. McMeekan were most prominent.

Behind the Mid-Canterbury scrum the 14-stone half-back, B. Scotty showed himself as good as any playing in that position this season. He was seldom tackled in possession, and his passes from the scrum were long and crisp. The five-eighths, I. Humphrey and T. Gallagher, both had moments of brilliance in individual effort, and H. Cullen at wing three-quarters did some fine defensive work against stem opposition. . ■ Of the forwards, W. Whineray, M. J)ennis, and I. Gallagher were often prominent. Following were the teams:—

Southland.—J. T. Miliar; R. W. Gibson, K. A. Harrington, E. S. Diack; T. W. Edie, A. L. Wilson; J. T. McKenzie; W. X. McCaw (captain); C. 6. Ballam. A. J. McMeekan, G. Ronald, L. M. Miller, C. A. Lamb, C. E. Robinson, C. A. Woods. Mid-Canterbury.-LG. Baker; H. J. Cullen, S. W. Goodwin, E. I. Ralston; I. Humphrey, T. R. Gallagher; J. B- Scott; M. B. Dennis. W. Hunter. A. A. McLeod, B. W. Dwyer, I. Gallagher, W. J. Whineray, K. J. Smith. R. J. Ashworth. 4 The Scoring The game had not been going.'long before a long kick by Mid-Canterbury found

[the Southland backs out of place, and B. Dwyer, No. 8 forward, scored a try wide out. It was not long before the scores were even, for Southland took many risks in opening up the play, and after several passing rushes Gilson found the field clear for a good try. In a passing rush shortly afterwards Gilson beat man after rnan and his effort allowed McKenzie to race through for an easy try. Again Gilson came into the picture when he outclassed the Mid-Canterbuy defence with a dodgy run which gave him a try. For the third time the shot at goal missed. A penalty for offside play under the MidCanterbury posts gave an easy three points to the Southland full-back, Millar, and when Baker, the Mid-Canterbury fullback, attempted to clear the ball and failed to reach touch, Millar potted a goal. At half-time Southland led by 15 .points to 3. A penalty goal by T. Gallagher, awarded for an infringement in the line-out, reduced the margin of points, which were soon regained when Diack scored a try after Terry, who had replaced Edie in the Southland back line, had made the opening. T. Gallagher missed with a shot from a penalty goal, and from a loose ruck the ball went to Wilson, who left the mid-Canterbury backs standing and scored a try which Diack converted. A break from a scrum by the half-back, McKenzie, paved the way for a try by Terry, which Diack converted, and from a penalty near the Southland posts, Humphreys kicked a goal. Southland won by 28 points (two goals from tries, four tries, a penalty goal, and a potted goal) to 9 points (a try and two penalty goals). Mr K. Hood was referee.

N.S.W. TEAM BEATS HOROWHENUA VISITORS’ BACKS PLAY ENTERPRISINGLY (New Zealand Press Association) LEVIN, August 11. In a sparkling display, the New South Wales Country team beat Horowhenua, 23-13, at Levin today. The ground was the firmest the Australians had experienced on their tour, and it suited their fast, open style of play. The backs were particularly enterprising and were never seriously troubled by their opponents. Horowhenua opened the scoring and led for most of the first half. Just before half-time the tourists took the lead with a potted goal, to make the score 9-8. The visitors completely dominated play in the second half. For New South Wales, G. Davis scored three tries, N. Adams two tries, and R. Busch one try. Busch converted a try and M. Graham potted a goal. Horowhenua’s points came from tries by L. B. Steele and W. Southee, O. Sayer goaling from a penalty and kicking two conversions.

ELLESMERE SUB-UNION TEAMS The following team has been chosen to represent Ellesmere (holders) against Hurunui (challengers) for the Southbridge shield, to be played at Lancaster Park on Saturday, commencing at 1.30 p.m.:— G. Patterson; P. Fleming, M. Patterson, I. Pickering; G. Marshall, R. F. Apatu (vice-gaptain); J. Hartnell; R. Moffat; G. W. Amyes, R. Hudson, P. Smith, D. McMillan (captain); M. RaAhgen, G. Cox, S. Taylor. Emergencies: backs, J. Williamson, J. Coleman, B. Gilmour; forwards, J. McKenzie, J. Sharp, A. Saunders. The following team has been chosen to represent Ellesmere juniors against North Canterbury (challengers) for the Munro shield, to be played at Tai Tapu on Saturday, at 11 a.m.:— R. E. Allen; J. Quigley, B. Dailey, B. Johnson; J. Hoskins, G. Johnson; J. E. O’Connor (captain): J. Husband (vicecaptain), A. Jones. D. Heslop, W. M. Buckland, J. Manson, M. Fletcher, M. Chamberlain, E. Johnson. Emergencies: backs. B. Watson, D. McDonald, B. Miller (W.); forwards, M. Glen, G. Millar, C. Heslop. Team manager, Mr J. S. Moody.