RUGBY Christchurch Retains Narrow Lead

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28927, 22 June 1959, Page 14

RUGBY Christchurch Retains Narrow Lead

With a good win over Technical by 18 points to 6 at Lancaster Park on Saturday, Christchurch retains its position at the head of the senior championship points table. Linwood was displaced from its position as equal second with High School Old Boys when it could only draw with SunnysideSpreydon, and the team now shares third position with University.

After trailing 9-5 at half-time. High School Old Boys made a good recovery to beat Sydenham, and Marist had a good win over New Brighton. In a game in which all the points were scored by penalties, Merivale had a narrow win over Albion, and University had an easy victory over Belfast in a rugged match. Results of games were.— High School Old Boys 14, Sydenham 9. Marist 17, New Brighton 11. University 24, Belfast 5. Christchurch 18. Technical 6. Merivale 6, Albion 3. Linwood 3, Sunnyside-Sprey-don 3. Competition points are:—

GOOD GAME ON OVAL CHRISTCHURCH 18. B. McPhail (2), K. Orsbourn, K. Harmon tries, G. Watereus three conversions. TECHNICAL 6. K. Howison a try, B. Richards a penalty goal.

Technical fielded a bustling, hard-rucking pack of forwards which should have been rewarded for their efforts with more than the one try which the backs secured. But the backs lacked any semblance of thrust unless B. Richards came into the line and on those occasions faulty handling prevented the movements from reaching fruition. Christchurch, on the other hand, used its possession well, with both inside barks and wings punching through the defences and the attacks kept going with centring kicks or through the application of the tackled ball law. In the first half the Christchurch backs provided some excellent movements and towards the end of the second spell, after quite a period on defence, they again delighted with some fine rushes. For much of the time the Technical backs tackled well, but they had no answer to the mid-field bursts of R. M. Smith, whose weaving runs left the defenders completely flummoxed. Smith was without doubt the best back on the field and although twice he left his opnosite numbers unguarded when he raced in abortive attempts to tackle inside backs, at other times he completely unsettled the Technical line by this move. His attacking play was magnificent. On the other wing for Christchurch. B. McPhail gave as sound an exhibition of copybook tackling including head-on tackles of forwards—as has been seen for some time. He received fewer opportunities on attack, but scored two good tries—both of which Smith had a hand in. D Harding and B Watt combined smoothly for much of the game but Harding was often bustled into errors in the second half and his service suffered. K. Harmon improved with every game. Especially does he impress with his straight, hard running.

G. Watereus was sound at fullback. although slightly shaded by B. Richards, who had a very hard day. Richards often came into a Technical attack and made a break at least twice, but each time the movement was halted.

After its first back movement —which brought an excellent try —the Technical line disappointed Part of the trouble stemmed from a slow and floating service from W. Strong and part from indecision on J. Waine’s part. Outside Waine. K. Howison and D. Taylor ran across field and were easy prey for the Christchurch defences. J. Turner, on the wing, deserved more chances than he received. In the forwards, however, it was a different story. Here, B Arthur. J. Taurua and D. Young were outstanding. Young played one of the best games for a long time. He was particularly formidable in the loose, where Arthur. B. Nunan and E. Veal also stood out. In the lineouts T. Egerton had to pit his skill against two very big men. W. McCallum and A. Leslie, but he got a share of possession—albeit a smaller one.

Without S. F. Hill, the Christchurch pack for a time looked a little lost, but when it settled down it rucked well. In the liney outs Christchurch held the advantage. but not in the loose. It was, however, very adept at using the tackled ball law to the greatest effect. In the loose K. Orsbourn played an outstanding game and in the tighter play. G Burgoyne and McCallum were the best. Mr V. C. Empson was referee. CLOSE MATCH SL’XNYSIDE-SPREYDON 3. P. Jones a penalty goal. t LIXW OOD 3. S. McCormick a try - The fitness of the Sunnyside- •? Spreyaon forwards sustained s; them through a series of injuries I in the dying stages and through 'I a gruelling and at times exciting match with Linwood at Rugby < Park. The last 10 minutes was all Sunnyside-Spreydon and with . i the score at 3-3 Linwood de1 fended as tenaciously as Sunny- ' cide-Spreydon attacked. Linwood looked the more jI- polished side: the back’s passing || was better, the wings were faster, but in general Linwood lacked I® the tremendous enthusiasm and II energy of less gifted opponents, f At times it was a very loose forfit ward game and when both backs pl and forwards were running junnyside-Spreydon was quite ’ll p° Irmidable 1 rmidable with its unorthodox

I There was only one try in the match, scored by the Linwood full-back. S. McCormick, when he •ran on the blind side and scored in the corner after a long run. It was an excellent effort, but j the referee hesitated before awarding it as a try as the line umpire had ruled that McCormick had been forced over the side, touch-in-goal. After this both sides nearly scored twice but these were individual efforts and there was a notable lack of cohesion when the pressure was on. McCormick played very soundly for Linwood and saved his side several times with his close marking and powerful line kicking with both feet. In the second spell when the Linwood backs were unable to penetrate with j any success McCormick came into the line, ran straight through and lost the ball as he dived over the line in a tackle in the corner. This was 15 minutes before time and this marked the end of Linwood’s attempts to score.

The most enterprising Sunny-side-Spreydon back was the second five-eighths. E. Tiplady, although he was not the best as his defence was often breached. His habit of tucking the ball under one arm and suddenly cutting infield, was quite devastating, but his supports were nowhere to be seen and they, seemed as bewildered as their' opponents

i The first five-eighths. V. C. Sykes, a wily campaigner, used his uncanny skill of turning up in the right place at the right time to bring despair to the Linwood ranks. Sykes ran across field too much, however, and his outside backs were often crowded. The Linwood backs passed nicely, covered well and made a few penetrating runs, especially in the first spell. The centre three-quarters. C. Ellis, ran strongly and well, but too often kicked without advantage when confronted by an opponent. D. de Felice, right wing threequarters. accelerated quickly and several times ran round his opposite and used a well-judged centre kick. On the other wing, G. McConchie did not get enough of the ball to dictate and spent much of his time watching his inside backs.

The forward struggle was a hard one. and at times players on both sides were shaken out of fair tactics in the close rucks and fierce mauls. In the early stages Linwood showed commendable speed on the loose ball and were fiery and mobile. Had they kept this up for the rest of the match Linwood might well have won. but the boundless energy of the Sunnyside-Spreydon team was too much in the last quarter. In the Linwood pack, D. Mansfield was good; R. Tabb only slightly less energetic than usual, and D. Couch was perfectly happy ■to be at the bottom of every ruck.

For Sunnyside-Spreydon, G. Soper was destructively mobile as was P Harris. C. Payne and G Telfer led their forwards with great dash

The diminutive SunnysideSpreydon half-back, D. Woods, left the field in the second half, with a suspected broken bone in the hand and Harris was carried off with a leg injury. The referee was Mr F. Goodman. UNIVERSITY SUPERIOR UNIVERSITY 24. S. G. Bremrer, R Hockley, N. s. Falloon, R. D. Hoskin, J. D. Pask, R. S. Wells, tries; B. M. J. Dineen tnree conversions. BELFAST 5. E. Brown a try. E. Williams a conversion. Although Belfast did well to ho’d University to a 10-5 lead at nalttime, the mobile University forwards and speedy backs showed their great superiority in the second spell The game was particularly card, □nd there were several stoppages for injuries after vigorous rucks The referee (Mr if. E. G. Cameron) warned the plavers toward* me end of the game after a partieularjy unpleasant skirmish. The University captain, J. Stewart, finished the match with blood on hi* face.

In an endeavour to curb the activities of the University backs. Belrast fielded eight back's and seven forwards, depending upon the 17stone D. Beker to make up for two men in the set scrums. Although Beker performed that task reasonably, he was a constant liabilitv in his off-side play. However, towards the end of the game, he proved aluable in the lineouts, and set ’he University forwards a task in bringing him to ground.

The University forwards gave their backs plenty of ball, yet the wings seldom saw the ball. B. P Molloy gave an excellent service from the scrum, but too often A. F. Orme or R. D. Hoskin attempted to score tries when they could have passed outside them to men in better posit.ons. S. G. Bremner was always dangerous at centre, and J. D. Pask, on one of the few occasions he received the ball after a chain move ment, outpaced everyone to score Dineen had a bad day at full-back and his line-kicking and attempts at goal were well below his usual standard.

The Belfast forwards deserve credit for a plucky exhibition against their more mobile opponents. an<* ■hey held their own for most of the first spell. It was R Holt, the voung Belfast first five-eighths, who was most impressive. and he fin;shed the game with a much enhanced reputation. He has speed and determination, a"d made several good breaks. E. Williams had one of his best davs at fu'l-back. and prodigious line-kicks often turned University attacks into defence. The referee was Mr R. E. G. Cameron. PENALTIES ONLY MFR IV ALE 6. T. Gallagher two penalty goals. ALBION 3. N. Edgington a penalty goal. Still feeling the effects of a severe battering from University the previous Saturday. Merivale did not play as well as it lias in some earlier matches, and was fairly evenly matched with Albion at Lancaster Park South. Albion led 3-0 from a penalty goal at half-time, but Merivale got two penalty goals in the second half. Both sides bad their chances to score, but they lacked finish, and the whole match was a rather untidy one. The Albion forwards stood up to their opponents well and. in fact, had slightly the better of the [early part of the game. The Men-

vale backs looked better than their opposites, and they launched many attacks, but they had more faults in handling and passing than they have had in most other games this season.

The Merivale centre three-quarters. J. Patrick, is a very strong runner. □nd he made several worthwhile breaks. One of these in the first half could have brought a try, but he threw a very bad pass to a support. Another time, when Merivale had attacked very strongly, a try might have been scored if the ball had been whipped quickly out the line. However, every forward thought it was his duty to score that try. and the Albion defence was equal to the attempts close in Merivale also missed the sneed and potential scoring ability of Young on the wing. He was injured last week-end.

At full-back. T. Gallacher played soundly, but his attempts when be came into the backline were fruitless. N. Williams, five-eighths, at times put some punch into attacks, but too often the backs passed without making ground, something not expected after their earlier displays 'his season.

The Albion backline did little as □ unit, but there were some good pieces of individual play. The halfback. N. Gray, worked hard and competently throughout, and the first five-eighths, J. Adams, made several good breaks. At full-back. N. Edgington was just as cool as usual, and he emerged from the game w’th credit. He saved well in the face of forward forays, and his line kicks were long.

Forward play was of reasonably good standard although somewhat loose. The Albion coach. B. Hopping. showed that be has lost none of his skill as an intelligent loose forward, and he proved a fine leader of the pack with J. McNicholl well up with play, and K. Kidd making his presence felt in lineouts and the tight. For Merivale. M. Bourne was again most efficient—he has not played a noor game yet—and M. Drury and J. Turner toiled unceasingly. Mr L. A. Mahoney wrs referee. OLD BOYS WIN

OLD BOYS 14. H. L. Johnsen and R. H Kirkland tries, S. K. Henderson a penalty goal, a field goal and a conversion. SYDENHAM 9. M. F. Whitta a try. B. Williams two penalty goals.

Sydenham established a very earlylead against Old Boys and. before the first half was 20 minutes old had scored nine points. But these were the only points it scored in the match. Old Boys, combining more smoothly in the second half, added a further nine points to its halftime score.

A fairly stiff southerly breeze gave Sydenham an edge in the first spell and with the forwards going hard into the rucks. Old Boys were pinned down in their own half for much of the spell. In the second half tire Old Boys pack turned the tables and it was Sydenham that was on the defensive for the greater part. In the second half R. Young and A. J. Krisnic found each other. In the first 40 minutes Youngs passes were often too high and misdirected, but with this fault eradicated in the second halt the line moved much more smoothly. S. K. Henderson and H. L. Johnsen did most of the attacking inside, with Henderson making several nice breaks. Johnsen was again at the top of his form, especially on cover defence, where he tackled well. Of all the wings, none was better than P. J. Morrissey. whose determined runs put him in a class apart. It was through his quick thinking also that Kirkland scored his try.

The Sydenham line was not particularly impressive. M. F Whitta was more than a match for Young, his passes were long and when he chose to run he did so with zest and purpose. D. L. Gallop had little chance on attack, but kept popping up unexpectedly when help was sorely needed. At full-back. J. D. Clark played much better than R. Dalton.

The Old Boys pack, without D. J Graham and N. S. Roberts, lacked drive in the first half, but it returned to the field after half-time rejuvenated. In the loose. R. H. Kirkland and M. Hern were outstanding. and in the tight play. E Hern. D. Hill and D. Richards were the pick. The best of the Sydenham pack were J. W. Moorhead, a great leader. D. F. Benfell and- B N Wilson. Mr J. H. Stone was referee. MARIST WINS MARIST 17. R. Wiese two tries, K. Brown three penalty goals, one conversion. NEW BRIGHTON 11. B. Rossiter a try, a conversion, two penalty goals. The first spell of this match was entertaining enough, but the second spell degenerated into a series of untidy mauls and erratic and illjudged passing movements by the backs. The Marist forwards were at their best in the first 20 minutes and the backs did as well as they could against a backline which stood in line with its scrum, both on attack and defence. J. Collier was not completely happy at first five-eighths and outside him in an unaccustomed position. C. A. McDonald was unable to work up sufficient pace. The New Brighton forwards, after a lethargic display in the first spell, came to life for most of the second half and had Marist defending for long periods Easily the best New Brighton forward was the front ranker, T. Milesi. who played himself to a standstill and left the field a few minutes before time. H. Burry played intelligerftly in the loose and applied himself vigorously in the tight. The New Brighton backs concentrated so much on defence that they seemed nonplussed when they received the ball After a shaky start the full-back. B. Rossiter, played well and scored all of his side's points The right wing three-quarters. B Bowick, made several penetrating runs in the dying stages. mainly through the generosity of the Marist backs who appeared determined not to tackle him. The referee was Mr B. M. Dempsey.

Lower Grades

Senior Reserve.—Christchurch 9, Technical Old Boys 9; Kaiapoi 3. Teachers' College 3; University A 27. Linwood 3; High School Old Boys 17. University B 6. Junior A.—University A 16, Merivale A 3; Christchurch 16. High School Old Boys 0; Sunnyside-Sprey-don 22. University B 6. Junior B.—University C 18, Lyttelton 3; Christchurch 26. Albion 0; Sydenham 17. Marist 0.

Under 20.—Christ's College 10. St. Andrew’s 6; Boys’ High School 25, Xavier 6; St. Bede’s 6. Christchurch 3: University A 14, High School Old Boys 3; University B 20. Linwood 6; Marist 33, Albion 6. Third Grade.—Christchurch 12. R.N.Z.A F. 3. Marist 15. High School Old Boys 3; University B 24. Technical Old Boys 6; University C 22. University A 8. Fourth Grade.—Albion 3. Linwood 3; Teachers’ College 11. Burnside 3: Hornby 9. Sumner 6. Secondary Schools.—Technical College 11. Cashmere High School 3: St. Bede’s 11. Boys’ High School B 3’ Boys’ High School A 31. Xavier 5 Under 18.—Christchurch 8. New Brighton 3; Linwood 11. Christchurch Maoris 0; Burnside 16. High School Old Boys 6; Merivale 5, SunnysideSpreydon 5 Belfast 8. Marist 3: Sydenham 9. Albion A 0. Under 17.—Merivale 3. Linwood 3. Svdeniiani 6, High School Old Bovs B 3. Under 16A.— Merivale 11. High School Old Boys A 8: Shirley Boys' High School A 8, Marist A 3; Linwood A 24. Sunnyside-Spreydon 5: Christchurch 24. New Brighton 0. Under 16B—Linwood B 11, High School Old Boys B 6; Shirley Boys’ High School B 8, Papanui High School Old Boys 3. Under Bst 71b. —Albion 9. High School Old Boys 8; Sunnyside-Sprey-don .1. Marist A 3; Sydenham 15. Linwood 5. Under 7st 71b A.—Christchurch 8. Maris* A 3: Kaianoi 6. High School Old Bovs 3. Shirley Boys’ High School A 13. Linwood A 6 Under 7st 71b B Papanui High School Old Boys 25. Merivale B 0: Shirley Boys’ High School B 3. Sunnyside-Spreydon 3: Merivale A beat Hornby by default. Under 6st 71b A.—Shirley Boys’ High School 12, Linwood 0; Albion 3. Merivale 0: Marist 20. New Brighton 3: Belfast 25. Sumner 0: Sydenham 9. Hornby 3. Under 6st 71b B.—Marist B 22,

P W L D F A Pts Chch .. 9 1 1 171 69 7> a Old B. .. 9 6 2 1 114 77 6'2 Lin .. 9 5 2 2 99 84 6 L T niv .. 9 4 1 4 68 42 6 Men .. 9 5 3 1 67 54 5*j Mar .. 9 5 3 1 93 68 5*4 Tech .. 9 5 4 * 98 64 5 S.-Sprey .. 9 4 4 2 73 70 5 Syd .. 9 3 6 - 73 98 3 N. Br .. 9 1 S 2 37 93 2 Bel .. 9 1 8 1 81 181 1 Alb .. 9 1 8 - 62 127 1