SCHOOL MATCH

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28963, 3 August 1959, Page 14

SCHOOL MATCH

St. Bede’s Beats High School

St. Bede's College won a thoroughly-deserved victory over Christchurch Boys’ High School on the college ground on Saturday. St. Bede’S scoring two tries to one, won by 8 points to 6. The key to St. Bede’s success was in the pace and power of the forwards, especially the flankers and the number eight, who, on a heavy and often treacherous surface, managed to keep the ball away from Boys’ High School’s fast and dangerous outside backs with conspicuous regularity. The teams were.— St. Bede’s College: O. C. Dyer; P. •F. Brosnahan, t). W. Gledhill. B. F. O’Sullivan; J. M. Thomas. R. G. Jefferson; D. O. Bradley; M. Hanham; D. D. Wilson, B. J. Neilson, B. J. Collins, M. J. Foley; J. L. Weir, ( P. J. Mannix, K. B. Wilkins.

Christchurch Boys’ High School: G. H. Bradley: E. F. Simpson, P. Hatchwell, A. G. Steel; M. P. Gregg, A. S. Bradbury; F. R. Meyer; C. W. Croudis; A. D. Aldersley, M. J. Millar, P. S. Marson, D. L. Eaton; I. S. Telfer, A. N. McPhail, R. E. Fletcher. This success gave St. Bede’s the inter-school championship recognised by everyone except those in authority. For it, the team had to thank a superb set of forwards. High School, hitherto unbeaten in inter-school games, also has a good pack, and it resisted with great soirit, but it was clear by half-time that the St. Bede’s forwards had established a mastery which was underlined in the second spell. Only 10 days earlier. Boys’ High School and Waitaki Boys’ High School had given one of the greatest exhibitions of open Rugby it would be possible to enjoy, but on Saturday the, school team was paralysed near the scrum through the efforts of the St. Bede's loose forwards and the determined play of all eight. Although the programme weights gave School an advantage of about a pound a player in the forwards, it sometimes seemed that St. Bede’s had introduced some sort of high-power machine into their pack. The School hooker, McPhail, won two tight heads but conceded no fewer than nine—but it was through no fault of his | own. Time and again when School hooked the forwards were pushed I off the ball by the relentless drive of i the St. Bede's scrum. St. Bede's dominated the line-outs, and when the forwards did not win the ball from set play, they descended on the School inside backs like so many undernourished wolves in sight of a snack. . Their drive was admirably sustained, their will to win tremendous. The St. Bede’s backs were competent, but no more, except perhaps for the right wing Brosnahan, who showed great speed and dash in the second spell. School’s backs were hamstrung from first to last, but I again there was an exception. Steel on the left wing, played one of his finest games. He made some tremendous solo efforts from broken play. The forwards were good; they never let up for a moment, and there were I many occasions when they tame through, bail at toe, in grand style. There was very little spectacular or open p ay in the first spell, but in the second, when there were again few back rushes, the game was intensely exciting. Schoo] very nearly pulled the game out of the fire in the last few minutes, but St. Bede’s would have been unlucky to lose, lor the team had had a slight but definite edge all through. Safe Full-Back Dyer, the St. Bede’s full-back, started badly, but after settling down he played very safely and well. Brosnahan made two or three magi nificent runs, and D. O. Bradley served his backs well. But it was the inspired efforts of Hanham, Wilson. and Foley in the loose, round the scrums and line-outs which won , the day for St. Bede’s. They also ' did most to win the line-outs. I Mannix. the captain, set a superb I example in the tight, and Wilkins j was very nearly as good. Steel was clearly the most dangerous back on the field; he showed great speed and determination every time he had the ball. Bradley was good, but not at his best by any means. He made a few errors, and for once his entry into the back line brought little but embarrassment, for the absence of the full-back and of j any relieving officer was shown up leach time by a swift counter-attack, (started by the St. Bede’s loose for- : wards’ swift and sure tackling. In the School forwards, Marson was perhaps the best for consistent effort. Millar played well, and gave School at least a reasonable share of the line-outs. The props, Fletcher and Telfer. were diligence itself, and Easton, the lightest forward in either team, was outstanding in the loose. After half an hour of grim, purposeful football. Steel took a St. Bede’s clearing kick and coolly dropped a goal from Some 30 yards out, and there was no further scoring before the interval.

In the second half the St. Bede's forwards continued to bustle the School inside backs into errors, and one loose rush swept down to the line, where Hanham scored a deserved try. Gledhill made a strong burst, but when his pass went astray Steel and Hatchwell went up the sideline at top,, in a kick and follow effort. About 30 yards from the line Steel took the ball and outpaced the defence for a fine try. Fifteen minutes from the end Gledhill made his second break but went too far on his own. But when he was held up Wilson detached himself from the ruck and went clean through the defence in a furious burst. From a handy position. Jefferson made the vital conversion. Steel made a tremendous bid on the left, and right on time he came in behind the scrum to attempt another field goal. The ball came back to him, but so did the loose forwards and he had to run. He sent Bradley away, and the full-back seemed likely to score a winning trv in the last seconds, as he had done against Waitaki. He tried desperately hard, but three defenders flew at him and he went out in the corner. The referee was Mr L. S. Kirk.