INTER-SCHOOL MATCH

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28973, 14 August 1959, Page 25

INTER-SCHOOL MATCH

St. Bede’s Beats St. Patrick’s

A better backline and a monopoly of the ball in the last 10 minutes gave St. Bede's College a win over St. Patrick’s College. Wellington, by 6 points to 3 in their annual Rugby match at St. Bede’s yesterday, St. Bede's College scored two tries. The points for St. Patrick’s College came from a field goal. The match was fairly bright, with swift back movements although there were long periods in the second half when the forwards struggled for supremacy. The teams were:—

St. Bede's College O C Dyer; B F. O’Sullivan. D W. Gledhill. P F. Brosnahan; J. M. Thomas. R G. Jefferson: D O Bradley; M. J. Hanham; M. J. Folev. B J. Collins. B J Neilson. D. D- Wilson; K B Wilkins. P. J. Mannix. J. L. Weir. St. Patrick's College.—F, B. Maher; C. Handley. A Lerkin. J Polson; R. Wiltshire. N. Vaughan; K. Rafter; N. Turnbull. M. Grimstone; C. Fades. B Clegg. J. O’Neill; R. Cousins. B. Horan. J. Leach.

In the first quarter it seemed that St Bede’s College would win comfortably. A lively and efficient pack kept St. Patrick's College very much on the defensive and the St. Bede’s College backs made a series of attacks against a desperate defence. As the game progressed so did the determination of the St. Patrick s College forwards, and for 20 minutes in the second half they controlled play with some fine work in the tight and spirited efforts in the loose.

i The exhortations of the St Bede’s ' College hooker and captain, Mannix. and his outstanding example in the rucks after the line-outs and the looser mauls, produced a concerted effort by his forwards in the last quarter and they gave their backs the chance to score the winning

Eight minutes before time the score was 3-all when the St. Bede’s College forwards won a quick ruck and the ball was fed to the backs. The flanker. Foley, who had more than once shown ’ ability in handling and passing, came into the backline and gave the overlap for O'Sullivan to score an excellent try in the corner. After this try came other movements, equally spectacular. which almost produced further points. Forwards Excel

Although tlie winning try was scored by the backs, it was through the excellence of their forwards who came to life at a time when most packs have thoughts for little else but the final whistle.

All tne St. Bede’s College forwards played well, but the efforts of Hanham and Neilson in the lineouts. Foley in the loose, and Mannix and Wilkins in the tight, stood out. Hanham did more than his share in the open, especially in the dying stages, but his duel in the line-outs with Clegg, of St. Patrick s College, was a feature of the forward play. Foey was quite active in the loose and wasted no time in opening up play from dropped passes ano rucks. Good Pack The St. Patrick’s College pack was a go'd one. and with more support from its backs in the second spell the game could have gone the other way. Clegg was successful in the line-cuts, as was his fellow lock. Eades. until he was injured, and Turnbull, the No. 8. covered well when St Bede's College was' on top in the last quarter. Twice Turnbull raceo from his scrum and bundled the St. Bede’s College winger. Brosnahan, into touch near the corner flag. Others in the pack who did well were the flanker, O'Neill, R. Cousins, and the hooker, Horan. The centre three-quarters. Gledhill, and the first five-eighths. Jefferson, provided the penetration in the St. Bede’s College backs. Jefferson made several breaks, but dropped passes or the cover defence usually halted the movements. Gledhill was well marked, but he occasionally beat his opposite and made ground with well-placed kicks. The wings. O’Sullivan and Brosnahan, had limited opportunities, but both ran strongly and missed scoring narrowly several times towards the end of the game.

Without its two usual five-eighths, the St. Patrick’s College backline was not really formidable, and its best manoeuvre, a high kick, was used too infrequently when the forwards were winning the ball. The half-back. Rafter, cleared the scrum quickly and with the centre threequarters, Larkin, and the right wing Polson, was the best of the backs

For St Bede's College. Weir and O'Sullivan scored tries and for St. Patrick's College, Wiltshire kicked a field goal. Mr F. B. Campbell was the referee.