SCHOOL MATCH

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29237, 22 June 1960, Page 5

SCHOOL MATCH

St. Bede’s And St.

Kevin’s Draw

St. Kevin’s College (Oamaru: drew with St. Bede's College, 3-all, in their annual' Rugby match at St. Bede's College yesterday. The ground was muddy and wet and driving rain and a strong wind for much of the game made conditions unpleasant

The backs on both sides found handling difficult, and the most successful tactics were high kicks and foot rushes.

The teams were:— St. Kevin’s College.—B. O'Keefe; J. Sullivan, R. O'Neill, B. Fox; M. Wilson, M. Keenan; T. Langford; K. Murphy; P. Martin. S. Whiting, R. Farry, D. Coop; M. McLean, R. Dowling. H. Daly. St. Bede’s College.—C. E. Morel; Dr A. Hom. E. Hobbs. J. Harnett; G. D. Watkins, M. J. Fitzgerald; J. Sofia; M. Brownlee; D. D. Wilson, B. J. Neilson, B. J. Collins, M. J. Foley; R. G. Moffatt, R. B. DodsOn. K. F. Foley, St. Kevin’s College had the advantage for three parts of the game, but the St. Bede’s College defence was very sound and many promising movements were stopped by good tackling. An outstanding back was the St. Kevin’s College full-back, O’Keefe. His handling of the heavy slippery ball was remarkable and his kicking, even against the strong wind, often gained 40 yards and more. The ball went along the St. Kevin's College backs twice only, the first five-eighths, Keenan, generally kicking to his fast right wing, Fox. Clearly the fastest player on the field. Fox chased the ball continuously without success. The St. Bede’s College half-back, Solia, wisely chose to kick and as a result his outside backs spent most of their time chasing a slippery ball. The only time the ball went to Hobbs, at centre, he ran strongly past the defence and scored under a mass of tacklers. Horn, on the right wing, made one or two good runs, but like the others, he found handling almost impossible. The St. Kevin's College forwards were very enterprising in the loose and in the last 10 minutes they had St. Bede's College penned in its own twenty-five. Coop was a jack-in-the box off the side of the scrum and gave the St Bede's College half-back and first five-eighths several anxious moments. Farry won a lot of the ball from the line-outs and Murphy and McLean oftenled the formidable foot rushes. McLean had three unsuccessful penalty kicks at goal but halfway through the second spell he kicked .a.goal from almost straight in front to enable St Kevin’s College to draw. Immediately after St Kevin's College threw in several determined attacks, but the defence The St Bede's College forwards were more successful in the lineouts, mainly through the good lumping of Moffatt, Brownlee and Collins. M. J. Foley was an outstanding loose forward. His cover defence saved his side several times. He chased the ball furiously ahd inspired his side in two or three stirring rushes which swept almost the length of the field. Mr H. P. Kearney was the referee.