RUGBY Canterbury Draws With Wellington

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29295, 29 August 1960, Page 16

RUGBY Canterbury Draws With Wellington

“The Press’ Special Service WELLINGTON, August 28. In a thrilling Rugby encounter at Athletic Park, Wellington, yesterday, Wellington and Canterbury cut and thrust to a 15-15 draw. It was a match of incident, full of sharp running in the backs and close concentration of forward resources. Canterbury looked the most dangerous side on attack seen at Athletic Park this season. R. D. Hoskin and J. Hotop ran with tremendous verve and Canterbury was never as dangerous as when Hoskin moved to first five-eighths from centre.

He switched regularly throughout the match with B. A. Watt. Two electrifying runs by Hoskin had the crowd roaring, and when Hotop capped one of these runs with a try, the ground was in an uproar. In the forwards, Canterbury again showed concentrated support for the man with the ball which has been the downfall of many teams. It was aggressively insistent on retaining possession anywhere near the line, and in this Wellington was no match. Cochrane played a magnificent game, and Le Lievre, Dunne, Mann and Able were more than impressive. Chopped to Size Together with Abel and Dunne, Cochrane worked toward chopping the Wellington line-out forwards down to size and to some extent achieved this objective. At one stage Abel went crashing downfield, sold a beautiful dummy, and with three men outside him bolted for the line. He may be excused for feeling he was in the clear, but he did not have the pactf to match his exuberance and toppled as the fullback, M. Williment, leaped on him from behind.

Canterbury looked to be in again when Hotop streaked away down the touchline, but the Wellington winger, Smith, rushed across from the opposite flank and pushed him into touch just short of the line.

These were not isolated incidents in an exciting match—nor did all the excitement come from the efforts of Canterbury. Wellington, too, had some memorable moments on attack, particularly when the centre threequarters. W. S. Fleming, or the winger, Smith, were under way. Fleming played brilliantly in the second spell to slice Canterbury’s midfield defence to ribbons on several occasions.

Apart from Hoskin and Hotop, Canterbury was splendidly served in the backs by its full-back, W. F. McCormick, and half-back, M. F. Whitta. McCormick was always sound and made one dramatic tryscoring entry into the back-line. Whitta fed his line with smoothness and precision.

Canterbury went into the lead Immediately with a good comer try by P. J. Morrissey after a sustained forward drive. McCormick converted to make it 5-0. Then Williment kicked a penalty for Wellington. Soon afterwards, Canterbury was penalised 15 yards from its line, and for failing to retire quickly, was penalised another 10 yards. D. N. Mclntosh tap kicked to the half-back B. A. Cull, who threw a pass to the big lock, D. G. Harker. He burst over in , the comer. Williment could not 'convert and Wellington led 6-5. Then came a magnificent try by the Wellington first five-eighths, C.

, J. Stewart. The winger, J. D. Macgibbon came around on the open side, transferred to Stewart, who chopped back on the angle. He raced past man after man before selling a final dummy and scoring. Williment could not convert, and Wellington led 9-5. Good Break Before half-time, Hoskin made a good break to hand on to Hotop. The Canterbury captain sliced

through under the posts for McCormick to convert, and at half-time Canterbury led 10-9. Canterbury turned on the pressure immediately after the spell and inside the Wellington twenty-five McCormick came Into the line at high speed and raced across to convert his own try. Canterbury 15. Wellington 9. A penalty by Williment made it 15-12, and then a slashing run by R. Smith ended right on the Canterbury line. The ball rolled clear and C. D. Gunn was on hand to pounce on it over the line. Final score: 15-15. The teams were:— Wellington.—M. Williment; R. W. Smith, W. S. Smith. J. D. Mac Gibbon; C. D. Gunn, C. J. Stewart, B. A. Cull. P. A. Russo, P. Delany, D. G. Harker, K. F. Gray, D. N. McIntosh, W. G. Dick, C. H. Toomey, I. M. H. Vodanovich. Canterbury.—W. *F. McCormick; R. M. Smith. R. D. Hoskin, P. J. Morrissey; J. Hotop B. Watt; M. F. Whitta: C. R. Hockley, M. R. Dunne, R. Abel, R. Cochrane, P. G. Bark, J. M. Le Lievre. J. N. Creighton, B. R. Mann.