Southland Team Scores Five Tries In 20 Minutes

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

Southland Team Scores Five Tries In 20 Minutes

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN. August 28. Southland thrashed Otago for the second time this season, when it won the return Rugby fixture at Dunedin on Saturday, 37-5. At half-time the score was 6-5 and Otago appeared capable of turning the tables on the southerners, but in the second half the Southland forwards played mag-

nificently to subdue the Otago pack completely and the backs ran riot. Southland’s first nine points came from penalty goals and with only 20 minutes remaining the side had scored but one try. Then came the deluge and five fine tries, three of them scored in the last three minutes of play, saw Otago swamped. I. M. Miller led the Southland pack excellently, and all the forwards gave an impressive display of scrummaging and rucking in the second half. They also proved adept at short-passing rushes and backing up their backs once the ball was out in the open.

W. R. Archer directed his team admirably in the second half when W. J. Archer and P. A. Hutchinson, Southland’s midfield backs, opened up some brilliant passing bouts.

Otago had its chances in the first half, when it had the better of the exchanges, but it had neither the experience nor the strength, to hold out against Southland's second spell onslaught.

For Southland, tries were scored by B. Muntz (2), J. G. Allison (2), Spencer and J. Williamson, B. Cullen converting five and kicking three goals from penalties. Otago’s points came from a try by D. Clark and a conversion by E. S. Diack.