Fencing Australia Beats S.I. Decisively

Press, Volume C, Issue 29478, 3 April 1961, Page 3

Fencing Australia Beats S.I. Decisively

The Australian fencing team had utUe difficulty in scoring a decisive victory over a South Island representative team in a tournament held on Saturday at the University of Canterbury gymnasium. It won the men's foil by 13 bouts to 3. the epee 9-7, the sabre 14-3, and the women’s foil This is the first national team to tour New Zealand and its victory shows how necessary it is for New Zealand fencers to get experience against overseas teams. Lack of experience and unfamiharity with the technique of electric foil were the two chief reasons for the South Island defeat. Electric foil demands speed and the ability to bring off comparatively simple attacks neatly, for the weapon is considerably heavier than the normal foil and its balance is entirely different. The South Island fencers were either too. slow, or tried to make complicated moves, with consequent lack of success. In the sabre bouts, the faults were much the same: slow wide moves and hard hitting were no match for the faster, neater moves of the Australians. There were some very creditable performances by individual members of the South Island team. Perhaps the finest bout of the day was in the men’s foil between E Thomas and G. Watford. Thomas, the young Canterbury left - hander, easily beat Watford. an Olympic Games trialist and also a left-hander, with a beautiful display of fencing The old adage that fencing is a conversation with foils, took on real meaning in this bout. * S.I. Captain E Nye. the South Island captain, also performed well. A former English Olympic Games trialist. he won only three bouts during the day, but kept his opponents working hard to gain their points. In the women’s foil, the Australians’ greater experience was obvious, but here, too. individual fencers had some success. Mrs O. Jekyll and Mrs E. McElwee. both former Empire Games representatives each won two of their four bouts. Mrs McElwee did particularly well when she beat Miss L. Rowe in the only bout she lost, and did not have a hit scored againsV her. For the Australians J. Humphreys, who represented Australia at the Olympics last year,-fought in all three weapons without loss, although he really specialises only in epee. G. Watford lost only one bout in both epee and foil, while T. Owen and H. Sommerville won all their four bouts in the sabre. Humphreys was decidedly the best Tencer of the day. He fought with such ease and control that he was a delight to watch. Considering these results it will be interesting to see how the Australians fare in the test against New Zealand this week. The South Island team had none of the

country’s top fencers. It was beaten, but some of the bouts were very close and in the epee the South Island fencers all but held their own. Judging from this it seems distinctly possible that the Australians may be beaten when they meet the New Zealand team at Wellington. Results:— Men s Foil.—Australia: C. Clif-j ford <2 wins. 2 losses!. J. Humphreys (4 wins. 0 losses). G. Watford <3 wins. 1 loss), B Parton (4 wins. 0 losses). South Island: G. Murphy (1 win. 3 iossesi. E. Nye (0 wins. 4 losses)., E. Thomas (2 wins, 2 Josses).' M. Woods (0 wins. 4 losses).; Australia. 13 wins. South Island 3 wins. Epee.—Australia: A. R. Dominguez (0 wins. 4 losses). B. Parton (1 win. 3 losses i. J. Humphrevs (4 wins, 0 losses), G. Watford (4 wins. 0 losses). South Island: G. Murphy (1 win, 3 iossesi, M. Woods (2 W’ins. 2 losses,. E. Nye (2 wins. 2 losses), K. Beard (2 w’ins, 2 losses).: Australia 9 wins. South Island 7 wins. Sabre.—Australia: G. Foenander (3 wins. 1 loss). E. J. Szakall (3 wins, 1 loss). H. Sommerville <4 wins. 0 losses). T. Owen (4 wins. 0 losses). South Island R O’Driscoll (0 wins. 4 losses). B. Kellett (0 wins. 4 losses*. E. Nye (1 win, 3 losses*. G. Murphy (1 win, 3 losses). Australia 14 wins. South Island 2 wins. Womens Foil. —Australia: R Browne (3 wins. 1 loss*. E. Diver (2 wins, 2 losses). V. Winter <4 wins. 0 losses). L. Rowe' (3 wins. 1 loss). South. Island : D. Pratt 10 wins. 4 losses). P Eliott *0 wins. 4 losses), E. McElwee (2 wins). 2 losses). 0.. Jekyll <2 wins. 2 losses). j Australia 12 wins. South: Island 4 wins.