HEAVY SCORING BY UNIVERSITY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29536, 10 June 1961, Page 5

HEAVY SCORING BY UNIVERSITY

THE University senior Rugby team averaged nearly 30 points a game in the five matches played this season, and if it can maintain its scoring rate it could improve on the 313 points scored by the club's senior team in 1956. That is the highest to be scored since the senior competition was divided into the Harewood Trophy and the D C.L Shield in 1952. It is noticeable that m the last nine years the team scoring the highest number of points in the. senior grade has come from the “big guns’’ of the senior competition—Christchurch, University, Marist and Old Boys University have headed the list four times, Old Boys three times, Christchurch and Marist once each. The three highest figures are University's 313 in 1956, Marist's 252 in 1952 and University's 246 m 1960 On only two occasions has the team which has won the Harewood trophy failed to oe the highest points scorer. In 1960 Christchurch and Linwood tied for the championship. but University had more points. In 1959, when University won, Christchurch was by far the highest points scorer. For a team which has always been noted for its attacking play. Old Boys figure very prominently in the teams which have the least number of points scored against it. Old Boys headed this list, in successive years from 1952 to 1955. five times in all University twice and Linwood twice. When winning the championship in 1955. Old Boys had only 48 points scored against it in the 16 games, a feat that it is hard to see

ever being matched. As can be expected, teams which have not been very successful in the last few years are prominent in the opposite direction, teams who have scored the least number of points in a season and had the most scored against them. New Brighton appears on this list four times, SunnysideSpreydon three times, and Merivale and Belfast once. The lowest number of points scored by a team in one season is 42 by New Brighton in 1957 which also has the next lowest, 57 in 1952. Sunnyside-Spreydon, which had 317 points scored against it tn 1953. is the only team to have conceded more than 300 points in one season. Merivale in 1952 nearly had a similar experience, with 291 points against.