RUGBY University Retains Lead; Linwood Beaten,. 25-12

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29827, 21 May 1962, Page 14

RUGBY University Retains Lead; Linwood Beaten,. 25-12

University retained its unbeaten record by beating Linwood, 25-12, in the main game in the senior Rugby competition at Lancaster Park on Saturday. Christchurch had a harder struggle against New Brighton and after a determined second half effort won 10-3. Merivale, which did so well last week against University, slumped badly against Suburbs, losing an unspectacular game by 15 points to 6. Old Boys, through the efforts of S. K. Henderson, had their first win at the expense of Albion, and Marist, although depleted through injuries, overwhelmed a weak Belfast side at Belfast.

Results of fifth round games were:— University 25, Linwood 12. Christchurch 10, New Brighton 3. Marist 35, Belfast 10. Suburbs 15, Merivale 6. Shirley 14, Sydenham 6. Old Boys 9, Albion 6. Positions of the teams are:—

this advantage. R. Wain oh u (No. 8) and M. Murtagh were two prominent cover-defenders. A forward who played exceptionally well was the New Brighton flanker. I. Penrose. He jumped high in the line-outs and anticipated play superbly W. McCallum gained the ball for Christchurch in the lineouts but was invariably dragged down before he could get the ball to his half-back E. Condor. R. Dalton made some slashing runs for New Brighton at second five-eighths and D. Bowick at full-back defended resolutely. G. Waterreus. the Christchurch full-back kicked consistently welt The referee was Mr L. S. Kirk.

clapped on the pace, sidestepped the last line of defence, and crossed unopposed. Soon after, B. Metson broke through and gave D. Gibbons a long one-handed pass. Gibbons was caught near the corner flag, but Metson was backing up well; he took the pass to force down wide out Gerard goaled from a difficult kick. J. Grocott (Merivale) and H. Brunning had an interesting duel in the line-outs, with Grocott coming out slightly the better of the two. H. Berry was a valuable loose forward for Merivale. In the Suburbs pack, E. Hem, A. Heatley. and M. Chapman were the best. The referee was Mr L. S. Hunt.

; STRONG FINISH BY UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 25: D. J. Davison (2), A. F. Orme, A. T. Calder, tries: D. C. Leary three penalty goals and two conversions. LINWOOD 12: W. F. McCormick three penalty .goals and a dropped goal. Scoring 16 points in the last 20 minutes, University had too much pace and penetration for Linwood, and deserved its handsome win. But it was not until a few minutes from the end that University was able to establash a decisive lead, against an eager, determined Linwood team. It was often exciting football, with McCormick's dropped goal one of the greatest ever seen at Lancaster Park. He fielded a high kick, moved past two University players, and at the half-way line, and a little left of centre, slowed up to steady himself for his great kick, which cleared the bar with much to spare. University's speed was countered for a long period by Linwood's close marking and quick covering, but now and then it told dramatically, as when Davison collected a dropped pass near the end and showed, in a run of 50 yards, that there was noone to match him for pace. Linwood also overcame A. J. Stewart's early domination of the line-outs, but the side's own troubles often began with the throw-in. There was a very untidy service to the half-back, T. Nicholson, which gave the swift University flankers time to make some damaging progress. Nicholson was under stern pressure throughout the match, and his passing suffered as a result. But when the ball did come out accurately, other Linwood backs too often dropped passes at critical moments.

University looked very impressive when the forwards were driving through with short passing rushes, and the backs usually made good use of their opportunities. The excellent tackling and close marking of both sides suggested stalemate, until Q Tapsell made a pretty little break which led to the first try. For a considerable period after that, the Rugby was good indeed, although there were too many infringements—2s penalties were awarded in the first 50 minutes.

The University loose forwards, P. G Bark, T. H. Moynihan, and B. R. Smither, were all most eSective; Stewart played another fine game at lock, and G. Loveridge was again in good form. The backs played with confidence and ' skill, although Leary’s kicking was much below’ his best standards.

McCormick, as ever, made some magnificent saves, but his efforts to give the backline thrust ftiet with little success, and cost at least one of the tries. R. Abel led the forwards energetically, and A. Holland played another honest game. But it must must have been disappointing for Linwood to lead 9-3 after half an hour, and to lose by such a wide margin mainly because of mechanical errors.

The referee was Mr A. R. Taylor.

Close Win To Christchurch

CHRISTCHURCH It: W Birtwistle two tries. G. Waterreus two conversions. NBW BRIGHTON 1: W. J. Harris a try. The sustained fire which Christchurch and New Brighton maintained to the last in the main game at Rugby Park, could have left only the most staid spectator unmoved It was only in the eightieth minute that Christchurch sealed its victory. For the previous 60 minutes a slender two-point deficit had kept an indefatigable New Brighton team applying persistent pressure. W. Birtwistle's glorious tryin tile corner as time was spent, may live in the memory but so will the try scored for New Brighton by W. J. Harris in the opening minutes of the Cme. These tries were simir in execution. with the centre-three-quarters F Bishop (New Brighton) and C. Mullany (Christchurch) breaking through before passing to their wings. , Territorially, neither side held an advantage. The New Brighton forwards were superior in tight play with the hooker. D CoUins. gaining six tight heads —three in succession. However, the Christchurch loose forwards gave no lee-way to enable the New Brighton backs to exploit'

SHIRLEY 14: H. Grenfell. N. Hartland tries; B. Richards 2 penalties and a conversion. SYDENHAM 6: A. Howard two penalties. Shirley again produced a strong second half to defeat Sydneyham fairly convincingly at Rugby Park. Shirley was three points down at half time, but later gradually assumed control. In the second spell, Shirley combatted vigour with vigour but played more constructively. The Shirley inside back combination of S. Quirk and D. Harvey was an efficient one, although both players tended to overdo tactical kicking in the first half. They made up for this in the second spell with some artful manoeuvres, one of which led to N. Hartland's try. Hartland took a well-placed bounce at full cry to score a fine try. H. Grenfell, the Shirley centre threequarter. produced a nice sidestep in scoring his try. > In the forwards, W. Flavell (No 8) again wreaked havoc with the opposing inside backs; T. W. Sexton, the Sydenham first five-eighths, had a torrid time. B. Nunan and B Arthur were two Shirley forwards who also played alertly in the loose and no forward bettered Shirley’s E. Veal in tight play. For Sydenham. G. Riach played well in the lineouts and W. A. White, until injured, was a solid scrummager. The Sydenham half-back. M. F. Whitta. must have despaired of ever getting protection from his forwards. With the fastbreaking Shirley forwards he soon realised the futility of attempting to launch .attacks along his back-line. In spite of this, the three-quarters, G. D. C. Wade and J. De Malmanche made some spirited individual thrusts. . D . k. Gallop, the Sydenham full-back, played a superbly consistent game. His opposite runner. B. Richards, although not so hard-pressed. kicked well and saved skilfully. The referee was Mr C. 3. Taylor. Old Boys Forwards Paved The Way HIGH SCHOOL OLD BOYS 9: S. K. Henderson, a try, and two penalties. ALBION 6: D. Warren, a try; R. James, a penalty goal. A very competent forward pack paved the wav for Old Boys’ first win of the season at Lancaster Park South. M. Miller jumped superbly in the Une-outs for Old Boys and D Hill gained more than his share of tight heads from the scrums. Territorially. Old Boys held a greater advantage than the three point margin might suggest, but the Albion cover defence was of a high standard. and the Old Boys’ backline often showed lack of enterprise. It was left to S. K. Henderson to score the necessary points, and to provide the variation in attack. Henderson kicked two penalty goals in the first half, and narrowly missed one attempt from a yard inside half wav. Play fluctuated for most of the spell, but towards the end of the first half, R. James intercepted a ball in his own twentyfive, and raced deep Into Old Boys’ territory, where he was caught by the cover defence. It appeared that the movement would fail through lack of support, but D Warren took the pass, and scored an excellent try'. There was not much between the two teams at half time, but Old Boys soon gained the upper hand and seldom let up for the remainder of the match The half-back. J. Kirkland, gave his backs a greater supply of ball, and ran well from the base of the scrum.

Henderson’s try was a masterpiece. Old Boys were awarded a penalty near the 25yard line, and it appeared as if Henderson would take the shot at goal. The Albion defence lined out near the goal line, but Henderson kicked the ball only a couple of yards, and dived across the goal line before the defence was aware of what had happened. Mr R. Bull was the referee.

Merivale Loses To Suburbs

SUB CRB S IS; W. Jones. A Olli ver, B. Metson tries; P. Gerard three conversions. MERIVALg J: p. Andrews a try; A. Ellis, one field goal Showing more cohesion in the second spell, the Suburbs forwards gradually gained the ascendancy, and laid the foundations for a good win. The nimble-footed Suburbs backs applied the finishing touches, and with excellent backing up launched repeated attacks in the second half. Menvale opened the scoring when P. Andrews crossed for a fine try 10 minutes after the ® ta £s 01 pls)’- At this stage J. Ruston had missed with three penalty attempts Play was rather scrappy for the remainder of the speU. but just on half-time the big prop forward. W Jones, bullocked his way across for P Gerard to convert and Suburbs led 5-3 at the interval. Merivale threatened directly after the resumption, and gained possession, from a scrum near the goal-line. Ellis took his time and potted a neet field goal. The Suburbs forwards retaliated, and with renewed vigour dominated play for the remainder of the match. A. Oillver scored an excellent solo try. when, coming in from the blind side to make the extra man, he found the gap?

two conversions. Belfast scored the first try a few minutes after the start when the Belfast flanker, Inwood, chased the ball over the Marist goal line to score; but for the remainder of the spell Belfast defended. The Marist forwards took the ball forward from the rucks and line-outs, and the backs, appreciating the gaps in the opposing line, sliced through almost at will. But for numerous mistakes in handling and a barrage of penalties against Marist in the second spell, the score would have been in the fifties. The Belfast tackling, especially near the scrum, was deplorable, and the Marist first five-eighths. Hutchinson, only had to step inside his opposite to throw the whole defensive pattern into chaos. The Belfast forwards were a little better than their backs, and it was a pity that one of them spoiled an otherwise vigorous display by kicking the Marist wing. E. L. Noonan, in the back as he lay on the ground. Noonan could barely walk as a result of this, and he later left the field. Mr F. Goodman was the referee. Lower Grades Senior Reserve—Linwood 26. Albion 3; Marist 5, Christchurch 5; Merivale 6, Kaiapoi 0; University B 3, Lincoln College 3; Suburbs 6, University C 3. Junior A.—Linwood A 12. Burnham 6: Christchurch B 15, Christchurch A 8; Merivale beat University B by default. Junior B.—Lyttelton 3, Albion 0; Shirley 6, New Brighton 0; Marist beat University C by default. • Under 20.—St. Bede's 6. University B 5; Boys’ High School 14, Shirley 0; Suburbs 30, Christ’s College 6; Xavier College 11, Christchurch 11; Merivale 16, Sydenham B 3. Third Grade. —Christchurch 3, Linwood A 0; University C 18. Lincoln College 6; Sydenham 14. Kaiapoi 6; Teachers’ College 6. High School Old Boys 5; Merivale beat University A by default. Fourth Grade. —Linwood 16, Sumner 3; Burnside beat Teachers’ College by default. Under 18.—Belfast 23, Albion 8; Suburbs A 16, Christchurch 8; Lyttelton 3. Papanui 3; Merivale A 19, Linwood 0; High School Old Boys beat Suburbs by default. Under 17.—Christchurch 31, Sydenham 3; High School Old Boys 12, Merivale 0; Xavier College 5. Shirley 3; New Brighton 8. Marist A 3. Under 16. —Belfast 9. Papanui 9; Svdenham 25. New Brighton B 0; Linwood 13, Lyttelton 3; Merivale 25. Suburbs 3: Shirley 12. Hornby 8. Under 15—High School Old Boys 24, Suburbs 13: Linwood 25, Hornby 3: Shirley 17. Sydenham 3. Under Bst 71b.—Burnside 8. High School Old Boys 3: Christchurch 9. Hornby 5; Sydenham 25, Marist 3; Merivale 9. Shirley A 6. Under 7st 71b A.—Merivale A 8, Marist 0; New Brighton 16. Suburbs 8: Sydenham 6. Linwood A 3: Albion 16. Christchurch A 0.

Under 7st 71b B.—High School Old Boys 15. Lyttelton 3; Shirley B 20. Merivale 9; Hornby 16. Bumside 3: St. Anne’c 15. Papanui 8. Under 7st.—Marist 25. Linwood 5.

Under 6st 71b A.—Christchurch A 6, Belfast 0; Burnside A 12, Sydenham A 0; Merivale A 25, Shirley A 0; Linwood A 21, Marist 0. Under 6st 71b B.—Burnside B 15, Linwood B 5; Papanui 25, Shirley B 0: Suburbs A 25. Sydenham B 0; Lyttelton B 20. Merivale B 3.

Under 6st 71b C.—Sumner 25, Bumside 0: New Brighton 25. Hornby 0; Christchurch B 11. St. Mary’s 6. Under fat A.—Albion 3. Kalapoi 0: Bumside A 3, Merivale A 0; Lyttelton 6. Marist 0: Christchurch A 12. Linwood A 0; Suburbs beat Cathedral Grammar by default. Under 6st B— Merivale B 12. Burnside B 8; Brindvr Marist 3. New Brighton 3; Hornby 17. Papanui 0. Under fist C —Shirley 21. Sydenham 0; Mairehau Marist 19. Christchurch B 0. .. U " de , r 581 7!b A.—Belfast A 8. Merivale A 0; Suburbs A 23. New Brighton 0: Bryndwr Marist 25. Shirley A 3; Christchurch A 3. Hornby 3; Bumside A «, Sydenham A 0. Under fat 71b B—Linwood B 15, Suburbs B 0: Albion 6. Papanui 3; St. Mary’s 17, Sydenham B 3: Shirley B 25. Christchurch C 0: Christchurch B 15. Marist 9: Sumner 12. Merivale B 0; Burnside B beat Cathedral Grammar by default. Under fat A.—Bumside A 0. Hornby A 0; Suburbs A 9, Shirley A 0; New Brighton A 8 Menvale A 0; Christchurch A 8. Linwood A 3. Under sst B —Albion A 21. Kaiapol * Addington Marist 8. Brvndwr Marist 0: Sydenham A 9. Belfast A 0. Mt C —Bumside B 8. Marist 3: Linwood B 8. New Brighton Marist 0; Suburbs B 15. Merivale B 0; Hornby B 9. Sydenham B 0. Under sst D.—Bumside C 8 Sockbum Marist 3; Shirlev B 3. Mairehau Marist 3: Merivale C 8. Christchurch B 6; St, Mary’s a. Lyttelton A 0. _ Under fat E —Sumner 12, Suburbs C 0; Homby C 3 J* DaUington ? Ur sL b ** t Cathedral Grammar by default. Under sst F —Belfast B 3, Homby D 0: Shirley C 3, Sydenham C 3: New Brighton D 14 Burnside D 0: Lyttelton B 15* Christchurch C F Linwood C beat Papanui B by default.