Club’s Centennial Year Starts Well

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30106, 15 April 1963, Page 12

Club’s Centennial Year Starts Well

The Christchurch Rugby Club made a good start to its centenniai year when the s nior team overran an Auckland club. Suburbs, by 49 points to 11 in the clubs Easter tournament at Rugby Park on Saturday. Playing open and aggressive Rugby, Christchurch gave its supporters hope of a senior championship win in its centennial year. The tournament will be continued today at Rugby Park when Christchurch A| will meet Wellington in the, final Berth teams played well on Saturday and won by big margins. Results of Saturday’s games were:— CHRISTCHURCH A 49. SUBURBS 11 Suburbs provided disappointingly weak opposition. Its forwards could not match Christchurch tri the tight or loose and the abundance of possession gained by the Christchurch pack made the task of the backs ' "christeLreh played attractive Rugby Well served by E. R. Conder at half back, the fiveeighths. B J. Watt and D. Arnold, found gaps without any difficulty and their tricky footwork made a mockery ot the Suburbs tackling. G Wattereus ran and kicked well at full-back and W. BirtwisUe used his speed and sidestep to score two good tnes. D Quested. L. Wainohau and B. Francis were prominent in a Christchurch pack which was not fully tested. However, Suburbs did provide one highlight of the match Its half-back. J Carter, looked a player of considerable ability and perhaps was the best back of the first day of the tournament.

wel l.nscTON 37. PIRATES 11 A polished Wellington side easily defeated a Pirates team which, if it had some vigour in its pack, was at a loss when the Wellington backs and forwards linked together in passing rushes.

Both teams tried to play open Rugby, but Wellington, because its players had far more skill in running with the ball, scored the tries whereas too often the Pirates’ movement foundered on bad passing. C Currie, the Wellington representative forward, was rewarded for his virtue ot following-up with * hr ® e ,.3^ le J In the Wellington back-line J Taiakoa moved very well and M A Ball, the Junior All Black, had his moments on attack.

ZINGARI 14* CHRISTCHURCH

In a match which was scrappv even by standards. Zingari had a slight edge in the forwards which ga\e it enough of a territorial advantage for C. Rodgers to kick three penalty goals, which was about the margin between the teams