Booing As Players Use Boots, Knees And Fists

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30740, 3 May 1965, Page 16

Booing As Players Use Boots, Knees And Fists

OLD BOYS II: M. Millar kicked four goals from penalties; A. G. Steel two tries.

ALBION 6: A. Harrison kicked two goals from penalties.

A sustained round of booing and eat calls and shouts of ’■where are your boxing gloves" greeted Old Boys and Albion as they left the field at half-time in the main game at Rugby Park. Fighting, kicking and general bad sportsmanship throughout the spell aroused the anger of the normally placid crowd. On the referee's blind side knees were coming up in the scrums, fists were going continuously, players shaped up to one another, players were kicked and stood on while on the ground and illegal play was much in evidence in what was surely the worst display of foul play this season.

The referee stopped play once to talk to the rival captains and on another occasion was forced to break up a wrestling match between Steel and the Albion half-back. W Flewellen. It was possibly the vigorous play of Old Boys that sparked off the situation but Albion, quick to re-

taliate, was by no means blameless. After half-time, order was more or less restored, although there was an occasional incident an it did not prove a wise policy for a player to go down on the ball. The Old Boys full-back, M. Pearse, was caught in possession, went underneath a ruck and received such a battering that he had to leave the field. However, in spite of the fighting. the match- was full of interest and the convincing margin of Old Boys’ win was certainly no indication of the merits of the two teams. The brilliant kicking of Millar for Old Boys in the first spell would have' been enough to discourage any team. He kicked four magnificent penalties, two of them from more than 45 yards out on the angle, and this, together with an opportunist try by Steel, gave Old Bovs a rather unrealiatic lead of 15-3 at halftime. Even after this. Albion showed nlenty of spirit, holding Old Boys to 3-all in the second spell and definitely looking the better team High Jumping The Old Boys inside backs. W. Trehowan. T. Mehrtens and P. O’Malley, handled very soundly and showed ample penetration. Apart from his great kicking ability. Millar was also a strength in the forwards. His line-out jumping was without equal. A Harrison, the Albion fullback, was one of the most imnressive players on the field. His positional play was outstanding, he was extremely safe and the

unhurried way he went about his work was a reflection of the confidence he had in his own ability. Th* half-back, W. Flewellen. was also very competent, sending out good long passes and kicking intelligently. In the forwards, P. Sands was very prominent, chasing and following up hard. s Referee: Mr R. H. Bull.