BEARS PLAY TRUE RUGBY

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30821, 5 August 1965, Page 19

BEARS PLAY TRUE RUGBY

(New Zealand Preet Association) AUCKLAND, August 4. A whiff of clean fresh Rugby air wafted across Eden Park this afternoon as the Golden Bears team from the University of California defeated Auckland University, 25-14.

The only pity is that the Californians will not have another chance to show their diverting Rugby, for this was the last game of their tour.

The Bears played some Rugby—especially in the tight and loose forward play—which would make a purist wince.

But they also played some magnificent Rugby quite beyond the grasp of prosaic New Zealanders. And the over-all impression was that these big, agile men represented a rich vein of Rugby potential all the more Intriguing in that the riches are mostly untapped. Uncanny Catching

Oddly enough the Americans’ greatest virtues were the fundamental Rugby virtues. They could pass accurately, either the orthodox two-hander, onehanded when tackled or with the long one-handed lateral pass of the gridiron game. They could catch with uncanny accuracy and holding those bullet-like passes was not easy.

And they could run and dodge and swerve at speed while still keeping their balance.

When these virtues were added to the formidable height and weight of the forwards, the smaller Auckland University players were hardly ever in the picture after half-time.

In the second half the Bears went from 6-11 to 25-11 and hardly had a moment on defence.

T. Blanchfield (two), J. Bradley, J. Walter and B. Chiappone scored tries for California; Blanchfield kicked a penalty goal and a conversion and J. Whyte dropped a goal and kicked a conversion.

G. Weston and M. Cooke scored Auckland’s tries and Davies kicked a penalty goal and a conversion.