GETTING BETTER

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31142, 19 August 1966, Page 13

GETTING BETTER

Birtwistle’s Injury (N.Z. Press Association) ROTORUA. The muscle injury of the Canterbury and All Black winger, W. M. Birtwistle, is responding to treatment in Rotorua. Yesterday, half-way through his week of special bathing and physiotherapy treatment, Birtwistle declared the damaged hamstring to be about 50 per cent better. “The treatment is working all right,' he said. “There has been a gradual improvement from the first day.” The swelling and a hard lump marking the injury behind the right knee have shrunk to about half the size. Yesterday, Birtwistle played a round of golf—his first real outdoor exercise for weeks—and today he plans to have a light training run.

Wellington Wins, 29-6

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU.. South Canterbury proved no match for the strong Wellington Rugby side in a representative match played at Fraser Park, Timaru, yesterday. Wellington won the game, which was played in an open style, by 29 points to 6, having led, 14-3, at half-time. The Wellington forwards dominated line-out play and frequently pushed the South Canterbury pack off the ball in the scrums. The feature of Wellington’s back play was the speed at which the ball travelled along the line. For South Canterbury, the young full-back, J. G. Brown, played an excellent game. He cleared well under pressure and his tackling was impressive. R. Vercoe, R. Dench, and K. Milne played good games for South Canterbury in the forwards. Scorers for Wellington were B. M. Koopu (two), G . F. Kember, N. E. R. Cowley, G. C. Williams, tries; M. Williment kicked one penalty and four conversions and M. Blackburn a field goal. South Canterbury’s points came from a try by Milne and a penalty by B. Beardsley.