B.H.S. NOT AT BEST

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31399, 19 June 1967, Page 16

B.H.S. NOT AT BEST

Although deprived of the ball from set play for most of the game, Xavier College fought valiantly against the far more sophisticated Christchurch Boys High School In a bright freeflowing inter-secondary schools Bugby match at Gamblins road on Saturday School’s win, 12-8, should have been far greater considering the amount of possession it gained from set play, and the number of times its backs were in threatening positions. If it is to retain its distinction of being the leading secondary school in Christchurch, School will have to tighten its play. Too often, casual, irresponsible moves were begun from unlikely’ situations and some of the passing was deplorable. „ After a fairly even first half in which Schools always had the upper hand, it settled down in the second half to threaten the Xavier line regularly, but could not breach the defence frequently enough because of fundamental errors and a tight Xavier defence. Because Xavier knew it could not match the School backs it settled down to play from School's mistakes and it often gained valuable territory with its bustling tactics and speed to broken play. Xavier looked very much the junior partner, but by keeping mistakes to a minimum, it succeeded in staying in the game. When the situation arose Xavier lacked sufficient penetration and speed in the backs to capitalise a hard-won possession. The teams were:

Christchurch Boys’ High School.—D. B. Phillipson (captain). N. Daniel, B. G. Jamieson, D. Johnston, H. T. Joseph, P. A Joseph, J. P. McAuliffe. B. N. Bendel, S. Purdon, I, B. Meyers, A. B. Kindred, M. Nicholls, I Lili, L. Furness, B. Osment. 'Xavier College.—T. Emery, M. Mosebergen, N. Bodgers, P. McGlinchey, D. Holmes, P. Consedine, B. Cox, C. Fallon, P. Doody, W. Brown (captain), T. Luxon, T. Foley, J. Sullivan, R. R Clough. R. G, Clough. H. Sunderland replaced Doody in the second half. Individually the School backs showed up to good effect but as a unit they often faltered. At second five-eighths, H. T. Joseph looked the best back on the field, although he attempted little individually. He was usually content to let Jamieson, at centre, make the breaks. Holmes, marking Joseph, had a hard time. At full-back, the captain, Phillipson, kicked well and on occasions showed to good effect when he came into the backline. He was caught out of position a few times when a School movement had broken down and there was no-one covering. P. A. Joseph played competently at first five-eighths. The best of the forwards were S. Purdon, a flanker, and the powerful locks, Meyers and Kindred, a New Zealand freestyle swimming chamion over two distances. Kindred showed, up in broken play, making some good runs, and Meyers played well in the lineouts. The Xavier captain, Brown, led his forwards well, but could not win enough baU. The pack was very mobile and fast to breakdowns, and Doody and Foley, the loose forwards, often had School running backwards. By clever kicking the Xavier half-back, Cox, played well to his forwards and rarely attempted to set his backs moving. Consedine was steady at first five-eighths, and the ball hardly moved past him from set play. Most of the others defended well. Scorers for School were H. T. Joseph, Johnston and Jamieson, tries, and P. A. Joseph a dropped goal. Luxon scored a try and Fallon kicked a penalty for Xavier . Referee: Mr C. J. Taylor.