Fiji Made It “Hot’’ For Old Boys

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32119, 15 October 1969, Page 17

Fiji Made It “Hot’’ For Old Boys

The High School Old Boys Rugby team returned to Christchurch from Fiji yesterday with vivid impressions of the hard grounds, high temperatures and “tremendouslyvigorous” opponents encountered during a 12day tour.

The team won two of its three matches and played extremely well under the conditions, according to the manager (Mr R. G. Cochrane).

The Old Boys lost their first game, in the northern township of Ba, by 9-19, in unbearable heat and on a ground which had not seen rain for seven months. Subsequently, the team beat Nanukuloa, 17-16, and Navua, 17-8. The flanker, R. McKenzie, displayed outstanding form, but had the misfortune to suffer an internal injury, and spent four days in hospital at Suva as a result T. L. Mehrtens, the first five-eighths, used the hard grounds to advantage, and J. McAuliffe, a half-back from the senior

reserve grade, showed a good deal of promise. “Our Fijian opponents were tremendously vigorous but very good to play against,” said Mr Cochrane. “I would hate to be a selector of loose forwards in Fiji.” '

The side was enthusiastically received by the Fijian people throughout its tour, in spite of the fact that visits by New Zealand club sides are becoming more numerous. Star (Invercargill) and Papakura (Auckland) were both in Fiji at the same time as Old Boys.