Old Boys Fortunate To Beat Albion

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32287, 4 May 1970, Page 19

Old Boys Fortunate To Beat Albion

HIGH SCHOOL OLD BOYS 12: R Columbus and V. Bishop tries; R. Grenfell two penalty goals. ALBION 11: R. Currie a try: A. Quested two penalty goals and a conversion. Looking a vastly improved team from the previous week. Albion possibly deserved a better fate. Old Boys played well in spasms, but lacked the ability to maintain the upper hand once they were on top. Old Boys problems lay in the forwards. On occasions they looked a pack capable of carrying all before them, but suddenly the fire and purpose would disappear and the balance of power would be back in Albion’s corner. The biggest failing of the Old Boys' forwards was their inability to win fast, clean ball for their backs, who given more opportunities might have? brought a completely different complexion to the game. Credit, however. must be given to the Albion forwards. They consistently beat their opponents to the rucks and although giving away size and weight won more than their fair share of possession, both from line-outs and rucks. The best Rugby of the game came in the second half when Old Boys with a series of fine movements looked on the verge of taking control. Albion, however. was not to be intimidated and fought back to have the better of the closing stages, during which period it enjoyed a feast of ball. The man of the match was the Albion full-back. Quested. For so slight a man his defensive kicking was of prodigious length and a number of times his coolness under pressure denied Old Boys scoring chances. Although M. Boyce fed the, Albion backs adequately from!

the base of the scrum, they did not function with a great’ deal ■ of thrust. It must have been, disconcerting for the Albion for-l wards to see how their efforts to set up opportunities from the! ' second and third rucks were! wasted. , Outside Boyce, J. Borlase was, steady and his kicks through; ; for the three-quarters were well; judged. The three-quarters,! , however, did not have the pace! I 'to make the best use of Bor-; lase’s kicks. Led by L. Scott and S. Geddis. , the Albion forwards chased the? ball hard, and although much' oft heir running was across! , field they never daunted in thisl pursuit. P. Currie made some, good takes in the line-outs. I K. Honeybone was the pick; • of the Old Boys forwards in the; line-outs, but too often scrumWaging problems prevented the! , ball coming back to the Old' ;,*Boys half-back. Also poor ruck-i . ing by the Old Boys forwards frequently denied their backs ; the ball until Albion had re-; ■ grouped its defences. S. Purdon was possibly the: - best of the Old Boys forwards in J loose play and he distinguished; 1 himself on one occasion when r , ran 30 yards with the ball 1 ’ held against his back. Just be-! fore being brought to ground he b accomplished the difficult task i of transferring the ball to a b more comfortable carrying posiB.tion. The Old Boys backs looked to l 1| have enormous potential, but e only seldom was it realised. ~ Both the side’s tries were 1 scored on the wing and on b’oth occasions the inside backs were B given the ball with the time; r and room to show their paces. e P. Sheldon, at second fives . eighths, made a couple of fine s runs and outside him G. Mat- .: thews tried hard to make the ; ;best possible use of his limited li Referee: Mr A. F. Gurnsey. j