RUGBY PROFESSIONALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 73, 19 December 1907, Page 10

RUGBY PROFESSIONALS.

KEIGHLEY MATCH. A NARROW MARGIN AND A CLOSE " CONTEST. Keighley (Yorkshire) —Won by 9 points io 7 —3 tries to 2 goals and 1 try. (By A. H. Baskorvillo.) It is an understood thing in Northern Union circles that the team capable of beating Keighlcy on their own ground is good enough for anything playing professional Rugby. We could nob put in the field our ''best" team, as Smith, Messenger, AY. Wynyard, Cross, and Gilchrist were on the injured list. Howevor, the following team put op a fiiio performance :— , Turtill, W'rigley, Howe, Lavery, Todd, R. Wynyard, Tync, Lile, Tyler, Trevarthen, Wright, Pearcc, and Johnston. Tlie half-back position was filled by Tyno, for a while, but ho went out to five-eighths 'later and It. Wynyard took his place. The weather was perfect, a. line, sunny afternoon bringing out the largest contingent of ladies wo have yet seen at our matches. The crowd filled tile ground. Over, 8000 people woro presont, and the gate realised nearly £350. Tho.record for the ground previous to our advent was £256, so it will be seon that tho interest taken locally was intense. ~ ' ■' ■ . DEAD-BALL LINE TOO CLOSE. Keighley/won tho toss and elected to play down tho slight slope. A scrum, resulted soon near the half-ivny ilino.' We secured, and.Tvne, running, to the blind side;.handed on to'Rowe, who' 1 reached the home : twelity.fiyo. The Koighley .forwards' riishod back.to our ground, but wefo -gallantly;-stopped by The New Zealand forwards, with a fine dribble, swept -to thoir liii'c.--.Wright land Lavery kicked across' and dived' for tho ;ball,i but the dead-ball lino was altogether "too, close th the goal line 'arid beat them. '/' ' ."Koighley were let into tho "All. Black's" , twenty-five iy'Turtill. From a later scrum Keighley secured and nearly potted a goal. New Zealand attacked with a sterling pass'mg rush. was pulled down just on their goal line, and passed forward, a fino chance bciug thus lost. Koighley got back their arrears of ground by passing, but on tryingr again to pass from the scrum they lost yards owing to tho activity of Todd and Rqwo in breaking up the attack.' The Keighley forwards rushed down'until..they,.were stopped by Wrigloy. Johnston initiated an attack by racing after a kick by R. Wynyard and smothering the return. A scrum near their twenty-five saw Tyiie in possession. • He passed to ft. Wynyard, who handed on to Wrigley. The latter <vas pushed into touch near their lino. Keighley attacked again through getting a free kick; tho attempt at goal was a • failure. Wright and Johnston made a fine passing run. Johnston dribbled over, hut the homo team'saved by kicking into touch. FIRST BLOOD. Lavery secured and sent the ball on to R-owe, who ran well and centred. Wright secured tho ball and with .a fine long run got-over. AVrigley failed to convert it. Wrigley was again instrumental in setting up an attack by a good run and kick. Keighlcy came back with a forward rush to our twenty-five. The referee accidentally gave one of our men off-side, and Keighley placed a goal.

. . New Zealand 3 . 2 Keighley camo down again with a fine forWard'rush, but Turtill saved by kicking into the dead-ball area. New Zealand was givon offsido a few, minutes afterwards, and Kcigliley kicked their second penalty goal. This gave them the lead by one point. Keighley attacked with the re-start of play, but the New Zealand forwards soon rushed play , back. The "All Black" forwards made a magnificont rush from halfway to Koighloy's goal, but their full back saved by kicking over tho dead-ball lino. ; A scrum on Keigiilcjj's line saw tho ball go to them. Pi. Wynyard' charged down their half's kick, and, tho ball rolling over tho line, he dropped on it; Wrigley failed to convertNew Zealand 6 , Keighley 4 J3oth sets of forwards wore hard at it fighting for supremacy. At last 11. Wynyard, v who had shifted up to half-back, had a kick charged down similar to the one he himself charged a few minutos before, and Keighley scored in exactly the same way as New Zealand did, but failed at goal. This gave them \ lead of one point. THE WINNING TRY. Keighley had two long range shots at goal, but both failed. Lavory and Tyrie, by good work, raised the siege for a while, but the former missed a pass from R.* Wynyard on the blind side, and nearly let them in. ■ Keighley secured from a scrum on our line, but Rowo intercepted a pass and ran to the half-way line; Wright secured iii a scramble near half-way; he ran well and passed to R. .Wynyard, who transferred to Todd, who by a fine run got over and scored. Turtill failed to convert — New Zealand 9 Keighley 7 ■ Keighloy strove hard to get a lead again, but Turtill by a fine kjck and quick following up brought play to their twenty-five They replied' with a sweeping rush to the New Zoalaud twenty-five. It was anybody's gamo for a, few minutos. However, R. Wynyard, Lavery, and Johnston, by brisk,. effective passing, shifted the scene of operations to tho home uwenty-five. They looked like scoring, but Kcighley's defence was effective until tho whistle sounded. , -, . ' After the match we were banqnotted at the leading Keighley hotel, the Mayor of the town presiding! Ho was supported by the Mayor-elect and by soveral prominent citizen's. It is wonderful the.interest that is taken in New Zealand laws. We hear them mentioned everywhere and they aro spokon of in a way which convinces ono that the speech-makers are thoroughly conversant with them all. • .