RANFURLY SHIELD

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 247, 19 July 1928, Page 9

RANFURLY SHIELD

WAIRARAPA REGAIN POSSESSION CANTERBURY DEFEATED BY 8 POINTS TO 7 COOKE THE HERO OF THE MATCH Mainly through the brilliancy of A. E. Coohc, Wairarapa regained the Ranfurly Shield yesterday by defeating Canterbury after a close game by 8 points io 7. In the first spell, Wairarapa did not show to advantage, but their display in the second spell showed great improvement. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, July 18. Canterbury lost the Ranfurly Shield by the narrow margin of one point today when they were beaten by 8 points to 7 by Wairarapa—two tries, one converted, to a potted goal and a penalty goal. Canterbury lost many opportunities, and to that extent the luck was against them, but the Wairarapa side was unquestionably superior. This superiority, however, was wholly owing to the presence among tlie Wairarapa backs of Cooke. lie it was who won the shield for his -province, for without Cooke the Wairarapa backs would have been a very moderate side, possibly a mediocre one. The Wairarapa forwards, on the other baud, played with tireless energy and determination.

In the second spell Cooke's play was superb in all departments. His anticipation was uncanny, his hands sure, his tackling deadly, and his line-kicking accurate. Canterbury had Wairarapa beaten with a lead of 7 points to 3 until Cooke’s great chance came. Candy’s dash along the line looked like an opportunity for a shrt punt infield, which Cooke antipated, and he was there to gather in the ball. He took it in his incomparably safe hands from his very toes when running at a good speed, beat his opponents with one of his characteristic swerving runs — dodging some, outspeeding others—to touch down behind the goal. Trusting no one else, he took the kick himself, and sent a low kick over the centre of the bar. This was fifteen minutes before noside, and Wairarapa held that one-point advantage quite safely. A Record Crowd. The day was not an official holiday in the city," but it was certainly an unofficial one, for the crowd must have numbered twenty thousand —easily a record for a Wednesday match. The game was not very spectacular, though on occasions it was highly exciting. Itwas a desperately hard struggle, brightened a afair number of passing rushes, and the outstanding brilliance of Cooke. Before the interval, when Canterbury, against the wind, had only a three points deficit, nothing had happened to suggest Wairarapa ns a champion side. The Canterbury forwards held a decided superiority, taking the ball in the scrums from the Wairarapa hookers, pushing the greens back in light play, (curing through on the loose, unci! winning nearly every linecut. The Red and Black backs stood elose up guarding Cooke and the other Wairarapa inside men, so that the Green back attacks were all hipped in the bud. Tlie Red and Black backs, passing well, made thrust after thrust only to fail at critical moments. The Green, backs, with the exception of Cooke, inspired no confidence in their supporters. Wairarapa's Improved Form.

After the interval the Greens were a changed side. Almost immediately afterwards the hookers got more of the ball; Cundy, who had been a disappointing fiveeighth, became safer and more determined. and the handling of the three-quarter line, which had been indifferent, was up to interprovincial form. The Greens were definitely superior now. and it was plain io everybody that Canterbury's lost chances in the first spell would never offer again. Oliver's field goal was a smart piece of work. The goal was twenty yards away, and. he had but two yards in which to move. He kicked like a flash, ■ and the ball sailed over the centre of the bar. If the Reds, with a lead of four points at this stage, had played for safety, they might have kept the hall from Cooke and company. When Cooke made his sensational score it was plain the match was over, for Wairarapa were definitely superior, and their superiority grew more marked, until at the end, the whole side were lasting better than Canterbury. The Wairarapa men were fighting feverishly to increase the single point lead. It was a time of wild excitement for the spectators. some of whom jumped the fence and encroached on the ground, necessitating a cessation of play for a few minutes. Play Described. The teams played as announced, with the exception that Doreen, the Canterbury wing three-quarter, was replaced by Hart. Canterbury, playing -.against the wind, held a decided territorial advantage in the first spell. Features of the play were poor handling of the Wairarapa backs on defence, the frequency of penalties (chiefly against Canterbury for scrum infringements), and the failure of several easy kicks at goal by both sides. The only score of the spell was a try by Jury owing to a breakdown in tlie handling of the Canterbury backs following a vigorous attack by the Green forwards. Immediately on changing over Wairarapa invaded and held the advantage territorially, as they did for most of tlie spell. Before the game had been resumed long Chesley kicked a penalty goal from an easy position for Canterbury, ranking the score three all. Ten minutes later Oliver potted his remarkably fine goal, and Canterbury led <--3. Play after this was very even, Wairarapa won a succession of serums, and after one on the Canterbury twenty-live line Candy cut out towards the wing, and short punted, and Cooke scored a try wich proved to be the turning point ol the match. After the score, except for a few flashes bv Canterbury, the visitors had decidedly the better of the game.