FINE DRIBBLING

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 255, 25 July 1935, Page 2

FINE DRIBBLING

Wellington Master Old Tactics LIVELY NEW PACK Future Prospects Are Bright (By Astkal.) Although AVellington's weather was in one of its bad moods, and although Athletic Park WHS very greasy on the surliiee, three thousand people watched the representative Rugby match yesterday between AVellington and AVairarapa and I lij'.v stayed until the final whistle. The AA’ellington team showed that in spite of the falling away in the standard of club Rugby, the chosen fifteen of the union could play football as it should be played. The form shown was really surprisingly good, and the result is a tribute to AVellington’s sole selector, Mr. M. F. Nicholls. AVairarapa were not disgraced in defeat. It was ju«t their bad luck that R. Devine, the clever five-eighth revealed in the All Black trials, was not available for selection in the first place, and that Keith Reid and Laing had to default their places before the team left for AVelliugtou. _ But this did not detract from the merit of AVellington’s win. The forwards played the type of football which has been missing from New Zealand Rugby for some years now. They put the ball on the ground and dribbled from start to finish and nothing better has been .seen at Athletic Park since the heyday of the formerly famous Melrose Club. Fine Forwards. AA r airarapa had only one counter for the tactics adopted by AVellington aud that was to go down on the ball. AVairarapa never failed in this, but they were overwhelmed by numbers, and' once again the good old-fashioned forward dribbling rush was seen at its very best. Recent games had revealed the fact that dribbling was a lost art. Individual players like Hull, of Poneke, Barry of Hutt, and Leahy, of Petone, have shown ability in solid dribbling dashes, and while Hull was still the master of them all yesterday, it was decidedly refreshing to find cut that Fraser-Smith, Ongley, AVells and Lamason also knew how to keep control of the ball on the ground. From start to finish of the game the dribbling forward rushes of the AA’ellington pack had AVairarapa sorely worried, and if the team continues to adopt the tactics of yesterday’s game, other provinces will have every reason to change their opinion of the ability of the AA'ellington forwards.

The over-night and morning rain left the surface of Athletic Park very greasy and after the first fifteen minutes it was next to impossible to handle the ball. AVairarapa secured a big percentage of the set scrummages and naturally bad the opportunities of playing a back game which might have been dangerous on a dry ground. But passing was futile, and in actual fact AVairarapa’s possession of the ball proved a disadvantage. Play swung to one wing all day, but it did not swing the right way as far as the visitors were concerned. From start to finish Buick always gave the impression that had he been fed through the chain he would have made things hot for AA’ellington. He never once saw the ball in a passing rush—in fact not one rush was attempted by AVairarapa on the right flank and Mason always met his master in R. Ball on the left flank.

Cleverly Constructed Game. AVellington, on the other hand, did not indulge in many passing movements once the backa realised the problem of a waterlogged and slippery ball. But when the ball could be passed one really fine movement was brought off when O'Halloran fed Lilburne for Bollock to shatter the defence with a perfect cut through to send Fleming over for the easiest of tries. AVellington patrons of Athletic Park are used to the handling game, and this movement satisfied them for the day. After that it was the forwards from start to finish —forwards who played magnificent football against a pack which has a reputation for rugged packing, hard rucking and plenty of dash. Fuller and Crisp were the two fullbacks seen in action, and of the two Crisp was easily the better. The famous “red terror” of former AA’airarapa and Eastbourne days was nebulous as a fullback on defence, though he occasionally came to light with some long range line finders. Crisp did all that was required of him and played equally well both with and against the wind. Buick Shows Class.

The conditions were against good wing three-quarter play, but of the four on the field Buick and Ball were the best. Buick, the 20-year-old ex-Manawatu representative, now of AVairarapa, looked impressive every time he handled the ball. He showed speed, ability to jink and a powerful defence, aud it was just too bad.for him that he was not fed mote often with the bail He made one bad break when he. failed to kid? the ball dead from the ingoal area, but the treacherous turf may have had a lot to do with the lapse. R. Ball was always dashing, while Mason, who opposed him, was often fed with the ball without being able to bent the clever Wellington winger. A. Wright saw very little of the ball, but Buick was always his master. Stringfellow, veteran of many , games for AA’airarapa, held his backs together well and was strong in his backing up on defence. He too lacked the opportunities owing to the state of the ground, although he saw plenty of the ball. His opposite number, Fleming, was sound ou defence aud good on attack, but ■the Eastbourne lad was not called upon for a great deal after the first twenty minutes. His try was a gift, but he showed dash and speed in crossing the line.

Pollock Excellent. Of the four five-eighths, Pollock was the master mind. He straightened up the Wellington rushes, kicked with excellent judgment, dribbled as well as any forward on the ground, and generally infused the thrust that has been lacking Iron: Wellington back play this season. Peter Himona, a former New Zealand Maori representative, who was marking Pollock, was always difficult to master, and he and Pollock had many individual duels during the game. Himona was solid and safe, but he lacked the rapierlike thrusting of the former I’etone fullback. Fitzgerald, who partnered .Himona, played a great defensive game for Wainirapa. The conditions suited him, and he was one of the best backs on Ihe ground on the day. Fitzgerald is a club wing three-quarter, but he a tower of strength as a representative five-eighth. O'ila'loran behind the Wellington serum, like his club-mate Pollock, was very nippy, while his service from the few scrums hooked by Wellington could not. have been bettered. His defence was very solid, and be lowered opposing forwards every time they came through. Nunn was solid without being brilliant, behind the AA'airarapa serum. Fraser-Smith Shows Ability. The Wellington forwards have already been dealt, with ns a pack. Individually Fraser-Smith played an outstanding game, and .it will be no .surprise at all 10 see him retain his place. In all phases of play he was up to the very best .standard. Hull dribbled magnificently, while Leahy. Barry and Wells figured in ninny fine rushes. Lynch. Lanvason and Ongley also did their work very well. Ongley was not as successful as usual in the set serums. Ron Devine was the outstanding AVairarapa forward, and he ranked with Fraser-Smith as one of the two best forwards on the ground. Trass was a hard worker, and was useful in line-out play, while Flutey and Grantham were noticed for solid work in the rucks. Ward, a former Athletic player, did not play in the serums at all, and-he was not able to

capitalise his speed under the conditions which existwl. _ In the early stages of the game AVellington played the 3-3-2 scrummage formation with success, ibut once the ball became too heavy to handle they played the more generally used 3-4-1 scrum. CURTAIN-RAISER PLAYED BY SCHOOL TEAMS In a match played as a curtain-raiser to the representative game, a Hutt A r alley High .School fifteen beat a AVellington Technical College team by. three points to nil. There was no score at half-time, the winning try being scored in the middle of the second half from a good passing corner. BEBBINGTON SHIELD Bush and Dannevirke Draw \ By Telegraph.—Press Association. raliiatua, July 24. In steady rain and on a ground churned to a quagmire by a junior curtain raiser, the Bush Rugby team retained the Bebbington Shield, drawing with Dannevirke, three all. Urly kicked a penalty for Bush in the first spell, and Montieth scored a try for Dannevirke in the last half.

The game was purely a mud scramble and the issue was in doubt till the -end.

ST. PATRICK’S BEAT LEVIN

By 12 points to 6 the second fifteen of St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream. defeated Levin High School in a Rugby match played on the college ground yesterday. Although lighter than their opponents, the Silverstream Iwys were faster, particularly in the first spell, when they showed a better all round knowledge of the game. During that half they scored two unconverted tries, the scorers being Takarangi, who played au outstanding game, and Bourke. In the second spell tlie weight of their opponents began to tell on St. Pats, and before long Hudson crossed their line. Silverstream, however, went further ahead when Teawhitu scored, and later Bourke jvent over again. Fcigler scored the last try for Levin. Considering the slippery ground the game was a particularly good one. Tlie teams were as follow :—

St. Patrick’s: E. Kirby: Campbell, Bourke, McDonnell: Takarangi. A’ale ; AV. Tacon; Coady, Teawhitu. Killalea. McEvedy, Flanuigan, A'. Barnao, Caulton, Delaney. Levin High School: Box ; AfcLaren, Mellor. Hudson; Cotter, Fowler: Kuiti; John Elsmore. Penny. J. Rovdhouse. Feigler, J. Elsmore, Terry. Miles, T. Roydihouse. The referee was Mr. J. King.

UNIVERSITIES MATCH Canterbury Defeats Victoria By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch. July 24. Canterbury College beat Victoria College decisively at Rugby to-day by 32 points to 14. Canterbury College showed marked superiority in all departments. The game was fast and open.