SCHOOL RUGBY MATCH

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 269, 10 August 1938, Page 16

SCHOOL RUGBY MATCH

St. Patrick’s Colleges WIN FOR SILVERSTREAM St. Patrick’s College (Silverstream) beat St. Patrick’s College (Wellington) at Athletic Park yesterday, in (lie annual inter-school match, by nine points (one try and two penalty goals) to three ta try). The atrocious conditions marred the game as a spectacle, the ground being a quagmire in places. The weather was bitterly cold, and steady rain fell throughout. Nevertheless, the football was of a surprisingly good standard, the rucking, scrummaging and ball control being up to the -best that secondary school Rugby can produce. Good handling was out of the question. What little there w-as of it was put to much greater effect by Silverstream, whose try was the result of a smart blindside movement. The forwards were evenly matched. Silvcrstream showed a iot of skill in booking and holding the ball. On several occasions they applied their weight effectively to force the opposition back, but more often than not these tactics were frustrated by equally solid scrummaging iby the Wellington forwards, in addition to which tiie slippery ground militated against screwing tiie scrum. It was a treat, however, to watch these tactics curried out by two well-trained teams.

On a dry ground it is probable that Silverstream would have carried the day ■by a greater margin. The ibaeks appeared a more dangerous set than their opponents, 'being quick to take advantage of gaps, but difficulty in handling the ball made punting essential, and tin’s curbed the full effectiveness of the Silverstream backs’.

Fine displays were given by both fullbacks, D. Marshall ( Wellington) and P. McCarthy (Silverstream). Both fielded brilliantly at times’ 1 . - Tiie three-quarters rarely saw the ball, the bulk of the work falling on both sets of inside backs, who shaped creditably. O'Connor (’Wellington) was always a thorn in the side of the opposition, but made a bad tactical blunder on one occasion in the first spell after great work by the forwards, who muzzled Ransfield, the opposing five-eighth, and then cleverly rucked the ball to the scrum half. O’Connor received tiie ball with his backs in position, and the opposition one short. Instead of going for the overlap, however, he punted ahead, enabling the defenders to clear. Of the forwards, D. and W. O’Donnell, Nicholson and Herbert (Silverstream), and Hassett, McLaughlan, and ObSullivan (Wellington) were outstanding. Wellington had the benefit of a strong wind in the finst spell, but the game was even territorially. The only score came from a raking loose rush in which the Wellington forwards carried' the ball over the line. .McLaughlin falling on it. The kick missed. The second spell was also even territorially for the greater period, but in the concluding stages .Silverstream were definitely on top. Mansfield kicked two penalty goals, and Whittle scored after a smart blind-side movement, following a ruck near the Wellin/ton line. Wellington had a good .opportunity of increasing their score from a penalty right in front of tiie i>osts, but the ball screwed off Burns’s foot. Tiie teams were:—

Silverstream: P. MeOarthy (captain); E. Taripo. I. Butler, J. Quirk; J. Ransfield, G. Whittle; J. Dunn; D.O’Donnell,

K. [Herbert, E. Brownlie; J. Nicholson, K. Rankin, W. O’Donnell, T. Quikenden; J. O’Sullivan. 'Wellington: D. Marshall; R. Metcalfe, E. Burns, N. Hastings; A. Willifiins. B. O’Connor (captain) ; E. Quinn ; IV. Maskell, F. McLaughlan, F. O’Sullivan; J. Gardiner, R. Hassett, C. Hutchinson, J. McNeill; P. Catalda, Referee: Air. A. Monigatti.