EXCITING RUGBY

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 6, 2 October 1944, Page 3

EXCITING RUGBY

Combined Services Beat N.Z. Team

MARGIN OF THREE POINTS

The curtain for n most Intereßtlng Rugby season in Wellington was fittingly rung down at Athletic I'ark ou Saturday afternoon, when a crowd of to,ooo, spectilj tors saw the Combined .Services team narrowly beat a New Zealand fifteen d'-’-lli. Before .play staged the teams were introduced to the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newell, by the president of the New Zealand Rugby billon, Statf-Scrgcaut A, A. Laker utter which the players gave cheers for-bls Excellency. 'Hie Trentliaui band onlneueU tlie waits'during the afternoon with selections. The teams were:— Combined Services. —Morrison; McLean. Wiles, McHugh; O’Ciillagban, Delnmure; Burchard; Beadle, Green (eaptnln), l-raser, Elliott, Herman, Waldegruve, Johnson, Sl New Zealand.—Sewell; Dunn, Roberts, Fox: Rae, .Murdoch; Tetzlaff" (captain): Birchfield, McKenzie, McHugh, Gunning, Mclntosh, Christian, Catlev. Connolly. The teams represented the cream of the Kugbv players of the Dominion tit the present time, and the big crowd was kept at high tension by the rapidity of the scoring Play was dominated by a strong northerly wind, and with this behind them both sides scored 19 points, the Combined Services’ team managing to score the deciding try while battling against the gale. Services had the breeze with them In the first spell. Catley was beating Johnson at hooking from the scrums, and thus Tetzlaff, the New Zealand captain, was able to get his backs going frequently. Al! atempts to break through, however, were met bv solid tackling. Delamore, at first live-eighth, moved fast, and started several attacking movements. Barchard, who was a live wire behind the scrum, opened the scoring for Services with a clever try, which Morrison converted. A neat bit of passing between Wiles ■ and McLean saw the former score a try, which Morrison failed to Improve. O’Callaghan then came into the picture with a fast dash down the line, which ended in Delamore flashing over for a try, but Morrison again failed to add the extra points. Services kept up a hot attack, but failure to secure the ball from the scrums was a big handicap. The next to score was Wiles, who was moving fast at centretbreequarter, and this time Morrison found the target. A good penalty goal by O’Callaghan gave Services a lead of 19 points to nil at the Interval. It took the New Zealand team some time to get going in the second spell, due to sound defence. Play was fast and hard, and in a dash at the line Fox was injured and was replaced at wing-threequarter by Abbott Sewell the full-back, opened New Zealand’s account with a penalty goal, and a little later the same player struck the cross-bar with another penalty kick from well out Tetzlaff was resourceful at halfback, and it was a clever try he scored between the posts for Murdoch to add the extra -points. Next Tetzlaff, Abbott, McHugh and Mclntosh collaborated In a passing bout, which ended in a try by the last-named, and there was cheering when Sewell converted with a fine kick. Services then rallied, and a good opening made by Delamore allowed McHugh to cross in the corner for a try, which Morrison could not convert. New Zealand hotly attacked ,and Abbott went over for a try, which Sewell failed to improve. Then Tetzlaff sent the ball to Murdoch, and the Otago man cut-in smartly to eend Dunning over for a try, which Sewell went close to converting. With only three points separating the scores,, there was high excitement as New Zealand attempted to draw level. The defence held, however, and a hard-fought game ended In a well-deserved victory for Combined Services, 22-19. Mr. D. S. B. Heather, Hamilton, controlled the game most efficiently.

WON BY CANTERBURY Navy Rugby Tournament

Canterbury won the triangular tournament between Navy teams which ended on Saturday. The tourney was played on a points for and against system, Canterbury 22 for and 15 against, Wellington 21 for and 22 against, and Auckland 23 for and 2!) against. In the final game Wellington beat Auckland 15-14.' At one stage Wellington led. 15-(i and had prospects of carrying off the tourney, but Auckland finished with great dash. Conversion of the final try would have given them a win, but it was a difficult shot from well out and missed. Naera (2), Greatbatch and Jones scored for Wellington. Naera also kicked a penalty goal. For Auckland, Loti, a Fijian, scored three tries and Sellars one. Fisher converted one try. Referee, Mr. J. Gilchrist.

CANTERBURY BEAT OTAGO

(By Telegraph.- Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. Canterbury beat. Otago at Rugby yesterday by IS points to 9. Conditions were perfect and a large crowd watched an exciting game. Earlier this season at Dunedin, Otago won, 15-8. In Saturday’s match Canterbury scored a converted try five minutes after the start. Otago secured an unconverted try just before the spell closed and almost got another early in the second spell. Otago, keeping up tlielr vigorous all-in play, gained another unconverted try and went, into the lead, (1-5. Their inside back play, specially on tho part of R. Williams, was every bit as clever as Canterbury’s. At this stage it looked as If Otago would forge further ahead, but the complexion of the game changed when ail the Canterbury backs raced aw.ny m a beautiful co-ordinated movement right from their own twenty-five, the full-back joining in among the others. Cochrane scored spectacularly at the other end and Callanan converted. From now on the pace increased, Canterbury’s back play gained thrust and their handling lost its previous errors. Otago kept fighting back, but could not quite cope with the pacy combination of Canterbury, Scorers for Canterbury were .Mitchell (2), Cochrane, mid Mullins. Callanan converting three. For Otago Currie and F. Williams (2) scored.