RUGBY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 58, 5 September 1914, Page 10

RUGBY

AN EVEN "REP." MATCH. NOT MUCH TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ! WELLINGTON AND CANTERBURY. After Southland's tame display the previous Saturday it was interesting to find that Wellington were last week matched against foemen worthy of their steel when they met Canterbury. Frankly, the result came as something of a surprise, but this has been a season of surprises in the local football world. Play in the first half was mostly in favour of Wellington, and it looked as though Canterbury, with a decidedly strong wind behind them, would have to show a lead of about ten points when half-time was called to hold the ascendency. The wind doubtless played an important part in the destinies of the game. When the ball was kicked in the teeth of the half-gale that blew across the field it was twisted and twirled about like a cork, and frequently landed considerably behind the spot it ascended from. There was little to choose as far as the relative strength of the two teams was concerned. The back play of the visitors was ragged at times, but they had the advantage of a splendid set of forwards. The home backs worked rather indifferently — taking their performance as. a whole — and their exhibition was not what it should have been considering the individual calibre of the men engaged. Mostly the game was fast work in the loose, with bright patches of passing work. The visiting team suffered — aa the Southland team did the previous week — through a reluctance to tackle low. The neck grip was frequently in evidence, and as a means of stoppnig the onward flight of a strong player it is almost futile. Doubtless it will be contended that Wellington's defeat wa3 due to bad luck as much as anything else, but a twopoint win would seem just about to indicate the slight superiority of the visitors over the local men — a superiority due to the work of their forwards. When it came to heads down in the scrum this was not noticeable, but in the loose work the Canterbury forwards proved more than a match for their opponents. The visiting team had previously played in five matches, and had consequently had a better chance to look to their combination, and it was this combination — among the forwards more particularly — that told in the long run. Wellington made a valiant attempt to turn the scales in the last few moments, but could not stay long enough, and although just after Canterbury had topped the score they made a bold bid for it, they were hard pressed on the defensive when the bell brought relief to both of the out-of-breath teams. Conspicuous among the local backs was Evensen, who, with Ryan, played fiveI eighths. Hitherto this season- he has done little to distinguish himself, but "rep." football seemed to put new life into him. He was strong on the attack | and accurate with his passing, and when I it came to kicking He did the right thing. Beard, the centre three-quarter, played an erratic game. He was aggressive enough, but he was sometimes too ready to get rid of the ball when there was j really no necessity for it. Cunninghame, the full-back, played indifferently and often fumbled when the other side was pressing and there was no time to make mistakes. Roberts at half showed his usual aptitude and cleanness in getting the ball out, and was instrumental in starting several passing rushes. Of the forwards Paton, Miller, Moffitt, and Wilson were the mainstays. Henry, the full-back for the visitors, who has probably donned the football jersey for more seasons than he cares to remember, distinguished himself with his kicking, and was one of the safest players on the field. Macdonald and M'Leod were the best of the threequarters, and Mehrten^as half, although a junior in years, used discretion that would have done credit to a much older player. Maxwell, Menzies, Richards, and Hasell shone out in a fine set of forwards, Hasell being very safe at finding the line with his kicking.