TRENTHAM ON TOP

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 79, 30 September 1918, Page 5

TRENTHAM ON TOP

WELLINGTON BADLY BEATEN

SATUBDAY'S RUGBY GAME.

The return match Wellington v. Trentham was played at Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a fairly large attendance of spectators. The game was played east and west, but even then a high" wind interfered a good deal with the play. There were a few changes in the teams as originally announced, Wellington being the principal sufferer in this respect, the absentees being Morris, Scott, Eberhardt, and Marks. Taylor and Murphy were unable to take their places in the Trentham" fifteen. Even play followed the commencement of the game, E. Roberts and Bradley being the first pair of the Trentham backs to get going, i They, by a pretty piece of passing, carried play td the Wellington 25, where it .remained for a • time, Trentliam making strenuous efforts to score. 'Through offside play Wellington were penalised in their own 25, and from a favourable! position E. Roberts kicked a good goal. Trentham 3, Wellington 0. Wellington took a turn in attacking, and beat the Trentham men • back to their own' territory, - where, after some close forward work, the soldiers were penalised, and Nicholls equalised the score by kicking a pretty goal. Trentham 3, Wellington 3. Back to the attack came; Trentham, and good work by E. Roberts and Parker almoßt saw an addition _to the score. Play remained just outside the Wellington line for a time, and from a five yards scrum E. Roberts used the blind side cleverly, and scored at the corner.! Cowie's kick was a good one, but just .failed. Trentham 6, Wellington 3. Even play in midfield followed for a time, and then from a loose rush of the Trentham forwards A. M"'Donald picked up and.gave to Davidson, whose pace carried him over. The kick at goal failed again. Trentham 9, Wellington 3.. It was bad luck for Wellington, as at least two or three of the Trentham forwards were off-side during the rush which preceded the try.. The next score came■ a. moment or two later. The . Trentham backs got going, and B. Roberts, 'F. Roberts, Davidson, Milliken, and Bradley . handled in turn, the latter dashing over, at the' corner. He appeared to lose the ball before he touched dchvn, but the referee ruled otherwise. Glasgow failed at goal. Trentham ,12, Wellington 3. A series of loose scrambling rushes followed, with occasional flashes of combined play. • E. Roberts proved a' tower of strength in defence during Wellington attacks.. The Trentham forwards swept down the field to the^Wellington 25, and. M'Donald picked up and passed to E. Roberts, who transferred to Davidson. The latter ran over again, and scored far put. I?. Roberts failed at. goal. Trentham' 15, Wellington 3. The whistle sounded for half-time, with Wellington attacking strongly. ■ ' :

THE SECOND SPELL, set up a. strong attack from the resumption of play. The eveTgreen "Ned" Perry replaced Tancred in the Wellington pack,, the latter feeling the effects of an,injury, to his side received on the previous Saturday. Good work by E. Roberts and Cowie kept Wellington, out, and the Trentham back division, byjgood kicking and passing, transferred play to the other end of the field. Here from a loose, rush P.ooley picked up, and forced his way over, .and Bradley kicked at splendid g0a1... .Trentham 20, Wellington 3. Porter was prominent in good defensive work which followed, but Trentham were not'to be denied, . and E. Roberts, securing from a scrum, gave to Bradley, who:dashed over at the corner. Bradley failed a.t goal from an. awkward angle. Trentham 23, Wellington 3. A few seconds later E. Roberts marked in a favourable position, but his drop, kick at goal was not successful. Albert Parker received an injury to a leg, and was carried off the.field. With'play in the Wellington 1 25, Milliken intercepted a pass from Nieholls to V. Tilyand, and. after a short swerving'run. he got over again. Packer failed-at goal. Trentham 26, Wellington 3. The military team now appeared to be having matters almost all their own way, and Davidson almost immediately afterwards intercepted a- pass cleverly; and raced for the line, getting over far out. He took the kick himself, but failed. Trentham 29, Wellington; 3. Wellington kept up a strong attack for a while, and from a penalty Nicholls sent the ball over the bar, but it, was touched by a Trentham forward, in its flight. Then a minute later Packer, at his own 25, got possession, and with a clear run in, scored a meritorious try, his pace beating the opposing rearguard. The kick at goal failed. Trantham 32, Wellington 3. Almost immediately afterwards' Packer . scored again, receiving a pass from Milliken. A. M'Donald failed at goal. .Trentham 35, Wellington 3/' Trentham had all the best of the concluding stages of the game, and F. Roberts, making a good opening, gave to Packer, who raced over unopposed. A. M'Donald kicked a- goal, and the game, which for the. greater part was one-sided, ended with the scores:

Trentham ....:.... 40 Wellington 3 Mr. G. Nicholson,-- of Auckland, ■was the referee.