LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 13 September 1928, Page 19

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

OTACO V. WELLINGTON VISITORS WIN EASILY The Wellington and Otago Rugby League representatives met at Nowtowu Pa.rk yesterday, when a rather disappointing exhibition ended in a victory for the visiting team by 37 joints to 5. The heavy rain which fell prior to the match had made the foothold, treacherous, and soon resulted in the ball becoming very greasy. Glimpses of form given during the game indicated that under more favourable conditions an entertaining exhibition might have been expected. •As it was, the handling of the ball was remarkably good, and the line-kicking generally powerful and well-directed, but the tackling was decidedly weak. Otago owed their vie tory mainly to a back division superior in speed and cleverness, and to a pack ot forwards which gave them a monopoly of the ball from the scrums and which played a slashing game in the loose. The outstanding man on the field was Clydesdale, the visiting captain, who was • sound at full-back, and who often moved up into the backs to initiate or finish off scoring movement.. M'Kewen and Timlin also stood out for good play.. Wellington owed their comparatively good position at halftime more to mistakes by Otago than to their own play. The teams were: —. Otago (blue).— Clydesdale; Connelly, Woodhouse, Watson; M'Kewen, Timlin, Neiper; Townsend, Hicks, Kirk, Hunt, O'Connor, and. Harbrow. Wellington (maroon).—Balks; Richardson, Scorringe, Phillips; Dennison, Collins; Watson; Boweri, Glink, Leslie, Lawrence, Sharman, -and Mooney. Otago opened with the sun in their faces, and the wind in their favour. A spectacular breakaway by Timlin looked promising, but Connelly on the wing failed to take his pass. Otago were decidedly superior in the early part of the game, the forwards keeping Wellington pinned down by their dashing loose play and feeding their backs well from the scrums. In a combined back movement the ball travelled out to Watson, but his in-pass to Timlin was not taken. From a scrum at the spot Timlin secured and went over. Clydesdale's kick from the side line, thougn good, failed. Otago 3, Wellington 0. A Wellington passing rush broke down, and Connelly put the Blues in a strong position with a dashing run down the touchline. The attacking backs failed to penetrate the defence when fed by _ Neiper from a scrum in the corner, but immediately afterwards Woodhouse went clean through the local team, scoring a brilliant try under the posts. Clydesdale failed to convert. Otago 6, Wellington 0. Den nison and Collins were working well for the Maroons, and Collins* changed places with Watson at half-back. A dash down the line allowed M'Kewen to cross in the corner, but the referee ruled that he had gone into touch in goal. The Wellington forwards returned to the attack, and Mooney finished off a loose movement by picking up and scoring. Scorringe converted. Half-time came immediately with the scores Otago ti, Wellington 5. Wellington showed up for a while after the interval with Scorringe prominent for sound play, but Otago launched a back attack which shattered the defence and Clydesdale came up fast, taking a pass at the end of the chain, and crossed for a try which he converted. Otago 11-5. A penalty goal kicked by the same player made the score Otago 13-5. Otago from then on had Wellington on the run. Timlin made an opening for Watson, and once again Clydesdale had raced into position to take his pasg and gallop over. Watson failed with the kick. Otago 16-5. Wellington were attacking when a mistake let M'Kewen, Timlin, and Neiper away, and the last-named ran from half-way, and scored under the posts. Clydesdale goaled. Otago 21-5. The Blue backs and forwards threw the ball about freely and Neiper topped off an open movement with a try. Otago 24-5. With the defence hopelessly out of position Otago heeled from a scrum near the posts and Clydesdale went over unopposed. He converted the try. 29-5. M'Kewen, O'Connor, and Connelly worked together to produce the next try, which Connelly scored wide out. 32-5. Just on time, Balks fumbled when attempting to make a clearance, .and Connelly (lashed up and broke right away from midfield, to score under the posts. Clydesdale converted, and the game ended, Otago 37, Wellington 5. Mr. C. Wrack was the referee.