WELLINGTON v. COLLEGE OLD BOYS.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 17, 20 July 1931, Page 5

WELLINGTON v. COLLEGE OLD BOYS.

Any hopes that Wellington College Old Boys may have had of avenging their narrow defeat sustained at the hands of Wellington a fortnight ago were 'Shattered when the two teams met again at Newtown Park, Wellington winning by 20 points to 10. Old Boys, owing to the firstclass showing of then.1 forwards, who dominated the first spell, changed over with the points, 10-5, in their favour, and the indications, on the run of play, were that, aided by a decided wind in the second half, they would have things much their own w«y. However, as the time wore on, the Old Boys forwards found their grip on the game loosening, with a result that the Wellington backs were able to play so decisive a hand that, towards the end of the second* spell, there was only one team in it. TKe game, while always interesting, was not productive of spectacular football. ■....-. , I ' The teams were:— Wellington: Cresswell;, Ball, Browne, Granger; Page, Johnson;/ Kilby; Smith; Ferguson, Bracken, Howatson, Heflernan, M'Lean, Carlyon, Stanley. Wellington College Old Boys: Masters; Tait, Kushbrook, Gill; Baldwin, Haukins; dv Chateau; Lamason; Bydde'r, Claridge, Emerson, Williams, Clark, Wright, Keynolds. The Old Boys forwards were quick to settle down and almost immediately after the kick-otf a dribbling rush went close to pcnetraHng the Wellington defence. A "hefty" kick by M'Lean caused a temporary check to the Old Boys attack. Wellington were penalised. The Old Boys torwards were quickly down on Page, who failed to take the ball. Dv Chateau sent Lamason away, and the latter passed to 'Tait, who opened Old Boy's' account. Masters succeeded with a fine kick from well out. Old Boys 5-0. Wellington, by utilising the wind, had Old Boys penned down, and Browne failed to register with a couple of penalty kicks. Page was twice prominent in pretty movements. Ine second time, cutting in cleverly, he sent a wide pass out to Ball, who scored. Kilby s kick succeeded. 5-5. At this stage Hefternan, who was injured, was replaced by Hollis. Bydder, Clark,:and Williams were the leading lights in several forward rushes?. At length Hankins, after beating hifi man, sent on to dv Chateau, whose fine run resulted in a try, which Blasters converted. Old Boys 10-5. The Old Boys forwards, by means of short passing, maintained the pressure till Ball got away on a fine run to Masters, who brought him down. Just before half-time Kilby, Johnson, M'Lean, and Granger were associated in a Wellington attack. After the change-over the Wellington forwards were fast down on the kick-off. Kilby was opening up the game nicely and Granger almost got across with the ball at toe. Claridge and Bydder transferred play from one end of the field to the other with -a slashing dribbling,rush..Stanley retaliated with

[ a good run. Hankins, finding his way blocked, cross-kicked to Rushbrook, who gained ground for Old Boys. The White forwards, who had not received overmuch help from their backs owing mostly to the defensive tactics of Johnson and Page, began to slow up, and Wellington had things much their own way. Masters had to get through a lot of work, and acquits ted himself well. The next try came from a Wellington passing rush, from the scrum to Ball's wing, which was finished off by j M'Lean, backing up, grounding the lea- j ther. Browne's kick missed. Old Boys 10-8. Almost immediately Kilby had an easy penalty kick from under the posts with which he made no mistake. Wellington 11-10. A .long throw-out enabled Smith, the Wellington wing-forward, at the end o£ the line, to secure a try, which was not converted. Wellington 14----10. The next was a gift for Wellington, Browne's cross-kick giving Ball a clear runin. 17-10. After Ball had gone close to adding another try, Stanley dribbled over the line tc give Wellington^ their final three points, the game endiug shortly afterwards with the scores unchanged. Wellington 20, Wellington College Old Boys 10. Mr. G. B. Heley was the referee.