RANFURLY SHIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 22

RANFURLY SHIELD

OTAGO DEFEAT AUCKLAND

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, August 5.

In a game which was notable for the vigour and dash with which it was fought rather" than for. spectacular back play, Otago emerged victorious today from its second match in defence of the Ranfurly Shield, defeating Auckland by 14 points to 5. The game, which attracted to Carisbrook the remarkably large attendance of 15,000 (with an estimated gate of over £700),----was played under the most favourable conditions,' and so sternly was it contested thai the crowd was kept at the highest pitch of enthusiasm at almost every stage. Auckland fielded a powerful combination, possessing both weight and speed.'and the issue was in doubt until a late stage. There was no score in the first- spell, and 20 minutes of the second half had elapsed before Olago secured its first points. There could be no doubt that the Otago. team deserved to win, but it gained its victory only by a desperate fight. The game was marked by plenty of vigorous forward play,1 so much so that in the second spell ■ the referee called the two captains together and had a few words with them. Hadley, who is acclaimed as a champion hooker, did not secure the ball from the scrums to a much greater extent fean did Hore for Otago. Auckland secured the ball'from scrums in the first spell on 13 occasions,, the exact . number that Otago .-' secured it, and in the second half Auckland hooked the ball seven times to Otago's five. AUCKLAND BACKS FAIL. Takingtheir line-out play> all round the visitors held a slight advantage in the first half. The Auckland ; forwards paved the way for many opportunities by their backs; but there was not one outstanding back on their side, otherwise Otago might not have left the field victors. The Auckland backs did riot fall into good line when the ball came from the scrums and they did not have much penetration consequent on a lack of. finish. Fletcher "and Dick, the; wing-three-quarters, showed that they* possessed; pace, but the ball seldom came their way. In attacking work Bush' was too slow for centre-three-quarter, and F. Solomon and Killeen did not play up to their reputations. Frankham,, the half-back, was solid on defence. Beyer, the full-back, could not, always have inspired .his team with confidence. Pepper was the outstanding forward for Auckland, and Lockington 'was about the next best heavyweight forward of .the, team:'.-- F. (Solomon, 15st 61b, who played in the back of a 3-4-1 scrum, was seldom allowed to get far; his handling of the ball was riot good. The Otago forwards did not shape over-well .in the first half, but in the second half; put far more dash into their play, and they were wearing down the opposition as the game went on.. .','•' It.was 20 minutes,>>liowever, after the second spell, had started that a score was registered, Trevathari. putting his side in front with a penalty goal. Not one try was scored by a passing movement, though Watt "made one slashing run at the end of some passing- in the second spell which almost took him to the line. Valentine scored a try from a line-out near the Auckland line, Trevathan missing, an easy goal kick. Trevathan increased Otago's lead to 9 points with a penalty goal. , v ! . A RUNAWAY TRY. '.Pepper secured at the head of a forward rush, and after a dashing run gave Brown a runaway try, which Bush converted.' .There was then only three minutes to go, and Auckland came away with a-great passing rush to try to snatch victory on the post. Smith broke into the rush and got in a clever punt to Beyer, the Auckland full-back, who fumbled, and Gillies, the only Otago man to follow up, snapped the ball off the ground and dived over the line. Trevathan converted, making the final scores: Otago 14, Auckland 5.

The Otago backs did not function well, owing to Trevathan's slowness as first five-eighth, but Gillies, second five-eighth, stood out as the best inside back on the ground.