RUN OF THE PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 112, 13 May 1937, Page 24

RUN OF THE PLAY

MANY THRILLING MOMENTS

The conditions for the match, except for a slightly slippery surface, were perfect when the team took the field; Members of both sides were presented to Lord.Galway, who was accompanied by Mr. J. Prendeville, president of the Wellington Rugby Union, and Mr*. J. N. Millard, chairman of the union's management, committee. Wellington played from the south. The teams were:—

Canterbury.—Nolan; Cobden, Dawson, Eathorne; Hooper, Brooks; McAuliffe (captain); McPhail, Brown, Milliken, Williams, Rankin, Stace, Burke, Hattersley. Wellington.—Crisp; Edwards, Baldwin, Watt; Le Quesn^ Griffiths !■ (captain); Sadler; Ongley, Lambourne, Leahy, Devine, Fraser-Smith, Guy. . Pringle, Wales. A smart break-away on the left wing by Cobden, who centre-k'cked with judgment at the twenty-five, put, the Wellington line in danger until a free kick relieved. Canterbury again attacked strongly from a free kick and were within a few yards of the line until another free kick was given Wellington. Back at the Wellington, twenty-five, Canterbury mishandled and Wales, with Fraser-Smith and Ong- • ley,, led a splendid rush to the Canterbury twenty-five. Canterbury were definitely more aggressive, however, and when Crisp mishandled Brown dived on the ball as it was dribbled over the line. Nolan goaled, 5-0. - Wellington stormed to the attack and Baldwin brilliantly beat his man twice, but Watt could not get the ball. Watt, however, came right into his own when another Wellington attack broke down and Hooper sent Eathorne away with a clear field. From a long handicap, Watt pacily overtook his man ten yards from the line and tackled him so effectively that Eathorne could not pass to his supports. The game was splendidly fast and open and after Wellington had survived an attackGriffiths booted the ball over the fence for the force-down—Wellington moved back to midfield. where there were further thrills. ! Wellington 'forwards short-rushed play to the twenty-five, but there seemed a lack of final punch about the work and the ball too frequently.hung in the second row. Canterbury's defence was impressive and the side, given another chance to attack, added , another try. Pawson ran well down ! the left wing, in-passed to Hooper, who sent on to Rankin . The All Black easily beat Griffiths to score under the bar. Nolan converted. 10-0. From midfield, Crisp found touch in the Canterbury twenty-five as Eathorne fumbled. And as the ball came back to him, he tried a field goal from 40 yards which dropped just under the bar. Sadler led an attack to near the goal line and from the scrum he sent the ball out. Watt received clear of Eathorne and galloped —there was no other word for his pace—for a try. Crisp converted splen- ' didly. 10-5 to Canterbury. A beautifully-judged punt from a 1 penalty at half-way caused a line-out two yards from Wellington's line. Canterbury won the line-out, but Mc- J Auliffe lost his supports and a wild 1 throw to his second five-eighth was l riot taken, Wellington forwards carrying the ball to half-way. The loss of 1 territory was expensive to Canterbury, £ particularly because a penalty a couple i of minutes later from eight yards in- i side half-way and in front was splen- ' didly converted by Crisp. [ Canterbury ..,^,., 10 ) Wellington ?8 ' A rush which had Wellington on the run until Leahy ran 40 yards with the ball, and a breakaway by Wall marred by a poor inside pass, were incidents. Then, with a minute to the. end of the spell. Hooper scored a first-rate try after Rankin had begun a rush.. With Le Quesne and Wall ori each side and about three or four yards away. Hooper moved his arms and his body in such a way as to deceive both Wellington i players that he was about to pass. He I didn't and the try was really clever. J Nolan failed with the kick. 13-8. Even then, Canterbury's enterprising \ play nearly brought another try. At i half-way Cobden received, side^ J stepped Edwards and Crisp, and handed on to Hattersley, who was hauled t down a yard short. Time saved Wei- c lington. {

Canterbury 13 Wellington 8 Wellington began the second spell with more punch, and the forwards held Canterbury on the goal line: Ed,wards, however, missed his pass from Baldwin, and Le Quesne also missed a quick snap at goal. McAuliffe neatly grubber-kicked from half-way *to the Wellington twenty-five, and Crisp had to recover quickly from a short punt. Despite a Canterbury attack, Wellington's pack, through the agency of Devine and Fraser-Smith, made a rush, in which Wales went perilously close to scoring. Play shifted, scene quickly until Griffiths received about forty yards from the line. There was an opening, and he took it, racing through to Nolan, where he passed to Ongley. Ongley ran' a few yards to score by the posts, and Crisp's kick hit the outside post and cannoned over. 13-13. McAuliffe, went off with an injury, L. Brown taking his place. Le Quesne sped-through a gap, but on the twentyfive line Wales, who took the'pass, was soundly tackled. The play, was interesting, though both sides found the' other's defence difficult to penetrate. Watt, given his first run of the spell, ran well and passed infield to Baldwin, whose pass, close to the line, was taken by a Canterbury man' arid cleared. Then Le Quesne cut through, but a few yards off the line he slipped as he turned infield and the chance was lost.; Cobden impressed with a spectacular run, ended by Watt forcing, and then Wellington was penalised seven yards inside half-way. Nolan goaled with a beautiful kick. 16-13. He "went one better with another penalty for a scrum infringement, almost in the same place a mihute later. ;i ' "/■■' 'Canterbury 19 7 Wellington 13 ;: Wellington's efforts to retaliate were futile as Canterbury charged to the attack. Devine, in the twenty-five, conceded a penalty which Nolan missed by no more than a foot. Griffiths broke away to the Canterbury twentyfive, but from the scrum Sadler's pass to Le Quesne, set for a pot, went astray. But from the next scrum Sadler gave to Griffiths, who snappily potted a fine goal, ld-17. ' With seven minutes to go Wellington was all but for victory, and from two scrums Sadler was set to give Le Quesne the ball for a pot. The second time he did, but the pot was badly astray. Excitement was terrific as Watt from a rush started by Edwards, crashed into touch two : yards from the line; as Sadler tried to duck over, incidentally temporarily knocking' out a Canterbury forward, and as Edwards, with his one chance of the game, beat Cobden but fell to' a diving tackle. And Canterbury worked to half-way, where Hooper ended a great game by finding touch at halfway;:'; ■■.■■■.' Canterbury ..'. 19 Wellington 17 Mr. J. A. Wilson'was referee.