RUGBY LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 23

RUGBY LEAGUE

CANTERBURY MATCH

WELLINGTON INJURIES

Owing to injuries to some of the players, last-minute changes had to be made in the Wellington representative Rugby League side which was beaten by Canterbury at Newtown Park after an interesting tussle last Saturday. R. Perkinson, full-back, and J. Coman, scrum-half, had to withdraw, the former being replaced by W. Spencer, the St. George full-back, and the latter by G. Marshall. Perkinson's withdrawal on Saturday morning was unfortunate. He injured a leg when getting out of a motor-car on the previous evening. MATCH SIDELIGHTS. Winning the ball from an early scrum the Wellington rearguard indulged in a good passing rush which ended in Patrick scoring. Almost immediately the move was repeated, with Eadie the scorer on this occasion. Canterbury could not settle down early, but they gradually revealed the foi*m they displayed in their match against | Auckland, and had Wellington disconcerted with hand-to-hand passing. When the ball was in the open the Canterbury forwards used the close formation and short passing with success . J. Cootes, Wellington's representative in the New Zealand team which recently toured Australia, was one of the outstanding forwards in the match, but he was well marked by the I southerners. He made several useful bursts with the ball from rucks and on two occasions in the concluding stages of the game he raced through to the j Canterbury full-back, but there was ho support and the movements broke down. The remainder of the Wellington forwards played up to form, although the pace was beginning to tell at the end. | Playing his first representative game, j G. Marshall was solid in the scrumhalf position, and he tackled extremely well. C. Mulholland, at five-eighth, was sound although at times he took his passes flat-footed. A. Patrick was probably Wellington's best back. The solidly-built Petone centre ran hard and straight throughout, as did the two wingers, Eadie and Holland, who, however, did not receive many opportunities. At times Davison, the Auckland

and Kiwi winger, was hard put to it to stop Eadie. G. Bellamy, the Canterbury forward, made a definite impression and is a solid scrummager and rucker. He has an abundance of speed, passes well, and plays a constructive type of game. L. Young, the Canterbury captain, played a fine game at five-eighth, and was to a large extent responsible for his side's win. He has a remarkably penetrating run at times and is a generally reliable link. He has represented the South Island for the last four years and he is generally thought to have been unlucky in not having represented New Zealand. R. Price, Canterbury's rugged frontrow forward, had his team-mates and manager worrying during the northern tour. It is stated that during the ten days' tour Price had less than ten hours sleep, despite the fact that a doctor and a nurse were called in at Auckland. Tablets were administered, his rooms were changed, his bed linen was changed twice nightly, and even the position of his bed was altered, but still he failed to slumber. He played in all four games in the north, but he certainly gave the appearance of a very tired man when he reached Wellington last week.

The match for the goodwill trophy, presented for competition between Thames and the Barbarians' fifteen, Auckland, composed for the most part of former Auckland and New Zealand Rugby representatives, will take place on October 8 at Thames. The trophy, which was contested for the first time last year, is held by the Barbarians,