COLLEGE RUGBY

Evening Star, Issue 16822, 26 August 1918, Page 7

COLLEGE RUGBY

HIGH SCHOOL PEAT WAITAKI.

ENTHUSIASM IN THE RAIN.

In the oeaseloss, drenching rain of Saturday afternoon the Ota<;o Boys' High School and Waitaki College fifteens played a. fast, if naturally pattornless, game of Rugby on Carisbrook"Ground, which was treacherous, heavy, and even waterlogged at two corners, tt was a day upon which an attendance of a hundred at most, might j have been expected, but the fact is that ! there were at least 2,000 enthusiasts in- '. side the gates; 1,500 crowded into the big stand, from which tho flutter of the blue-and-white and blnck-an'd-red flags and : the lusty yolk and war cries assaulted eye j and ear' at every moment; perhaps 500 in the smaller stand, and at least as many I sheltering under umbrellas in the open or packing the verandah of the pavilion. Nothing "hung to tho game"; its result I has no place on the records of inter- ! collece annual encounters; it was just a i sporting event which the Otago Rugby ' Union were able to stage through the kindness of the rector of the Waitaki College in allowing the boys to come down. But it excited the keenest rivalry, both on tho playing field and at the sidelines. When the bell separated the teams with the Otago boys 6 points ahead, half : a"" thousand boys rushed the winning 15, ' who came pavilionwatels swaying on the shoulders of tho enthusiasts; and all the way into town after the match were squads marching in lino with a blue-and-white banner in tho van. THE TEAMS. Higli School.—Townsend, K-eiha, Dickinson, Tavlor, Burton, M'Kay, Shand, Allan, Forsyth, Dunne, Marslin, Smith, Calder, Bell, and Campbell. Waitaki College.—Jenkins, Inkson, Malfroy, M'Quin, Ha/.lett, M'Ghie, Kerr, Wood, Crawshaw, Todd, Hargreaves. Hunt, Hunter, Manchester, and Stott. THE. GAME. In the execrable conditions—overhead and underfoot-older players would probably have elected to x-lay- 30-mirm.te spells, changing over without stop, but the lads were keen enough to face 45-minute spoils, and they played' them at a pace little short of wonderful" under the circumstances. It is impossible to describe the play in the orthodox way. No movement was completed. Just as an attack seemed ing to fruition somebody would s'hp as he turned, and in a few seconds the play would be at tho other end. But it war. certainly lively, and kept Referee George ("Seobi'e") M'Kcnzie moving faster tlutn ho could have liked on that greasy surface. The first suell was very evenly fouedit, but srave some slight ground ior belief that the Collegians (who were facing the rain) might assume command in the later stages. ' Their forwards had a substantial weight advantage, and got more use out of this than they should have, been ahl-o to do on a wet ground, mainly bs- ' cause the local forwards were breaking 11,) and scattering too quickly. And, again, our boys took a long time to learn that it i was a 'dnv for letting " the other fellow handle tlie ball. But- after a few narrow ! escapes they found their game, and m the ' greater part of the second half our for- | wards had command "in tho loose," and our backs' weil-judg-rd kicking between the stations of their opponents had the latter often in difficulties running back to fi"ld a greasv ball, and attempting to pivot in face of the following forwards. Ota™o nearly scored at the end of the first half from a neat passing rush. Burton, at five-eiirhth position, made a pretty "cut" which completely deceived the northern backs, but in straightening out for tho lino he slipped and went down within a vard of success. It was, well on in the 'second half before score, came, Dunno getting over near the corner first, and a little later Tavlor touching down at tho end of a scramble. This last was a lucky try, for a Waitaki player got there first" but in flinging himself on it he just touched the ball with his elbow, and. it shot out at a tangent to the approaching Tavlor. Waitaki made the next few minute's verv warm, and Hazlett and M'Ghie secured two neat openings that were pretty near fruition. It was not until near "time" that the school cleared their line of the invaders. During the game each team had an easv penalty in front of goal, but neither Allan nor M'Ghie got either correct direction or flight.

Hio'h School ° Waitaki College 0 After tho match the teams wctc "dined " bv the Rusrby Union at the Arcadia lea Rooms, and were later takfln to the Octagon Theatre.

RECOLLECTIONS OF AN OLD BOY. Is there any old boy of any school whatsoever who, being present at tho R-uo-bv match on Saturday betwewi Waitaki "ami Otago Boys' Hurli School was not thrilled by the experience' At one end of the -rand stand tho old pupils of the Ited-and-Blacks gathered round thenbanner; at the other end the .supporters of Ota-o, with their blue-and-white colors as a rallviibl-point.. From both quarters one hearcl the'strong, clear voices beating the air with war cries, and answering with spirit the challenges of the rivals. Many men there would be present who remembered more dearly their own school Rurbv dav»-men who likely still bore the marks and wounds which invanably_acrompanv -constant attendance m the tootball arena Their old-time injuries would be now enlivened bv tlie incidents of the play and the whooping of the supporters, producing a desire to again handle the leather oval. Then strange sympathies shall wake, Tho flesh .-hall thrill, the nerves snail quake ; Tlie wounds renew their cioltered flood. And every drop cry blood for blood. Other men who in their day played for the School First Fifteen would remind their neighbors of stieh-anj-such a match, and the less fortunate neighbor, who had reached the E-tage of the Socc-nd Fifteen onlv, would (on this special occasion) lie tempted to lie, and. promote himself also to senior honors. One, two, three, four years ago_ other voices were mingled with those in the grand stand ; but "some are now silent, and others are astonishing the French village

folk as they'yell the hakas and choruses passing to and fro from the firing line. Tho playara, too, have changed—new faces line out. on the field; bnt there is no lack of courage, stamina, and physique, for they are the models of our fighting warriors. The game itself was calculated to bring out tho necessary qualities of soldiership—discipline, dash, .courage, tactics, and (last, but certainly not least) the spirit of " never say die.' Y It represented a miniature battJe, fought on clean lines, without the introduction of poisonous gases, liquid fire, and maritime atrocities. Although it has been whispered that tho red in Waitaki's colors represents the bloody noses and the bla-ck the black eyes dealt out to any who engage them in combat, both teams played with, .clean glares (metaphorically speaking). In snoh a irame, what matters the end when the loser takes his loss without ill-fee-lmg, and the winner his victory without any undue triumph over failure?