RUGBY

Evening Star, Issue 23325, 22 July 1939, Page 27

RUGBY

sisssnanv schools' match OTAGO DEFEAT KING'S The amiuiil uiatdi between the first liugby fifteens of the Otago Boys’ High .School and of the King’s High School was played yesterday at Littlebourue Park, fjie tivii, teams rising superior to the conditions and playing interesting iind varied football for the wuole of tlie game The ground was very heavy, and the forwards naturally loomed largely in the picture; hut both sides were prepared to throw the hall about, and some interesting back play was seen, three of the Otago tries coming from back play, two of them after all the backs bad bandied the ball. Otago finished winners by L' 1.0 :! I'he teams were: —

Otago (Joys' High School. HacksT. \V Somerville, B. K. M’l’berson, It. I’. Partridge, I*. 0. Gough, •). MWilkinson, N. A. I’rcw, H. it. Leith; forwards—). L. Crawford, J. R. TV. Bogan, .1. K. Moore, C. It. Overton, F. K. ilenuie, T. U. Ellison, M. J. L. Phelan, It. P. Pile. King’s HigU School.—Backs— it. WSmith, A. Gibson, G. B. M’Kcnzie, A. Cunningham, T. F. C. Geary, IX H. Murdoch, A. Joel; forwards —It. I* ■ Aingo, G. H. Watson, F. G. B. Brown, Adams, J. A. .Rogers, G. R- Anderson, G. F. M’Gill, J. R. Hodgson.

Kings set the ball, in motion, and their forwards immediately set up a hot attack that pinned Otago under their own goal posts until a free kick enabled Somerville to find touch near hallway. Otago forwards then asserted themselves, and from then on were really the dominating factor in the game, with the backs supporting well. After a period on attack, Leith broke away from a scrum, passed into Geary s hands, and the King’s five-eighth put in a brilliant run to Otago twenty-five. Geary was again prominent with a high kick, which M’Pherson missed, and King’s carried on to enable Geary to score near the post. Geary missed with the kick. King’s 3, Otago 0. Otago returned to the attack and lust missed scoring twice through touch-in-goal. Eventually Rennie struggled over from a ruck at the corner. Phelan’s kick missed. Otago 3, King’s 3. Near the end of the spell, with Otago still attacking, the hail came from a scrum, and after all the backs had handled, Gough scored. Partridge goaled. Otago 8, King’s 3. There was no further score till half-time. On resuming, King’s again began well, and Otago defence was well tested. Good line-kicking by both sides was a feature of the game. Otago worked back and the forwards broke away in a good rush which took play from outside King’s twenty-five to score at the corner. No goal resulted. Otago 11, King’s 3. . The Otago forwards, working well together, were keeping the opposition busy. Otago backs essayed passing, and Frew cut through King’s defence, and passed to Wilkinson, who struggled across in a tackle. Partridge converted. Otago 16, King’s 3. Play remained even for some time with both sides playing interesting football, and handling the greasy ball well. Then, from a scramble inside halfway, Leith sent the Otago backs away and M’Pherson scored at the corner 1 after a good run. The kick failed. Otago 19, King’s 3. King’s took play to Otago territory, and Somerville was caught in possession and penalised. The shot at goal went just under the crossbar. A sernm under the posts followed, and King’s backs went away in a nice passing rush that was stopped at the corner. Otago forwards cleared from the ensuing line-out and took play to the other end of the field. No further score'resulted, and the game ended—Otago 19, King’s 3. The fielding, handling, and line-kick-ing was excellent under the circumstances, while rash-stopping was the order of the day. King’s backs did not get the chances that came Otago’s way, but impressed as a speedy, dangerous side, particularly quick in profiting from the mistakes by the opposition.

The game was controlled by Mr E, H. Dickey.