SERVICE RUGBY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20275, 17 June 1940, Page 11

SERVICE RUGBY

KIWIS BEAT WALES KEEN MATCH IN CAIRO P.B. MEN PROMINENT When the New Zealand Expeditionary Force Rugby team at the overseas base near Cairo, met the Welsh regimental team which last year won the British Army Cup in England, three Poverty Bay players won distinction and contributed substantially to the New Zealand victory, which was won by a margin of two points. The former Poverty Bay representative halfback, H. Littler, had the satisfaction of converting one of the three New Zealand tries, which feat gave the Kiwis their winning margin. Wales scored nine points, all from the boot of Owen, a front-rank forward who was tried for the Wales International team last season, and has been a British Army player on a number of occasions. He was a tower of strength all round to his side, for apart from his success in goaling three difficult kicks, he was all over the New Zealand hooker, and got the ball in most of the set scrums. Littler’s Deciding Kick The New Zealanders owed nine of their 11 ppipts to tries, and Littler finished off the third of these, amidst a hush that gripped 1 the many thousands of service and civilian spectators. It was a real Twickenham hush, and a real Twickenham finish, when Littler’s kick sailed across the bar to give the Dominion team their Victory. Owing to the Wales mastery of the set serums, Littler had little chance to shpw what he could do behind the New Zealand pack, but he did everything that could have been asked of him, .and his tackling was deadly, according to the comment of a Cairo newspaper.

Two of the New Zealand forwards who likewise took a leading pgrt were W. Aitken, formerly captain of the Poverty Bay team, and Robertson, a Puha player who made his mark in district Rugby before the war. They took part in most of the magnificent forward rushes that provided one of the features of the match. The East Cogst was also represented in toe New Zealand team, for Sergeant Griffiths, late of Tokomaru Bay and an All Black of earlier years, skippered the winning side, and made a deep impression upon the spectators. He was particularly dangerous when he puqted ahead and then put his own forwards on side to carry on their attacks.