COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

Hutt News, Volume 19, Issue 13, 29 August 1945, Page 4

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

The Hutt Valley High School First Fifteen finished off a most successful season by winning decisively the annual tournament between Dannevirlce High School, Wairarapa College, Scots College and Hvitt, played at Master ton on 18 th and 20th August. The tournament team was B, A. Palmer, K. A. Owen, R. G. Lockett, R. Gollan, J. T. Fitzgerald (captain), J. R. Reid, L. Burt, W. W. Ridley, C. Waters, C. N. Bryan, A. L. Wetherall, K. W. Hurley, L. D. Pope, G. France, A. D. Orr (vice captain). Emergencies A. C. Smith, 1). Yerex, L. Smith. • ) In the first day's play Wairarapa narrowly beat Dannevirke 6-3, and Hull beat Scots 21-U. Both games were played in a heavy wind which made accurate handling diliicult. In spite of this, High School gave a bright display, the forwards being too vigorous for Sou to and giving the backs a plentiful supply of the ball. Points were .scored by Reid, one try; JL. Smith, one try; C. Smith, one try; Fitzgerald, two tries, one conversion, one pot. On the Monday the losers, Dannevirke and Scots drew, 10 all, and School beat Wairarapa 22~0. High Sohoi quickly asserted their superiority ana rusned Wairarapa into their own twenty-five, where Fitzgerald kicked a good penalty goal. Hutt forwards were getting the ball away to their backs whenever possible, but Wairarapa, aware of this danger, were; covering up with determination. From a scrum inside Wairarapa twenty-five, Burt slipped round the plind side and raced for the line. Blocked from his wing, he turned and threw a high pass aver two opponents to Wetherall who gathered the ball in above his head and dived over for a spectacular try. Fitzgerald converted. Soon afterwards Gollan followed a kick through, and, in a determined run, carried the ball ovei the line and won the race to force it down. Reid converted from well out with a very fine kick. Play was very strenuous at this stage, with the Hutt forwards hammering hard. Wairarapa was defending hard but Reid solved the problem by standing back and potting a beautiful goal. The spell ended, Hutt 17 Wairarapa 0. Wairarapa forwards played a vigorous smothering game in the second spejl and put Hutt back on their own line for a time. From a scrum close to the goal line, Bpoth, the Wairarapa half, went, round the blind side and dived over for a very good try. Hutt promptly rushed played to the other end of' the nelc but could not get over. Gollan received the ball from rucking pla\ just inside Wairarapa's half, and with a characteristically determined run he broke past several tackles and finished up near the posts. Fitzgerald converted. The game finished Hutt 22, Wairarapa 3. From a really good team it is difficult to select individuals, but the work of the pack leader, Orr, was conspicuously good, particularly when the pace was hottest in the final against Wairarapa. A word of praise Is due also to the locks, Hurley and Pope who put in a lot of very hard work. In the backs, Fitzgerald and Reid were always too good for the opposition; it would be difficult to find two schoolboy five-eighths who could cope with thjise two, £or, with Burt to get them the ball, they have developed a very fine combination.