INTER-SCHOOL RUGBY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 221, 16 August 1928, Page 2

INTER-SCHOOL RUGBY

NAPIEFf v. PALMERSTON N

FIRST DRAWN GAME.

Tho twenty-fifth annual Rugby match between tho Napier and 1 almerston North High Schools was contested at tho Showgrounds yesterday afternoon under unfavourable weather conditions, when the honours were left easy, each team being credited with an unconverted try. The heavy rain that had fallen since Sunday evening had made the playing area a quagmire and this not only rendered accurate handling impossible, but considerably restricted the activities of the forwards in the loose. The local boys handled the ball better under th<3 circumstances than did their opponents, and their dribbling was also slightlv better. On the other hand the Napier pack held an advantage in the tight, while their backs displayed .a trifle more dash. The .final score was a fair indication of a hard-fought game. There were several slight amendments to tho Palmerston North team, the rival fifteens being as under :- Palmerston North (white) —Spring; Tremcwan, Fletcher, McCluno; Bindley, Oliver; Metcalfe; Scott; Jordan, O'Shea. Swindell, Miller, McCorkindale, Clevely, Fraser. Napier (blue) —Freedman; Herbert, Findlay, Baird; Russell, Bradley; Mahoney; van Asch; Doole, Alunr.o, Cooper, Anderson, Bark, Couper, Prime. Van Asch set the ball in motion and the blues took play to the home territory where Mahoney secured from a scrum and set his backs in motion, but Russell dropped his pass. A freekick was awarded Palmerston Nortn but tho ball was not kicked over the mark and Napier returned. Mahoney worked the blind side but Baird was pushed out. The white forwards took play to the other end of the field where a clearing kick from Freedman came to Fletcher who failed, however, to accept cleanly. After loose play just inside the visitors’ twenty-five, the home backs swung into action ana, Fletcher coming round outside Tremewan to accept a pass, a try appeared imminent, but tho transfer troni Fletcher to Bradley was not accepted. while another back movement ftroke down at the same player for the blues to return to half-way. The ball was proving hard to handle and neither set of backs could going. From a scrum on the twenty-five the blues hooked and the backs went away. Russell tried to cut through, but the ball was knocked out of his hands and tho white pack with a good forward rush took piay to the other side of half-way, where it hovered for a time. Tremewan picked up the ball from a ruck and passed to Corkindale who was unable to hold the leather. Not to be denied, the whites attacked again and Fletcher ran McCluno into position for the winger to score wide out. Fletcher failed to improve the total. On the resumption Napier attacked and, the home team handling in the scrum, the visitors were awarded a penalty, but Bradley could not goal. Again the white forwards worked upfield and the blue forwards in turn were penalised. Spring tried to drop a goal hut a good effort just failed. Mahoney sot liis backs going hut Russell again dropped liis> pass. Spring was taking the hall well and kicking accurately and eventually he relieved) Swindell went away with tho ball at his toe, hut Freedman speculated to the line. Mahoney sent play back to halfway with a nice line kick. The blue hacks were seen in action again, the movement stopping at Findlay who did not accept Russell’s harnUon, McCluno gained fifty yards with a welljudged line-kick to put Palmerston North on the attack again. Metcalfe swung out a wide pass which Bradley held well to transfer to Oliver, whose hand-on gave • Fletcher little chance of acceptance, being too low. Swindell got the hall from a line-out and threw it to Oliver, but the fiveeighth was well tackled. From another line-out, tho white rearguard went awav and Fletcher tried to kick through tho deffence, but Findlay held the ball. With a loose forward rush, the visitors worked down into their opponents’ twenty-five where the halftime whistle halted their progress. SCORES EQUALISED., From tho change-over tho whites gained ground with a- forward rush, but off-side pulled them up. Mahoney set his backs going, the whole chain handling, Baird knocking on when near the line. A strong blue forward onslaught was pulled up for “rabbitting” and Palmerston North worked McClune intercepted a pass from Findlay to Bradley .and, after a good run, found touch well down into enemy territory. Van Ascii fed his backs who went away well, hut Russell's pass was forward. Findlay made an opening for Herbert, hut the winger was pushed out. The white pack made a sortie, but van Asch broke through. A forward battle was waged in midfield for a short spell, till the Napier backs swung into action the ball going out in Palmerston. North’s twenty-five. Tho white • forwards led by McCorlcindale gained a lot of ground, but a strong counter movement being launched, the venue of play was changed to lialf-way. At this stage, Fletcher, whose anklo had been troubling him, retired, Ducker filling the vacancy. Findlay broke through a white back movement to hand on to Russell and then on to Baird, who outpaced Spring to run over near the posts to score a pretty try. Russell failed to add the extra points and the scores were level. Baird broke away again down tho touch-line with the ball .at his toe, but he could not pick it up. Soon afterwards, he cut infield. Van Asch, Russell and Findlay handled in turn, but the last-named’s pass was .at Herbert’s feet and the winger could not hold it. With the ball at toe, the white forwards went away to the other side of half-way. Baird went away again, but Tremewan took his pass on his too and went down the touch-line, but the hall bounced wrongly for him. Palmerston North wero penalised in a scrum and relief came to the blues. Further white attacks broke down through indifferent handling and Napier attacked in turn but Ducker lined. Swindell led the homo forwards upfield in a raid, but Freedman sent them hack with a long kick to touch. Up and' down the play fluctuated till, in the final stages, from a scrum near the whites’ line. Mahoney gave the ball to Baird who threw himself for the line, beiag held up just short of his objective. The final whistle sounded imemdiately. Mr A. W. Thompson refereed. Palmerston North have now won 14 games and Napier 10, yesterday’s contest being the first in tho series to to be drawn.

WALLACE CUP. . TE KAWAU DEFEAT MANAWATU B. UNINTERESTING GAME. In a rather ragged game at Sandon yesterd.ay, Te Kawau made good their claim to the Wallace Cup by defeating the Manawatu B representatives by 18 points to 12. Neither team was at its full strength but on their play

in tho first spell Te Ivawau would have tried the strength of • a much better team than the one opposing them, but their vigour diod away in the socond spell and the visitors took charge. The teams lined out ns follow:

Te Ivawau.—Marsh, Hartley, Scott, McKelvie, Drummond, Moffatt, Fuller, Staite, Edwards, Henderson, Scanlon, Rivers, Gust, Cameron, Tattle. Manawatu B.—Powcl, Tetley, N. Bramwell, Riddell, S. Bramwell, Evans, Shapleski, Waldin, Grigg, O’Keefe, Galpin, Payne, Hutchins, Reid, Doherty. Manawatu set the leather in motion and for tho first few. moments had, the blacks penned in in their tweinty-five. Drummond brought temporary relief with a kick to the open, but a long punt by Powell again set the green scrummagcrs on tho attack. From, a loose scramble Shapleski whipped the leather out to Evans for the five-eighth to execute a nice cut-in and send N. Bramwell on his mission. The centre, however, spoilt a good run by hanging on too long, being smothered by Marsh, while a hand on to Tetley would have found tho winger with a golden chance. A force down resulted. To Ivawau set up a strong attack which pushed the greens back to their danger zone, where an infringement gave Marsh a chance to open the blacks’ account, but the kick -went wide. A forward thrust by the greens sent the blacks back for a while, but Staite broko through tho ruck and with a dodgy run penetrated to tho greens’ twenty-five to hand on to Moffatt who got over in a handy position to convert his own try.—To Ivawau s—o.

Again the blacks went to tho offensixo and with much mis-handling among the greens they found their task comparatively easy, but a stubborn last line of defence enabled Manawatu to ward off the danger. Waldin set out on a solo raid into the opposition territory, but lack of support halted the movement and the retreat set in. With a brilliant passing rush in which Scott, Mclvelvie. Moffatt and Tattle took part, tho blacks went clean through the defence in convincing fashion for the last-named to got over. Moffatt added the extra points with a good kick.—Te Ivawau 10—0. The green forwards wore putting in strenuous work in stemming the onslaughts of their vigorous opponents, but support from their rearguard was lacking. There was little combination and the fielding was of a. sorry nature. Following a long period of attack the blacks worked their way to within a few yards of the greens’ last lino where, from a, serum, .Hartley worked the blind side to'Score in the corner. Moffatt’s kick failed.—Te Ivawau 13 —0. Just on tho call of half time the blacks hustled- the green forwards- off the leather and picking up in the open Hartley transferred to Staite. After a good run the rover came round to ground the tfval under the posts. Scott converted.—Te Ivawau 18—0.

A bout of midfield play marked the resumption of the game, Read and Waldin finally breaking through into the open. Supported by Galpm and his men, the green scruminagers worked their way to within striking distance and a breach near the posts saw Waldin raise the Hags with a nice kick.— Te Ivawau 18, Manawatu 3. The greens seemed to bo heartened by their success, for it was now the blacks’ turn to defend. Shapleski instituted a combined movement in the green rearguard which was halted, when it was just gathering strength, by a nippy mark by Hartley, but the kick gave little relief, Riddell accepting the leather to shake off some shoulder tacklers and hand on to a supporter to Galpin for the burly forward to lieavo Ins way over with three tacklers clinging to him. Waldin A kick was a trille wide.—Te Ivawau 18, Manawatu 6. ;

A determined counter by the blacks found the greens’ defence strongly tested and offside play by N. Bramwell near the posts looked like a certain three points for,, tlie attackers but Aloffatt’s kick went wide. From tlie drop in the greens went to the attack and a cloan' acceptance of a kick out saw Riddell streaking for the line. With Evans in support they beat the opposition badly, Riddell scoring under the posts. The absence of a reliable kick among the greens was testified to when Waldin failed to convert.—Te Kaivau 18, Alanawatu 9. . The reverse livened the blacks up and with strong forward play they swept the greens back to their goal line whore Cameron got over from a lineout, but the try was disallowed. A scrum was ordered, Read and Grigg bursting through to transfer play to the opposition territory with a nice dribbling rush. The advance was held up temporarily, but the. greens put their full weight into the job and tho prossure was maintained. Snapping up the leather behind a loose drive Shapleski dived over for a well earned try. Waldin again missed from an easy position.—To Ivawau 18, Alanawatu 12. The concluding stages of the game found tho greens still pressing but they were unable to make good the deficiency, the game ending without further score. Air L. Sim carried the whistle.

WIN FOR AIARLBOROUGH TEAAI

Per Press Association. PAHIATUA. Aug. 15. On a greasy, water-logged ground, the Marlborough touring team defeated Bush by 6 points to 3. The game was largely confined to the forwards. Tho first spell was very even, Harris scoring the only try. Bush were superior.

Condition and ability to adopt themselves to conditions gave Alarlborough a decided advantage in the second spell, tries being scored for the visitors by Barclay and Botham. CENTRE HAWKE’S BAY BEAT DANNEVIRKE. Per Press Association. DANNEVIRKE, Aug. 15. A football match between Danne’virko and Central Hawke’s Bay, played on a greasy ground, was won by the latter team by 14 points to 12.

BIG SCORING MATCH. AUCKLAND BEAT SOUTHLAND. Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Aug. 15. Big scoring marked the AucklandSouthland match to-day, the visitors winning by 44 points'to 21. The weather was fine but overcast when the game commenced and a cold easterly blew straight down the field. The attendance was in the vicinity of s°°°. Tho visitors made attack their chief weapon, and threw the ball about in delightful fashion, their speedy threequarter line handling well and being nippier and faster than the opposing three-quarters. The forwards, too, combined more effectively in tho loose than the maroon pack, but the latter more than held their own in the tight stuff. At one stage in the second spell it appeared that Southland lia'd tho measure of their more versatile opponents, but it was only a flash in tho pan as the northerners rallied and came back again with as much vim as in the first spell. Southland lost several good opportunities of scoring in the second naif and had their work possessed the finish of the visitors! they would have scored at least three’ more tries.