RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 151, 27 May 1935, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

A LUCKY AYIX

GAME DEVOID OF THRILLS.

In one of tlio quietest games seen for a long time between the two local teams, Feilding Old Boys scratched homo luckily ahead of Eeilding on Saturday in the game at Johnston Park. Individually the forwards worked hard all through, but in combined football the game was sadlv lacking. The following were the teams: Eeilding.—Thompson, Bary, H. Dewe, G. McCorkindale, AY. McCorkindale, Brown, Stevens, Spilman, Hight, Rosser, Newman, Foster, Farmer, Sullivan, Kitchen.

Eeilding Old Boys.—Gloyn, Waugh, Bramwell, Amadio, Thurston, Pawson, Irvine, Fjnlay, Ewartt, Wilson, Harris. Penney, Whisker, Elliott, Edhonse. The first 12 minutes’ play was devoid of any incident except the frequent penalising of the yellows. A forward drive took Feilding right to the Old Boys line where the raiders seemed likely to penetrate until, by sheer strength, Wilson heaved his way through the ruck to clear. Tame play followed. Old Boys gradually working upheld to the yellow twenty-hve. Here Feilding set up a passing rush which was going well till Thurston intercepted. Sending on to Amadio the fleeting winger threw off Dewe’s challenge to run round and ground near the posts. A chargeless kick failed. The balance of the spell hardly raised a murmur from the crowd except perhaps at the almost incessant whistle for infringements, chiefly knocks-on and penalties against Feilding. Old Boys played far below their capabilities, and .by all the rules of the game should have suffered the jienaltv of scores against them. The spell ended with Old Boys holding the 3—o advantage. A momentary flash of bright plav marked the starting of the second spell, Feilding staging a good forward rush Using their weight, the yellows pushed Old Bovs right back to the line where "the Follcling backs lent a hand. G. McCorkindale snapped the . leather back to Thompson, a drop kick at goal from the latter narrowly missing. Old Bovs infringed in repulsing the yellows, W. McCorkindale equalising the scores from the penalty. Then the striped backs were all at sea in their defence —and attack, too, for that matter—and it was a piece of misfortune which brought G. McCorkindale down by slipping when the held was clear in front. Finally using their combination. Old Boys turned a forward rush to advantage. Play swung infield from the far side. Thurston securing from Pawson to send on to

Bramwell, who won a spirited race to the line. Amadio failed to convert. A thrilling piece of play followed a dropin shortly after, Dewe following through hard on the ball to catch the opposition unprepared. Right through into the open, Dewe headed the field to the distant line with the ball at his toe, but over the line it evaded him to roll on and touch the fence and become “dead.” Full time then sounded with the scores:

Feilding Old Boys 6. Feilding 3, Air H. Hughes refereed. NOTES ON THE MATCH.

A draw would have been the proper ending to the game, although this theory is rather upset by. the fact that Feilcling Old Boys won by two tries to a penalty goal. However, territorially Feilding had their full share of the advantage and it was only the disjointed and looseness of the play which let Old Boys off. It was a curious game to analyse, particularly from the Old Boys viewpoint. The previous week on the same ground, against a team which played superior football to that which Feilding did during the game under review, Old Boys hoisted 30 points, yet on this occasion they barely held the advantage against a side who were playing well below their usual form. Briefly, the game could almost be summed up by saying that while both sides played inferior Rugby Old Boys were slightly the less inferior. Rarely have Old Boys played with a rearguard so disorganised. Bramwell, with the exception of a good effort when he scored, disappointed the crowd, and Thurston dropped pass after pass. Pawson was invariably field up before he got going, and of the two wingers Amadio gave the better display. Gloyn was safe without being impressive. Lacking the stature to make him an aggressive type, Bary. the Feilding winger, displayed agility that was amazing. Able to turn in a flash, he was never off the opposing wing. AA’augh, and Bramwell also found the rather diminutive winger fastened round his knees, in an unescapable tackle oil more than one occasion.

On the defence Feilding played better than when attacking. Their tackling was solid and it was noteworthy that both the Old Boys tries followed positional advantage. On every other occasion the yellow defence levelled the opposing thrusts. AA’ith the forwards there was an equal advantage with Feilding perhaps a shade to the good. There was far too much individual play. however, the attackers time and again being strung out in single file. H. Dewe brought the crowd to its feet in tire last minute of the game when he toed his way through up the line and in a thrilling race with Irvine the hall escaped to hit the fence. As an equalising try. the effort would have earned the reward.