COMMENTS ON THE PLAY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 195, 19 July 1937, Page 5

COMMENTS ON THE PLAY.

ST. PATRICK’S SUPERIORITY

Feilding, who had drawn with St. Patrick’s in the first round, were not quite at full strength when the two teams met again on Saturday, but this did not rob St. Patrick’s, who

were clearly the better side on the day, of the merit of a convincing will. The St. Patrick’s backs were much more enterprising than their opponents, and were always dangerous when they got the ball, but Nicol, the Manawatu representative five-eighth, was a thorn in their side, and Waldin was responsible for some very sound defensive work.

.Meeting another strong pack, which has greatly improved as the season progressed,"Feilding were-unable, except for spasmodic rallies, to reproduce their customary dash in the forwards, but Sullivan played an outstanding game. .Edlin got the ball away from the serum very smartly for St. Patrick’s, and Donovan, on the wing, gave his best display so far this season. The tackling by both sides was, on the whole, sound, and Richards was very safe as the last line of defence for St. Patrick’s, making some beautiful clearances

Feilding were unlucky when their half-back, shooting round the side of the scrum near the St. Patrick’s line, appeared to touch down; however, no try was awarded, the refiAee being unable to give a ruling in this direction, as he had been standing on the other side of the scrum, and his view was obscured.

JvIA TOA’S TACTICS. WIND PLAYS ITS PART. For the greater part of the match between Kia Toa and Massey College the strong wind which was blowing from end to end of tho field provided the margin of difference between the contestants, but in the closing stages Kia Toa settled down to business and had the College side well bottled up in their own half. Without a doubt, on the manner of the scoring, the margin of difference in the points would have been less had the day been calm, but the winners deserved their victory, if only on the score of tactics. They made the greater use of the wind when it was in iheir and kicking and following up had its effect. On several occasions when it was to be expected that the Kia Toa pack would run through the opposition they failed to do so, and instead found tigerish play by the College vanguard all they could hold. At the close ot the match, however, with the kicking tactics and Massey College having to play the wind as well as the other team, Kia Toa held the superiority. In the first half the Kia Toa backs had an early taste of the ball but even though Kia'Toa were facing the breeze tlie Massey College defence allowed them to proceed too far, not playing on to the possessors of the ball with sufficient speed. Later, the College backs had their turn and proved themselves dangerous. The absence of McKenzie made a difference to Lie contest between the forwards. Whereas normally the best of the College pack would have been employed to a very large extent in marking the All Black scrummager, on Saturday they were freed for othei work and there acquitted themselves well.

When put io their task in the second part of the match, the Massey College men displayed a lot of hard defensive work and made no question about being on to the attackers early. As the outcome, the Kia Toa backs found themselves well broken up in so far as concerted movements were concerned. The College forwards were, however, losing some of their dash and were not able to turn the defence into dangerous attack.