RANFURLY SHIELD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 1 September 1938, Page 7

RANFURLY SHIELD

HELD BY OTAGO. HAWKE’S BAY BEATEN. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Aug. 31. Oiago successfully met its fourth challenge for the ltanfurly Shield this afternoon, when it beat Hawke’s Bay by 4 points to nil, a potted goal by Trevathan in the first half being the only score. The Carisbrook ground was very dry and hard after a prolonged dry spell and an entire absence of wind made conditions perfect. The game resolved itself into a battle bet weed the forwards. Otago dominated the game in the scrums and loose, with Hawke’s Bay holding an advantage in the line-outs. The game was played at a fast pace from whistle to whistle.

A poor exhibition of goal kicking was given by each side, Fox failing in five attempts and Bradley in one from penalties for Hawke’s Bay. Trevathan was twice unsuccessful and Taylor once for Otago. No scoring movements resulted ■ from back play, each set being apparently afraid to open out. The attendance totalled 22,000, a record for a Wednesday match. The game provided one of the hardest and most, vigorous displays of forward work ever seen at Carisbrook. The greater part of the play was confined to the forwards, and although the visiting pack bad slightly the better of the exchanges in the first half the home forwards stayed on and more than held their own in the second. The Otago forwards kept well together in the tight play and they hooked the ball from the set' scrums in the first half 12 times to Hawke’s Bay eight and in the second 13 times to the Bay’s nine. Of penalties awarded six were given to the visitors in the first half and three in the second, and five to Otago in the first spell and seven in the second.

The Otago forwards played an outstanding game, packing with great determination in close play and breaking through with some splendid dribbling rushes which gained stretches of ground. They indeed played as a team from beginning to end and it was their very fine work which brought victory to Otago. There were no gaps in their play. . The Bay forwards invested their play with plenty of vigour and they showed up in lineout play. They could ■ not, however, break clear and they wore penalised more than once for offside play in line-outs. Taking tho forward play all round, the home side had greater cohesion than the opposing pack. It was a grim struggle and one which will he remembered for the speed and “devil” of forward play. It would lie invidious to single out .one Otago forward where all played such slashing games. Trevathan added one more of his long list of potted goals, and it was Ills fine effort in the first half which brought victory to Otago. SOUTHLAND BEAT TARANAKI. Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Aug.3l. Southland beat the touring Taranaki Rugby team to-day, 9-6. The game was lively only in the last few minutes. Southland played far below their usual standard. The Taranaki forwards monopolised the ball in scrums and lineouts, but the backs were unable to take advantage of the supply of the ball given them.