Ranfurly Shield

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 184, 7 August 1939, Page 8

Ranfurly Shield

Trophy Still Held by Southland OTAGO OUTCLASSED IN SATURDAY’S MATCH Ter Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Aug. 5. If Southland plays throughout the season as it played to-day the Ranfurlv Shield will be here next season, lu a brilliant game to-day the shield was held against Otago by 23 points to four. Each sido included four All Blacks but the whole of the Southland team played as an International side. With tho forwards gaining the ball from nearly every ruck and lineout and the backs making scarcely a mistake, Southland’s lino was never crossed and Fleming, ! the Southland full-back, had to tackle au opponent only once throughout the match. Southland’s greatest fears were Mitchell and Trevathan. The former was never given a chance to get moving and he seemed at the end to have given up hope of ever getting past Wesney. Trevathan kicked the inevitable field goal but only after missing two fairly easy penalties and two previous attempts at a field goal. Southland played Saxton, former South Canterbury half, as first fiveeighth, and his generalship was one of tho major factors in the smoothness of the backs’ work. It was a game of tactics with. Saxton as the master tactician. He got excellent service from Purdue, i the half, and the forwards, who would have matched any* New Zealand pack on the day. Ward was outstanding in tho forwards, always leading his pack. His two tries showed scoring capabilities and versatility. Only one try came from the ruck and each of the others was the result of clever work in which Otago wero completely outmanoeuvred, mainly by Saxton. Purdue and Saxton each scored and the other eleven points came from Wesney’s boot. lie missed two fairly easy penalty goals but he kicked three others and converted one try. The Otago backs never seemed comfortable. They saw comparatively little of the ball and when they did get it Saxton and Grace broke the movement up. Compared with the Southland forwards tho Otago pack was sluggish on tho heavy ground, but, even when they went into tho ruck with the ball, they could not keep it. Fourteen thousand spectators, including tho annual invasion of about 500 U from Dunedin, saw the best game of Rugby for several years. WAIRARAPA BEAT NELSON Per Press Association. MASTERTON, Aug. 5. Wairarapa and Nelson met this afternoon and it was an interesting game in which both sides indulged in plenty of passing, with good forward work on both sides. Nelson were superior in the scrums and lineouts and tho Nelson backs were a nippy lot and often broke away in passing rushes, but tho Wairarapa tackling was very sound, breaking up attack after attack. Nelson led S—3 in tho first spell but iu the second half Wairarapa had the better of play, the final score being Wairarapa 17, Nel son 11. There was little to choose between the teams on the day’s play. For Wairarapa, tries were scored by Thompson, Denbee, Peterson and Stringfellow, one of which Brunton converted. Brunton also kicked a penalty. For Nelson, Glenn and Hansen scored tries, one of which Morris converted. Morris also kicked a penalty goal. TARANAKI DECISIVELY DEFEAT HAWKE’S BAY Per Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, Aug. 6. Taranaki scored a decisive win against Hawke’s Bay in the Rugby match on Saturday by 18 to 3, the Hawke's Bay pack being outplayed and tho Taranaki backs following up the good work of the forwards with slashing movements. Though Hawke’s Bay wero without Bowman, Reid and Jackson the forwards substantially outweighed Taranaki but a virile performance was given by the homo pack in the loose and the lineout. The only aspect in which Hawke’s Bay had tho advantage was in tho set scrums. With Killeen and Sullivan in brilliant form tho Taranaki backs gradually established a superiority which became more marked as tho game progressed. The scorers were: Taranaki, Maclean and Sullivan (two tries each), and Johns (three conversions); Hawke’s Bay, Lockwood a try. TE AUTE BEAT NEW PLYMOUTH HIGH Per Press Association. HASTINGS, Aug. 6. A record crowd of spectators watched Te Auto College defeat New Plymouth Boys' High by 12 to 6 at Waipukurau ou Saturday. Tho two teams were evenly matched and gave a splendid and exciting display of clean Rugby.