Bold Bid By Hawke's Bay

Northern Advocate, 30 August 1948, Page 6

Bold Bid By Hawke's Bay

Ranfurly Shield

DUNEDIN, Mon. (P.A.).—Hawke’s Bay made a bold bid to capture the Ranfurly Shield at Carisbrook on Saturday, but Otago rallied strongly in the second half to win by 12 points to 6. The major factor in the closeness of the score was the bustling, spoiling tactics of the Hawke’s Bay forwards who took full advantage of the slowness of the Haig brothers at halfback and first five-eighths for Otago. The game was played under perfect weather conditions before a crowd of over 20,000.

In spite of the fact that Otago dominated the scrums, lineouts and rucks throughout the virile Hawke’s Bay forwards bustled the opposition and prevented the ball (from reaching the speedy threequarters more than half a dozen times during the game. R. Dockary played a notable part as a loose forward in breaking up Otago attacks, while H. Fraser and J. McCormack worked hard in the rucks.

LAST 10 MINUTES Of the Otago forwards, J. McNab, L. Harvery and R. Dalton were prominent most of the time, but a certain amount of sluggishness was apparent in the first half. It was not until the last 10 minutes that, the Otago pack gave a taste of its real ability. The tackling of both teams was deadly and only one try was scored during the game after J. C. Kearney and R. R. Elvidge had paved the way for I. J. Botting. W. A. Meates was the most dangerous, Otago back, with Elvidge and Kearney always backing up both on defence and attack. G. J. Moore gave a grand exhibition, at fullback and was unlucky not to score toward the finish.

His opposite number, B. Wishnowsky, played equally as well.

BRILLIANT KICK The kick with which Wishnowsky opened the scoring was a brilliant effort from near the half-way line. The Hawke’s Bay backs never looked dangerous with the exception of T. Ingram, who played a sterling game at halfback. Their cover defence, however, was excellent.

For Otago Botting scored, L. Haig kicked two goals from penalties and Moore kicked one penalty goal. Wishnowsky kicked two penalty goals for Hawke’s Bay. The referee was Mr W. J. Firman, of Wellington.