RUGBY FOOTBALL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 22 June 1936, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SATURDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES RIVAL DRAW WITH NELSON RESULTS AT A GLANCE Senior. Rivals 6, Nelson 6. Old Boys 11, Pirates 7. Waimea 30, Rover 6. Junior. Waimea 13, Old Boys 8. Regimental 32, Pirate 3. College 11, Nelson 0. Third Class. Old Boys 5, College B. 3. Rover defaulted to Nelson. Fourth Class. College A 6, College B 3. College C 25, Waimea 3. The weather was ideal for the continuation of the Rugby championships on Saturday afternoon and the grounds favoured fast football. The chief fixture at Trafalgar Park was the game between Rival and Nelson which resulted in a draw after a solid game mostly confined to the forwards. The other senior game at the Park was between Old Boys and Pirate, the town team showing superiority in the final quarter of an hour to win by 1 points to 7. The improved Waimea team had an easy victory over Rover at Wakefield. In the bantamweight seven aside game played at half time Central beat Convent by six points (two tries) to nil.

EVENLY MATCHED FORWARDS RIVAL AND NELSON DRAW Nelson and Rival played a drawn! game on No. 1 Ground, the score being j 6 all. At half time Nelson were three points up as the result of a try. Rival! evened with a try, but JJJelson increas- i ed their total by a penalty goal. Rival, scored their second try to make the I game a draw. It was the first time this j season that Nelson had met a team which could gain equal possession from the scrums. That was particularly noticeable in the second spell' when Thompson transferred to the | rake position. . Both packs concentrated on the tight play and they were evenly matched, but Rival were better served by their backs, especially in j the five-eighths where Phillips, bro-; ther of the Nelson first five-eighth, ; was the best player in that position ; seen on the Park this season. I The teams were as follows: — | Rival: Biggs; Brassington, Watson, McKenzie; Vass, Phillips; Carey; Cur-! now, Thompson, McKay, Mayers, Wis- I hart, Mclsaac, Pike, and Cooper. J Nelson: Scoltock; Blue, Cooke, Blair; Cusack, Phillips; Keeley; Fleet, McKegney, Russell, Lock, McLean, Haw-, thorne, Drummond and Martin. ' Early in the game Carey made a nice cut in but failed to connect with his outside backs. The play was mostly confined to the forwards and Nelson I held a slight advantage. A clearing; kick by Rival went to Drummond who j opened the play to Keeley and Blue j but a forward pass spoilt their chances. Keeley then initiated an at- I tacking movement and passed it infield but again poor handling lost their opportunity and Vass and Watson combined in a spectacular clearance turning defence into attack when they carried the play to Nelson’s 25. Rival concentrated on up and under kicking to Nelson’s 25 and helped by the southwesterly wind, the Rival forwards •kept up a solid attack, but they could not penetrate the defence. On one oc- t casion Thompson made a headlong dive in an attempt to score a try but he knocked the ball on. S&ltock suffered an arm injury and retired and his place at full back was taken by Turley. The Nelson forwards with Drummond and Fleet prominent gradually worked the play to Rival ter-; ritory where a rebound off a would-be 1 clearing kick by Biggs saw Rival in j difficulties. Hawthorne, going at full i speed across the field, gathered up the j ball and straightening his run went in for a nice solo try. McLean’s kick missed. Nelson 3, Rival 0. There was no further score in the spell. Pike, who had suffered an injury fairly early in the game was replaced in the second spell by Bonnington. The j Rival forwards immediately set up an attack and a fine thrusting run by [ Phillips put the play on Nelson’s line. Rival hooked the ball from a scrum for Carey to shoot a pass on the “blind” side to Brassington who went in for a try in the corner. Mayers’s kick missed. Rival 3, Nelson 3. McLean and Fleet led the Nelson forwards in a dribbling rush to Rival territory where the defenders were penalised and McLean goaled with a fine kick. Nelson 6, Rival 3. Biggs, who was playing very safely at fullback for Rival, followed up a well-placed kick and regaining position put Rival in a good attacking position. Phillips made a smart run and short punted for his forwards to carry on. They bunched together and pushed over the line, McKay gaining a try in the corner. Mayers failed to convert. Rival 6, Nelson 6. For five minutes the Nelson forwards were on top and fully tested the Rival defence until a dropped pass by the Nelson inside backs allowed Phillips to gain possession and quickly reverse the direction of the play. He raced fifty yards to the Nelson fullback before he passed to Vass who was caught from behind by Blair. Bonnington then came into possession and continued the attack but timely defence by Nelson kept their line clear. This was one of the most exciting incidents in the game which had the spectators on their feet. In the final five minutes the Nelson forwards held the upper hand, Rival being compelled to force down three times in quick succession. Mr A. Croucher was the referee.

OLD BOYS DEFEAT PJRATES

VICTORY IN LAST FEW MINUTES In the match between Old Boys and Pirate, played at the Park on Saturday, Old Boys proved the victors by 11 points to 7. The points were gained from two tries and one converted try to one unconverted try and a field goal. Play was very scrappy in the first spell, but brightened up considerably in the second half. Rogers’ field goal for Pirates was a good effort and was nearly the means of winning the match for that team. When King came up to join his backs,

making an extra man, Old Boys scor-1 ed two tries. Old Boys’ final try, the deciding factor of the game, was the result of a fine opening made by J. Busch at second five-eighths. The teams were as follow: — Old Boys: King; McKay, Vass, Burdon: J. Busch, Richards, McArthur; Cameron. Dobbie, Wood, Chatterton. Mabin. Addis. Craighead, Grant. Pirates: Brown; Kearns, A. Newman, Falconer; Hume, Rogers, McKane; Todd, Max, Roughton, Challies. Ryan. Piper, Gibbons, Smith. Pirate kicked off and for a long period kept Old Boys on the defence. However, McArthur broke through and play was taken up to within good striking distance of the Pirate line. Dobbie was unsuccessful with a penalty kick. After ’ poor play near half-way Pirate forwards took the ball right down to Old Boys’ line, where a scrum ended a good movement. An Old Boy forward rush was quickly repulsed by the Pirate pack and a* free kick to the country team from a handy position saw Todd miss with a poor attempt. With Max, Todd and Falconer combining in a passing rush Pirate penetrated the Old Boy defence and went within a few yards of scoring. However, they were not to be denied and from a scrum in this part of the field McKane sent the ball to Falconer, who scored. Newman failed to convert. Pirates 3, Old Boys 0. Play was mostly confined to the forwards until McArthur whipped the ball to Busch, Vass and Burdon. who kicked infield, the ball finally pome into touch on Pirate’s 25. Old Boys were pressing hard, Pirate found relief when Newman. Kearns and Rogers went downfield in a passing rush. Old Boys were again attacking when half-time sounded.' On resumption of play Old Boys set up a hot attack, but were being driven back when Richards put in a beautiful kick, from well outside the 25 finding the line two yards from the Pirate line. Pirates led by Max and Kearns turned the tables and from a scrum near Old Boys’ line McKane sent the ball to Rogers, who kicked a fine field goal. Pirates 7, Old Boys Many free kicks were awarded at this stage of the game, but those within reach-of points were missed by the teams’ place kickers. Old Boys’ first try came from a bright piece of play. From the scrum McArthur sent the ball to Richards, Busch, Vass, King to McKay, who scored near the corner. The try, which was unconverted, was only obtained through King (full-back) making an extra player in the Old Boys’ back line. Old Boys 3, Pirate 7. Old Boys were soon over again with a similar movement. King making the extra player, and McKay scoring his second try. This try was also unconverted. Old Boys 6. Pirate 7. Old Boys’ forwards brightened up 1 considerably but the defence of Max, Ryan and Kearns was too sound for them and they were driven back continually Richards and Busch set off in ? dangerous movement, but Kearns | brought relief to the country team. The final try of the game was the result of a good opening by Busch. After Old Boys had hooked, the ball went to Busch, who cut in and passed | on to Vass and King, the latter put 1 on the pace to score behind the posts. King converted his own try. Old Boys 11, Pirates 7. Pirates were inside Old Boy territory when time was sounded. Mr N. S. Tankersley was the referee.

WIN FOR COLLEGE GAME AGAINST NELSON Played at the Park the game between College and Nelson produced ‘ some beautifully finished combined ■ play by the College backs. Every man j handled well and concentrated on | running the outside backs into position, with a result that once Col'ege obtained possession, they simply ran round their opponents. The Nelson forwards, on the other hand, outplayed the College pack in the tight. They gave their backs a feast of the ball but Pike, the Nelson second fiveeighth, was too fond of the kick and never gave his wings a chance. Nelson kicked off into the wind. A forward battle commenced about half way and for the first ten minutes the backs of either side saw little of the ball. Nelson were pushing the Col- . lege forwards off the ball every time ' but very quick breaking on the part | of the latter tended to nullify this adi vantage. Then Karsten, the Nelson j half, raced round the blind on his own. The rush looked threatening when the forwards joined in, but an over-kick went :o Ward who found the line with an excellent kick to halfway. The College forwards .began to work upheld. A quick heel at | the right moment saw the College backs go away in a fine passing movement which Hewitt completed with, a ' swerving run to the line. Walter missed with the kick. College 3, Nelson Oi Play worked up and down field until College hooked from a set scrum jon the Nelson twenty-five. Mitchell beat his man, transferred to Maxwell, to Bailey who scored well out. The kick was again unsuccessful. College 6, Nelson 0. | For the remainder of the spell Nelson maintained a hot attack. The College defence was tested often, and at times, to breaking point. But Ward’s safe handling and excellent kicking did much to discourage the attackers. In the second spell the play was without enthusiasm. A free kick in front of the goal gave Nelson an opportunity of scoring, but Karsten failed to find the uprights. From the drop-out McMoreland secured. He gained ground with a burst of speed and then centre kicked. For some considerable time the forwards kept the bail to themselves. The Nelson forwards were getting most of the ball but their backs could not penetrate. Then Henry obtained possession from t the mill and sent his backs away. Each man ran at top speed and passed cleanly to let Bailey score in the eor--1 ner Walter converted with a splendid'kick. College 11, Nelson 0. Play was uneventful until time, the j score remaining unchanged. : Mr Cooper controlled the game.

NELSON REPRESENTATIVES TEAM TO PLAY MARLBOROUGH NEXT SATURDAY FIRST HOME AND HOME GAME OF SEASON The Nelson senior representative team to play Marlborough in a homc-and-homc match at Nelson next Saturday has been announced by the sole selector, Mr W. A. Reed, as follows: — Full back: J. King. Three-quarters: R. Busch, R. Watson, R. Blair. Five-eighths: J. Hardy, E. Richards.

Half-back: F. Fowler (vice-captain). Forwards: S. Hawthorne, C. Lovell, C. Drummond, A. C. Wood, F. H. McLean (captain), H. McKegney, T. Fleet, J. Craig. Emergencies: Forwards, McKay, L. Max, S. P. Chatterton. Backs, W. Brown, R. Newman. SEVEN ASIDE RUGBY TO-MORROW FULL DAY’S PROGRAMME AT TRAFALGAR PARK LARGE ENTRIES IN ALL GRADES The Nelson Rugby Union has arranged a full day’s programme of seven aside Rugby on the King’s Birthday in the hope of reviving interest in this game which in former years proved very popular with the public. Senior, junior, third grade, fourth grade and schools competitions will be held, and an interesting day should result for patrons.