RUGBY FOOTBALL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 5 July 1943, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SATURDAY’S GAMES THREE SENIOR MATCHES CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITIONS Competition Rugby games were continued on Saturday. Grounds were in good condition and the weather was ideal. At Trafalgar Park Rival beat Army by 25 points to 10 and NelsonOld Boys defeated Air Force (2) by 3 points to nil. At Richmond Air Force (1) beat Waimea by 13 points to 8. Three third grade and two fourth grade games were played. The school bantamweight 10-a-side game was played at halftime of the Rival-Army game. RESULTS Senior: Rival 25, Army 10. Nelson-Old Boys 3, Air Force (2) 0. Air Force (1) 13, Waimea 8. Third Grade: Rival 3, Nelson 0. Waimea 17, College B 3. Old Boys 10, College A 3. Fourth Grade: Waimea 19. College A 0. College B 28, Nelson 0. Bantam-weight 10-a-side Central 3, Auckland Point 0.

RIVAL WIN AGAIN HARD GAME AT PARK RAPID SCORING IN PINAL STAGES Rival won their seventh game of the season, and remain unbeaten, when they defeated Army by 25 points to 10. The game was one of the fastest of the season, packed with action and spectacular play. From the start it was plain that Rival were up against some really tough opposition. The Army team was light and fast and in the first part of the game Rival were forced to confine their activities to defensive play. The Rival backs saw more of the ball than their opponents but poor handling spoiled their movements. By half-time, however. Rival were leading by 8 points to 5.

In the second spell Rival completely changed their tactics and settled down to determined offensive play. The forwards, working in close co-operation with the backs, repulsed Army’s attacks and hammered repeatedly at the opposition's defences. The game worked up to a climax in the closing stages, Rival scoring twice in the last five minutes.

A feature of the game was the kicking of Hopkins, the Army second fiveeighths. The teams were as follows:

Rival: Chapman; Samuels, Dooney, Sundborne; Kotua, Elkington; McKenzie; Gargiulo, Heath, Schwass, Winstanley. Hill, Warren, Ruruku and Burn.

Army: Palmer; Trewavas, Kearns, Griffiths; Greening, Hopkins; Whitnell: Webber, Lusty, Murray, Blyth, Gilchrist, Agnew, Ayeben and Brown.

Army opened their account within a few minutes of the start when from a scrum well inside the Rival twentyfive the Army forwards pushed their way over the line and Agnew dived smartly on the ball to score. Hopkins kicked the goal. Army 5, Rival 0. The Army backs opened up the play and Griffiths made an opening but was tackled. Twice Rival were penalised but both of Hopkins's kicks missed. The Rival backs went into operation and Kotua sprinted away but was forced to kick and Palmer saved. Rival backs returned to the attack but solid tackling broke up their movements. Hopkins made an opening and tried to run around the opposition but he was brought down. In a Rival attack McKenzie sent the ball out to his backs and it was handled to Samuels on the wing who dived through but he was short of the line. Trewavas broke away and reached the half-way line before he was tackled. Chapman made a spectacular save when the Rival defences were being hard pressed. He received the ball close to the line, put on a burst of speed and kicked to touch well outside his twenty-five. Dooney suddenly broke away but was tackled. He passed to Kotua and the five-eighths scored in the corner. Burn failed to convert. Rival 3, Army 5.

Kotua’s kick sent his forwards pushing deep into Army territory and Winstanley almost got over between the posts. Kotua gained possession and sprinted away He was tackled but passed to Dooney who ran over and touched down between the pots. Burn converted, bringing the score at halftime to: Rival 8, Army 5.

The second spell opened with Rival attacking strongly. Rival widened their margin almost immediately when Army offended and Burn put over a difficult kick from the twenty-five yard line close to touch. Rival 11, Army 5.

Griffiths broke away and the ball was kicked over the line but McKenzie picked up and kicked out. McKenzie again gained possession near the 10-yard line, ran around and kicked. Army were penalised and Burn kicked the goal. Rival 14, Army 5. Army retaliated quickly when Hopkins made an opening in mid-field. He kicked, followed up, and scored between the posts. He also converted. Army 10, Rival 14.

A forward rush carried Rival close to the Army line. McKenzie sent the ball out from the scrum and his backs handled to Samuels who dived forward over the line but he was tackled and lost possession before he could touch down. Rival forwards, supported by their backs launched a fast attack. Once again Army offended and Burn added three more points to his side’s total with a penalty goal. Rival 17, Army 10. Army rallied and Greening made an opening and passed to Brown who got away and kicked out near the Rival 25yard line. Suddenly the Rival back line \£ent into action and th2 ball was handled to Dooney. The center missed but Gargiulo raced up to receive and scored in the corner. Burn failed to convert. Rival 20, Army 10. A minute later Kotua picked up from the loose and threaded his way through the Army defences to score alongside the posts. He kicked the goal and the final whistle blew. The final score was: Rival 25, Army 10. Mr A. Croucher was the referee.