A DRAB GAME

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11246, 26 June 1922, Page 11

A DRAB GAME

ATHLETIC DEFEAT ’VARSITY A 1.05 T OPPORTUNITY. The Uni\er>itv and Athletic teams provided the curtain-rateer for the representative Association match —New Zealand v. Australia at Athletic THck on Suurdav nftcrmvm. The efforts of the p'.ayers merited that distinction for the frame, for they failed to rise to the occasion. and a curtain-raiser was a fair description of it. A curtain-raiser is in the nature of something: to keep the spectators entertained in view* of the bigger engagement to follow it. and this must have been in the minds of these Athletic* University players, judging by the exhibition of Rugby football they gave during the --pvent.v minutes they were on the held of play. They missed a glorious opportunity cf phoning off the possibilities of the game cf Rugby football, for the simple reason th-it there tnav have been many people watching the play who were prepared to make comparisons between the two games —Rugby and Association—and the result of the combined efforts of the thirtv ri’ayers in thi? Athletic-University match was not much of an advertisement for Rugby football. It lias become* the habit now to write that the University team were beaten. And on Saturday they were the. '‘also started” team, the ®core-board at tho finish showing Athletic 5. University 3. There was a lot of fast x>lav in the game, but it was ragged. The ball travelled from one end of the- field with a lot of jegularitv. but something always went • •-r.g vh»n ih* -pivtato: ? uifyarad ■ a - tho o’ s Ui-tt 7:rio,c= - Ta. - ‘ •, " i ?.a. fits'A, tVi.V. .*•» ?vj etc i - Ru’Vv. .>«ne oMuvl* .all. TTTE TRAMS, The tcnm« were a- follows:Afhletie. Full-back. Brook. three-qmif-McCabe. Gib-on, and Hosking: five-' eighths. Blvey and Sutton; &alf-back, Ui un-J'il: wing-forward. McUarlie; forwards, fisborne, Swain, (ioodall, liuncan, T'van. Christie, and Onv. University: Full-back Mnckar: three- 1 fiu.aiters. .Luik—.n. Aitken. and Maifroy; live-eighths, Murray and Siddells: halfback. Trap-ki: wing-forward. Smith; forwards. Scott. Beirrbton. Thomas, Mcßae, Tb-yd. n. Pnpe, and Hums. THE PLAY. A sin-hing lino kick by Aitken for Uni \cr-t ty was the first outstanding feature. A roruarsl i usti *by University, V- ;r!i Smith well in th'o forefront, was i!t by Murray knock-i ug-oii. After A!; < tbs bad got off-riile Siddells dashed i ; ir.ujg!t t-» bo well tackled by Hoiking. Auk-on iv.n in the limelight, and look-' <•1 iike scoring, but Sutton brought him duwn. Rvan. following through a freekick*. caught Mackny with the ball, end then Siddoll.-i nude a run from one hide •>f flic field to'the other without gainjug a yard of ground. Klvry cirricd tin* play, towards th«.v .Univorfeitr goal, ,\ :> ken bringing him down. Maifroy rci u*v<*f i with a. goo<! kick, buf McCabe <um.- back with a ru’n that was full of His progress Has stopped just \cb«*n tiu* try v;*- in right, and a «*'* ramble happened round about thegoallin**. The ball shot across, tlio Athletic b*»lf-bm k- Urunscli reaching it first, and. although he appealed to !>e ofF-.ride, the try w;i, awarded him. Gibbon kicked the goal. Athletic 5 ’ Univer-itc 0 \rrcr the kick-off University attacked Ft-ongly. and before they were beaten bo k a penalty kick wa > given in their ♦b'\.ajr, which Thoma*, goaled with a good l.vk. AH, ’»*! ic 5 Uni vor -.it v 0 Si !!! por-i.-ting. Bryden got on to Uvo-A- across the goal-line, but the Athletic full-back riiook himself clear nnd got in hiv ki'k. Another fi-eo kick to I'm: wjihin kicking diriance was *ii i—-**' i b v Thomaa. A fine opening was ! -* be .liwkvin dropping hi* pass and M<•( kir lic made a good flash up tlie field lb: u ii**r» he got clear he hardly knew p h if do. and started feinting to y>ass V !mn aard - away from Malfrov. nnd was . i-ilv laid low. Then Malfrov w«.*» ' .mel l l with tlie ball, but a good kick I • Mark a v removed the danger. Rvan -ud McUaVlie e { »rm> buck, the latter cenf’in/ in s"v*l -1 v 1 o, MaKrov marking. S*ddMi«. Maifroy * and Aitken put n lilfh* <■ v men ( into the play with a pass■u.' but the defence w;»« too hard 1 . pen- rate. si't o\'T> -pur.u. TL* na.lv -luge- of Iho -erolld spell ici- ccn'ic of Hu* field the backs worked ■.U in uni-on; but Urn neeas-ary finish ,•* r’ ;l . critical -tjiges was busking, and c• a king in the way of points resulted *Y,.m ti,oif effort.-. Trapski. Murray, aid Siddeiu combine-! well, but the I* t-iiamer!\ p.c- \w»- no good to anv. ' -dv on Id-; side. M-Cabe made a fine ni .v» kiel . and t• i <i» the farcical part - * the !.>!;ing-into-toindi rule was given n airing The backs interchanged : ; e! - up the centre of the field, the men •-i both -.ides fielding ami kicking the l >• I without rn i*ta 1:«« while the for- • Id piaetirally H<K>d and wntrlied I a o, Utf.en and Siddells <*ame right U'mujJi th«- AHilaiic t(. ; un in cornpunv.

passing and re-passing ttre ball in a style that was pretty to watch. GIVE-AND-TAKB PLAY. Sutton intercepted a pass from Murray to Jackson, and carried the play down to the other end of the field, where Duncan -headed a forward rush that ended in a penalty kick being given against University. Gi'bson's kick was short. At .this stage the Athletic half-, back lost his jersey, and was a conspicuous figure for the rest of the afternoon in a white singlet. He made a neat kick, following it through and catching Aitken with the ball. The Athletic forwards went right through the University team, and then the backs tried a passing rush, McCabe dropping the ball when a try was in sight. Siddelhr came back in a rally that got as far as the twenty-five line and was then stopped. MOSTLY FORWAR.D PLAY. Ryan, Osborne and Swain indulged in a forward rush that had a lot of merit in it. but Mackay was a brick wall in the way, and after he had sent them back with a good kick Trapski, Murray and Siddells carried the fight back to the Athletic territory. The ball did not reach Aitken, although he made a valiant effort to take a difficult pass. There was no nippiness in the University passing, and the Athletic spoilers—Ryan and Sutton in particular—had no difficulty in intercepting them. But what they gained in this direction the Athletic forwards lost in getting off-side when they had University worried. A mark by Gibsou was charged down, and a forward movement by the University backs ended when Jackson missed his pass. A determined rally by the University forwards saw the players on both sides going down like ninepins, but McCarlie did nis side gjood service in taking a mark. The last scene of all was an attempt by Brook to pot a goal from the field, but the ball did not rise, and Univerity were bcaren for tiie third time ir\ iucceidoa. Hxe 'n«*M ranging vitli Uu? University 3 CASUAL COMMENTS. Neither the Athletic nor the ,Un'iy-ersity team, either as a or, as individuals reached a high standard. As a matter, of fact they did not £ive a good exhibition of senior Rugby football as we know' it in Wellington this season. Aitken was head and shoulders above every other back on the ground, and whenever .he got the "ball there was something doing. < : Jackson and Maifroy hare faded right away frohi their former great ness, and Siddells, . though doing a lot of dashing about, did not,impress as a likely try-getter or assisting'"*in that direction. The forwards on the University*'side were an even lot, with Mo* Rae and Smith as the more noticeable. Brook, as Athletic’s full-back, made no although he was not so brilliant as !in former games. The backs as a w*hole w.ere not given much opportunity in attack, the forwards do- . ing most of the work in that connection. {The team would be ntore effective if the backs were allowed to indulge in passim* rushes occasionally. .. ” Duncan is n fine specimen of a New Zealand youth, and will fill -the lock position in the Wellington rdpresentatlve scrummage when Moffitt retires. Rvan, : Osborne, Swain, and Christie are all jrood scruminagers, with the additional merit of being able t 6 keep control of the. ball in the forward ..rushes. i