RUGBY FOOTBALL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18065, 17 April 1933, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL

OLD BOYS’ GAME DRAWN ERICrHT MATCH AT RESERVE FORWARD WORK FEATURED. Rugby football bad its formal introduction to the Gisborne public, lor the 1933 season, on the Childers Road Reserve on Saturday, when the Gisborne Old Boys’ club met visiting teams in senior and third grades, the senior match resulting in a draw, 9-ail, and the third-grade game giving the home club a, win by 12 points to 3. Good football was seen in both fixtures, and the senior match was well worthy of the two clubs represented. On the form shown on Saturday, the Old Boys seem likely to figure with their old prominence in the senior club competition this season. They scored three tries against their opponents, the Napier Technical College Old Boys, and had their own line crossed only once, the balance of the Napier club’s points being the result of good goalkicking. None of the .three Gisborne tries was converted, incidentally.

Napier won the toss and Gisborne kicked off with a slight breeze in llieir favor. The visiting team opened strongly, and by a series of speedy forward rushes pushed the whites back to their own end, where Pocock gathered the ball on the goal-line and was bustled back over the line, a fiveyard scrum following. Offside play gave Gisborne relief with a penalty kick, and from near mid-field the home forwards in their turn gained ground with a series of short rushes. On the 25yds line, in Napier territory, the hall .was heeled out to W. Morrison, the home team’s half-back, who shortkicked to T. Evans, 'the Napier fullback. The latter was slow in getting his kick away: Tier charged him and smothered his chance, and as the ball rolled loose McPhail (Gisborne) picked it up and charged the few yards to the line, for the opening try of the match. Poc.ock’s kick failed, In the course of two minutes, Hawke’s Bay equalised by a good penalty kick,, taken by T. Evans from near the 25yds line, and the scope stood 3-all.

Though Die home team looked the, heavier, the visitors had the better of the scrum-work, and showed a greater degree of combination generally. Sound individual play among Gisborne held the scale even, however, and for the next quarter of an hour the play rested in Napier territory. The pace of the game was fast, and the forwards on both sides were worked very hard, while the Napier backs were active in both attack and defence. The scores remained unchanged until shortly before the interval, when, for the first time, Hie Gisborne backs showed a. flash of real attacking form. The bail came out of the ruck on the Napier 25yds line, and was dribbled back to Owen, who snapped a quick pass to Pocock, From him the ball travelled to Jeffries and then to F. Martin, on Gisborne’s right wing. The latter side-stepped his opposite number’s rush, and stepped away with a clear run down the line, and though the full-back cut across in an effort to intercept him, Martin gave him no chance, swerving prettily in to leave the full-back ‘‘in the air,” and going over the line to score untouched. Pocock again missed the kick at goal, and at half-time the score stood:— \ Gisborne .. •• •• 6 ; Napier •• •• 3 The second half opened with a vigorous attack by the visitors, who now had tlio breeze with them, and repeatedly they had the home team in difficulties.: The Gisborne defence was fairly sound,; but- an infringement in the scrum s few yards from the goal-line gave a! chance to the visitors, by way of a penalty kick. The kick was taken by T. Evans from a difficult angle, and was nicely goaled, the success bringing the scores level at 6 all. Keeping up the pressure, Napier spent most, of the next quarter of an hour in the home team’s territory, play being fast and the combination of the visiting forwards a feature of the mutch during this period. Though sent 'back well past mid-field several times, mainly by the work of Morrison, the Gisborne half-back, they came again and again to Gisborne’s 25 line, and occassionally broke past to come close to scoring. Their sustained efforts deserved success, and eventually this was vouchsafer), ,t)io ball coming out of the side of thy semm to Hutton, who was playing at the side oi (the Napier pack; fie snapped it up qniqkly and made the most of his chance, diving succesfully for the. line. The kick went astray, and the lead passqd into Napier’s hands. The pace was telling on both packs by this time, ami it seemed likely, that there would bo no more scoring, but. just within a few minutes of the final bell, the Gisborne team got going in a fine bit of concerted back play. From near 'mid-field, Morrison got the] ball from the ruck, and sent it but to Pocock, who executed a pretty swerve through between the opposing second five-eights and the eentre-threequarters," getting into the clear before passing to Jeffries. The latter had little difficulty: iu getting across the line, after a 25 yards run, and grounded the, ball in a good position. The issue of the the game depended on the kick’, but again Pocock missed, and the match was drawn, with the score 9-all.

For the visiting team J. Stetford, T. Evgns, Wilson, and I. Evans were the host backs, and Skittrup, Hutton, Campbell and Jones the most effective of the forwards. The Gisborne Old Boys’ best were Jeffries, Morrison and Pocock among the backs, and McPhail Harrison, Thomas and Tier in the vanguard. The game was refereed by Mr. A. C. Swan.' THE THIRD GRADE GAME EASY WIN FOR GISBORNE In the curtain-raiser match,, Gisborne Old Boys’ thirds had a fairly easy win against' Napier 1L5.0.8. thirds, tho home team winning by 12 points to 3, the scoring including three tries for t,lio winners and one for the losers.

The play was of a highly interesting character, and some- of the episodes were strongly reminiscent of the form which last year won the grade championship for Gishorno Old Boys. The winners’, tries were scored ‘by fyk'lyinlay, Higgs,-