RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19131, 28 September 1936, Page 13

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

last game of season celtic meet old boys Farmer weather play The Oval was well patronised this afternoon for the replay of the Poverty Bav Rugby Unions senior championship S ia which Celtic and Old Boys met at maximum strength. It was anticipated that the match would be hard and last, and excitement began to evince itself amongst the spectators from the time the teams took the held. As a token of respect to the late Bernie Rogers, whose death «Surred in Palmerston North on Thursday to - lowing the -Maori All Blacks' match with the Wallabies, both team* wore black arm bands. . .. Old Boys won the toss and elected to play from the seaward end of the around, the breeze being across field and giving no advantage to either side Celtic followed the kick-off into Old Boys territory, but were called bad; for* a midheld .scrum, from which they carried the. ball through to the Old Bovs" twenty-live. From this point Old Boys regained the lost ground as the result of a clever kick by Evans the hall going over the head ok the Celtic fullback and finding the line well inside the Celtic 25yds flag. FULL OP INCIDENT Old Boys were given a penalty kick shortly afterwords, Campbell failing to find the goal and Celtic bringing play back to midfield, where they were given a further opportunity to gam ground by means of a penalty kick following au illegal tackle. The Old Boys were under pressure for a time, but eventually fought oil a determined Celtic rush and the play followed the kick back to midfield, both teams plaving at high speed and every minute being full of incident. lhe tackling on both sides was solid and it early became evident that condition was going to tell a tale in the decision of the match. .Celtic-were getting the ball monotonously from the set scrums, but their opponents did not let the Celtic backs make much use of it and more ground •was made bv up and under tactics than by passing rushes. Old Boys were again under pressure with the Celtic forwards puttine in solid rushes, when Read marked the ball close to the goal-lino and gave a slight relief. PLAYING A GREAT GAME The Celtic forwards were playing a great game in the tight, and in loose play P. McKinley, Mathcson and R. Rogers were showing good form. The Old Boys' forwards were best in (lie loose play and they were particularly severe- on the Celtic inside backs, but their own backs were not. playing with any combination and the frequent clearances they made were due mainly to individual play. Stevens, of the Celtic pack, took a heavy bump, and though he played on for a while, had to leave the field after the game had been in progress for a quarter of an hour. Up to this stage Celtic had l>een doing most of the attacking, their superior weight being seen to better advantage on this occasion than when the teams met last week. A penrtltv kick" was given to Celtic near Old Boys' 25yds flag. .). Milligan taking the kick and Oldlioys forcing-.

LOST OPPORTUNITIES r Following the drop out kick, Old Boys ■ crossed the midfield line and seemed to have a good chance when W. McAncney made a weak effort to cleat to the sideline. A. Read intercepted the kick and made an equally misdirected effort to kick to the centre, the ball going out of bounds'antl Celtic making good use of the ensuing line-out to break away upfield again. Shortly afterwards W. McA'neney received a bump from a teammate's knee when he went down on the ball before an Old Boys' rush, but he was able to play on after a brief spell. The raking rushes of the Celtic forwards, usually carried out with short, high punts, were always a source of un- ', easiness to Old Boys, and Owen, the Old Boys' fullback, for sheer handling, sidestepping and kicking up to the line, was outstanding. Tempers were showing signs of fraying so far as one or two players were" concerned and an incident that occurred almost in front, of the grandstand called down a demonstration against a Celtic player. On the whole, the game was being played in the best * of spirts though, without any tendency I towards great violence. OLD BOYS' ATTACKS I' The second quarter found Celtic more frequently on the defensive and repeatedI ly resorting to mark.-* to take impetus off Old Boys' attacks. Campbell. Harri- ' ' • son, Smellie and Spence were in (he forefront of nearly all the Old Boys' torward work and their lead was followed aggressively by the remainder of the side, Celtic being for the time rather seriously rattled. Old Boys opened their scoring account amidst great excitement after 25 minutes' play, when a penalty kick was given to them some yards inside the half-way line. A. Campbell goaled with a beautiful drop kick.—Old Boys 3. Celtic nil.

NEW SPIRIT IN CAM!

New spirit was put into the game and ! Old Boys were definitely showing signs of superiority, their tackling being a feature of the game and the Celtic team I EaMttg to give ground before a series of rushes'. Line-out followed line-out until ' Old Boys were within Syds. of the corner flag. From a line-out Rogers got the ball and was- promptly cross-buttocked bv A. Read. The ensuing line-out gave the ball to Old Boys, who dribbled through, Celtic forcing and so getting a needed respite. Old Boys kept up the pressure, though they did'not often get possession t,h<«y repeatedly bustled their opponents into I making errors and losses of ground. The game returned to the Celtic twenty-five and remained there for some time, despite repeated efforts by the defenders to clear their territory. Condition was certainly telling its tale at this stage for while the ball vi&i passing from hand to hand in the Celtic back division, the white forwards were doing a tremendous lot. of running, and hut for their fitness they would never have been able to keep up the effort. The game took a further turn in favour of Old Boys when they began to get the ball from line-outs, and a try I seemed just to be a matter of time, when Celtic were given a penalty kick on their own 25yd line and cleared to midfield. The interval whistle interrupted play at this stage with the score still three-nil jn favour of Old Boys. The standard of play throughout tlio first half-had been well above the average, and the game in interest excelled many of the representative fixtures seen I on the Oval in recent seasons.

.'■ A- trend of tire times is the demand throughout Canterbury for one-man 'farms of an area up to 200 or 2SO acres. priced at £25 to £3O an acre, with about £IOCO down, the balance arranged on Tnojrtenge for five years, at 4 per cent interest.