RUGBY FINAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19131, 28 September 1936, Page 7

RUGBY FINAL

Ild boys champions UXdOMNG GAME tssije Bay ferglby clYaw'piptisliip was decided Oil Saturday in a. match even jrnbre exciting than that of the previous Aveek, the Old Boys winning the title after a dour straggle with Celtic, last year's champions, the final score being six points to three. Old Boys have not -figured as winners of the competition for several seasons, but they played a game worthv of the championship, making up by sheer impetuosity and determination what they lacked in*polish. The match. Was a replay of the game in which the teams drew a week before, and this 'time the issue was really decided by 'a magnificent goal, kicked by '"A: Campbell from hear the half-way line after 'abotit a quarter of an hour's * P l^

: - The teams were so evenly matched that gome such "exploit was called for to give 'one or tHe, other the upper baud, and when Campbell put Ms side ahead he . plkccd it in V- •pti?lti6n to win. Each team scored a try after that, but whereas Celtic bad been, playing, a. free 'and open game before the -goal Was kicked, tliev became again when placed in arrears, ami defeated themselves, in exactly the same manner as on the day ot the first ga'nle. If the filial igaffio. "anything, it proved t%t conditioh covers a multitude of Wealcnesses..Because Old- J-toys were able, to set a. .lib't ;pace, and fit cnongh to lie«p it "going, they held their eariy lead oyer a, .sidfe which, man for man, Was much CELTIC fcXcKS BUSTLED Though the Celts we're lacking the services of F. they had a powerful pack ih.th'e- field,:aUd with J, Jlillig'an back b'eh&d the scrum, -their backs had •plenty of the ball from, .'the scrams and rucks" alike. .Their trouble, was that their opponents Ivcft'ild notig¥ve them any time to develop movemeats, ievery man who touetied. ! ,th6'fcall bsWg/under the threat of. a tackle frqm the swift-moving forwards .and'backs of the pld Boys' team. One result was that A. MeAheney, who undoubtedly Is developing into a great attacking wiiigeV... "got practically no "ctiarices ib %et ; fntio "his stride. The .Old Boys tailed -the ball as Jong as it was moving through the Celtic back division, and as each man took a pass. he was force'd 'to, ;g'et rid of the ball as speedily as possible, or go down with it. Again, Celtic's forwards found their efforts to ilevelop dribbling rushes brought to a check by the determination with which the opposing inside backs went "down on the ball, and when they kicked high and followed, they were baffled by the.precision with which Old Boys received and 'kicked. Jr&T "GETTING BY" It mav be doing Saturday's winners an injustice to- say that their back division is not a champion one; they got- out of so many tight xorhers ia, daturday's game that Jhere,must. have been something more- than, -mere, good luck guidipg some of their work. Nevertheless, though they played at the top of their form, the" champion team's backs were never really convincing, "arid the two wingers, on whom much of the work fell, seemed to be just "getting by" throughout the game. What must have been most, disceuraging to Celtic was to see. these players malring palpable errors when they had plenty of time to retrieve them, and yet coming through with sound clear Vces just when Celtic was on the point *of breaking down the defence, and were -exerting all their speed and power to bustle, the Oi<J,.-BbW Ayingers. The rest of the .were- playing a solid game tlijrqugiiou.t.jjtit. only in their 'condition superior 'to the opposing back, players Condition, ''rtmwti, coirditaoh ! I hat 'watchword of. Eugby football was- never Wore cot{v&(afigly..iJli'stified .than by the 'success 6f;o!.d Boys,, The Celtic team, though stro% and We to keep on the pressure practically 'every minute of the eamc, was fust /a .shade slow once or twice when a little extra effort might have put th f em an a winning position. ThVtrv scored by DoVi In the second halt was 'a* gift In'a sense,. simply because though two Celtic ;irien charged him ana stopped him as, he came through with the ball, tKey Wfc not guick enough to. actually tackle him, or after to WfliSg inSnd stop him as he hopped intorhis Me again. It is m. moments like these that 'the .extra degree of yep Ms;its f&*™. touched to within'a'few yards of the line, from wnich ftfint.tfe dived through the fuobask's.tackle to score, giving his sitfe a r Sx;sHints leau.

CELTIC'S ONE-SUCCESS , After that, /Celtic made determined efforts to overcome, their .disadvantage, but repeatedly had their | opponents in " trouble, they never had them badly rattled. They got one. tiy, a clever exploit, on the part- of A. McAheney, who got tho ball on the blind side of a senna 15yds. from the Old Boys' goal-line and with only a loot or two between him and the boundary. He slipped along and was quickly stretching 'olH, to hurdle Owen's- tackle near the corner 'flag and get Hie ball down in the goal area. That made the score 6 —3, and there it stayed until the, close of the game. To those who watched the defeat of tlie Celtic team, it was ironical to remember that Old Boys could not have qualified lor the final had Y.M.P. played alt out three weeks ago in their Inst meeting with tlie present, champions. That, match will be. remembered as one in which the .Maoris had a big advantage, and needed only to press it to carry the day. Knowing they had no chance of 'qualifying for the final themselves, Y.M.P. 'took things too lightly and Old Boys levelled up their compe'tition points with Celtic, this incident leading them on to the final and the replay in .which they were successful on Saturday. At 'tlie same time, it will be agreed that the championship success of Old Boys constitutes an excellent vindication* of hard training and the attainment- Of the peak of condition. MANY STOPPAGES In the. course of the game there were one or two minor incidents which be-, trayed ragged nerves on the part of a few players, but though the game was a hard-i'otight one, and everyone took a few bumps, the spirit was generally excellent. .Several men were injured to some extent. Harrison, 'of Old Boys. T. Stevens, anil P. McKinley, Celtic, being replaced, while others were down briefly and caused halts in the play, but none of tlie casualties were due to rough or dangerous tactics. The. twojiien who contributed most to the Old Boys* success were again A. Campbell and Dovi; apart- from their actual scores these players were tlie pivots on which the forwards and backs moved. Spence, Fraser and Smellie were all prominent in the. winners' scrum. and Montgomery at half-back, Evans at second 1 five-eighths, Henderson at centre, and Owen at- fullback, all did their parts well, Owen getting his side out of trouble on many occasions. Bead and Davy rose to tho occasion well, and were Pot often caught napping. , For- Celtic. W.-Mathoson, R. Rogers, P. Scholium; .1. Steel and P. McKinley wero the best of the forwards, and were 'jn almost every movement that, gained any ground, while all four -were useful when it was a matter of banking tip their tavii side's defence. J. Milligan played well in his old position behind tho' scrum, and W. MeAireney and Arnott were capable ■five-eighths, though they were constantly under pressure. C. McKinley and A. McAneney were closely watched by the opposing team, anj did not have much chance to shine, but both were valuable to their side, and Patty, -on the left, wing, showed, a decided improvement in stylo. Yates played a steady game at. fullback for Celtic, though' his work was overshadowed by that of Owen, tho opposing fullback.