SOUTHLAND TEAM

Southland Times, Issue 19330, 15 September 1921, Page 5

SOUTHLAND TEAM

DEFEATED BY HAWKE’S BAY TWENTY-TWO TO SEVEN FAILURE OF INSIDE BACKS (Special to the Times.)

NAPIER, September 14. Southland suffered its third defeat of the tour to-day, Hawke’s Bay (black and white) beating the touring team on McLean Park before a fair crowd of spectators, by 22 points to 7. The Southland team was as previously telegraphed. The Hawke’s Bay changes were: Yates, full back; Daines, wing; Akuira, centre; Hebberley replacing Gimmell in the forwards. Southland won the toss and elected to face the sun. There was no wind when Hawke’s Bay kicked off, and Southland set up an attack through Akuira missing a knock back from the line. A penalty was awarded Southland for lying on the ball. Agnew’s I shot fell short and was returned to half- • way. Wright and St. George worked the blind side successfully, countering a Hawke's Bay forward rush. The Maroon forwards went away but a hard kick allowed Bay to force. Diack forced Bay almost immediately by a hard kick, the resultant drop out clearing the Blacks. The Bay forwards broke away, but Lynch was sure and found touch near half-way. M. Brownlie broke away, Wright collaring him, but the Bay forwards went to the Maroon 25 when a penalty was allowed. Lynch sent the ball back. St. George shifted play towards Black’s 25 by a mark from the line. St. George gave the backs a chance, but Brown failed to connect. The rush travelled across the field, and after Hazlett, Lopdell, and Wright had handled, Lopdell broke through, passing to Hazlett, who sent Diack away. The last named was collared near the line. A hard kick from the ruck allowed Bay to force. Play worked to halfway from the drop out, the Maroon backs trying passing but not timing well. Diack sent the ball to Brown who missed when a score seemed certain. From a scrum the Maroon hookers sent the ball back, St. George feeding well and Brown handling in the centre kicked across, Wright being too far out, Greenside gathered the ball. He beat Hazlett and Wright, and was joined by M Blake, when Lynch approached. Lynch collared him but he got a pass in to M. Blake, who outpaced St. George and scored. M. Brownlie missed the posts. Hawke’s Bay 3. Southland 0. Play was in Bay 25 from kick-off, Millar passing to Hazlett, who was collared in possession, Daines, assisted by the forwards going to the Maroon 25, where M. Brownlie attempted a goal from a penalty. The kick fell short. Lopdell found touch past half way, but Batchelor headed a Black rush which went to Lynch, but the fullback was safe and a scrum was formed. The Bay forwards again breaking, Lynch snapped a good mark, finding the line well out' of the danger territory. St. George carrying play to half way, Lynch was called upon again to stop a loose ntsh, and he took Akuira, allowing Cockroft and Ixvpdell to clear and carry play to Bay territory. The attack was short. A penalty for off-side opened play and an exchange of kicks ended in the Maroon 25. A Bay backs’ passing rush was stopped by Hazlett collaring Akuira The Maroons clearing to past the 25 mark. Close forward work ended in Bell and Cockroft going to the Bay 25. After a kicking bout Lynch found touch to Maroons’ advantage near the Black quarter flag St. George came round the blind side, but Hazlett missed a pass, Diack kicking to the corner flag. M. Brownlie, putting all his weight into the line, out, went through to the 25 flag, where a scrum was formed, Maroons getting the ball, but Lopdell lost a chance by knocking on. A good pass from a kick to Maroons saw Agnew’s kick fail to raise the ball, the forwards sweeping on, the ball going to Lynch, who found touch at half way. Play centred around half way, Lopdell breaking a Bay passing rush by a solid tackle. Cockroft snapped up the ball, dropping a pretty goal from outside the 25 mark.

Southland 4. Hawke’s Bay 3. Bad fielding b ythe Maroon backs was quickly taken advantage of by the Bay forwards who went to the line, Lynch holding up three men at the scoring point. A knock on by Bay allowed the Maroons to secure from a scrum, and St. George cleared to half way, where a forward rush ended in a Bay forward finding the line near the Maroon 25. Millar, Rice, and Marshall carried the ball down the field in a good rush, but Yates sent them back to half way. From a line out Bay forwards led back. J. and M. Blake transferred play to in front of the Maroon posts, where a free kick was awarded the hard pressed Maroons. St. George changed the scene by a sensational solo dribble to the other end, but the Bay forwards countered, only to meet the solid front of Lynch. Hazlett being collared in possession brought trouble to the Maroons, but Bell relieved a strong attack by dribbling clear to half way. The Bay forwards gradually worked back in the loose, and Kilpatrick secured, M. Brownlie, Batchelor, and McNab following in a good rush which Batchelor finished aftv Lynch had made a good attempt to stop it. Yates goaled.

Hawke’s Bay 8. Southland 4

Half time sounded with play in neutral territory.

Southland kicked off in the second spell. M. Blake after a cut in panned to J. Blake, but Gimmell missed his pass, Diack and Bt. George clearing to half way. M. Blake again caught the inside backs asleep and put his side in the attack. H. S. Brown clearing to half way after a scramble in the Maroon 25. A free kick to Bay central, Hazlett missing as Kivell came at him. Diack secured the ball, but was collared ns he kicked, and the ball went out touch in goal. M. Brownlie headed a good Bay rush after the drop out, which kept the Maroon backs busy trying to stop it. but it was not until the ball dribbled over the touch line at the Maroon 25 that play was checked. Cockroft changed the scene to half way from the line out, and Beil went further, but had no support, Yates sending the Maroons back with a good line kick. J. Blake attempted to cut in but Diack tackled surely, Bay setting up strenuous attack on the Maroon line. Play raged on the line in a forward struggle which ended in a scrum, Maroons securing, for St. George

to force. The drop out was returned too hard, and another force resulted. A kicking bout at long range ended in Southland's favour just over the half way mark, but the Bay forwards carried the line out, smashing through to Lynch, who sent a defensive pass to Hazlett which stopped the rush. Play opened for more kicking, and Lopdell centred. Bunker fielded and got off down the field with the ball at his toe. Hazlett was penalised for lying on the ball, Yates goaling.

Hawke’s Bay 11. Southland 4. Cockroft secured from a short kick off and when in the open field fell, passing to Agnew, who sent Wright away. The last* I named was tackled out within a few feet of the line. A scrum was formeci from the line-out, hard kicking allowing Bay to force. The drop-out was fielded by H. S. Brown, who passed to Diack, the wing gathering the ball well, but being solidly tackled by Yates just near the objective. An offside penalty relieved Bay, but Cockroft and Mil lar returned play to the Bay corner flag by good dribbling. The Bay forwards packed well with M. Brownlie leading, and , cleared to the twenty-five, the Maroon for- I wards clearing and returning to the attack. St. George sent the ball away from the ruck, Hazlett and H. S. Brown handling, but the last-named sent a bad pass to Wright and the opportunity was lost. Kivell kicked down the field to Lynch, but the Southland full-back returned with a fine line kick, not wasting a yard. Open work ranged in neu tral territory with Bay gradually working down the field, Lopdell being caught of: side. Yates attempted to goal, but the kick went wide, Diack coming out. and. instead of forcing, cleared to the twenty-five,

St. George further improving. Yates sent the Bay backs to the attack with a good line kick. From a line out M. Brownlie sent the backs away, J. Blake, Akuira, and Green side handling in a good movement. The last-named cut in and scored a pretty try under the posts. Yates goaled. Hawke’s Bay 16; Southland 4. Millar and Cockroft put in a great run after the kick off, carrying play to the Bay line only to see Hazlett lose the position by bad handling and let Batchelor away. Wright collared Batchelor, but Kivell, following fast, snapped up the ball to score an easy try. Akuira failed. Hawke’s Bay 19; Southland 4. The kick off was scrummed. The Maroons secured, Hazlett kicking, with all the backs in position, and play became exciting in neutral territory, each side breaking through until Akuira found touch in the Maroon twenty-five from a long kick of Agnew’s. The Bay forwards again swept past Hazlett to near the Maroon citadel. Bell saving by breaking away, but J. Blake was allowed to return play to the Maroon twenty-five with a good cut in, no one seeming to want to stop him. LopdeU broke through the Bay inside backs, but failed to pass when a good chance was offering, Bell and Brett carrying play to the Black line. After some play in midfield a free kick brought relief to the defenders, but good passing from St. George and 'Brown saw Southland in a good position. The contra's pass was bad, Diack failing to hold a low ball, knocking on. The Maroons were now delivering onslaught* on the Black line, the Bay backs tackling solidly. St. George gave the backs plenty of chances, but the rushes never got far, Hazlett and Lopdell being too slow away. St. George gave Hazlett the ball near the line. The inside cut in and in-passed again to St. George, who scored. LopdeU failed with the kick.

Hawke’s Bay 19; Southland 7. Lynch crossed the kick out and Green* side gathered the ball, streaking along the touch line, but he went out when gathering way. The Bay forwards broke from the line in loose formation, and M. Brownlie snapped up the ball and passed to L. Brownlie. Backs and forwards mixed it in a spectacular passing movement toward the Maroon line, which ended in Akuira scoring. Yates missed with the kick. Time was then blown.

Hawke’s Bay 22 (2 converted tries, one penalty goal, and three tries/ ; Southland 7 (a potted goal and a try). Mr W. Cockroft refereed. The display of the inside Southland backs was deplorable, Hazlett, LopdeU, and Brown repeatedly failed to stop the opposing forwards, while the collaring of the five-eighths was atrocious. The opposing inside backs were at times allowed to do as they chose, cutting in repeatedly without any attempt being made to stop them. Both Hazlett and LopdeU failed to hold good passes, and their attempts to field a baU or stop the forwards would not have done credit to a school team. They repeatedly let the side down and lost positions won by tho forwards after a struggle. Most of the Bay scores were from the mistakes of the inside backs, only one being the result of a good passing movement. It was the worst exposition of inside back play put up on the tour, and accounted for seventeen out of the 22 points scored. St. George behind the pack played a great game again, his passee irom the scrum being an improvement on Wellington, but this was lost by Hazlett failing to hold the ball. When facing the opposition he played splendidly and was the only back except Lynch to deal effectively with this mode of attack. Wright was a failure on the wing, and when the ball did reach him he failed to hold it and missed two good chances. His tackling was weak« and the first try came through his missing Greenside just as that player was starting. Diack had little work to do, and when the baU did come his way he always received a bad pass. His tackling was low and sure. Every time he went for a man he came down. Lynch played a great game at fuUback. His line kicking was a revelation. Time and again he got the line with long line kicks, not a yard being wasted. Twen-ty-five to thirty yards was a common occurrence for him on the day, while somfl) kicks must have made at least fifty Cockroft was again the leader of the pack* and he, together with MiUar and Rice* would carry play into Bay ground only see the position lost by bad handling b.M the backs. This did more to break up tha forwards than any play of the opposition* On the line the three mentioned were always prominent and continuaUy breaking away. The other forwards with the exception of Bell, who did some good sprinting work at times, were not working well and failed to put their full weight into the scrums. The hookers, Brown and Rice, always obtained the baU when wanted, but again this initial advantage was of Uttlg use owing to the weakness near the scrum. The game was always fast, travelling ujj and down the field at a great rate in loose open rushes, the Bay backs handling suret than the Maroons, but they failed to run straight and lost good chances by going across the field, allowing the Maroons to force them to pass without gaining ground* M. Brownlie played a great forward game, feeding the backs well from the line-outg both by knock backs and passes.