SUTHERLAND WAS OUTSTANDING

Southland Times, Issue 23931, 25 September 1939, Page 3

SUTHERLAND WAS OUTSTANDING

THREE BRILLIANT TRIES SOUTHLANDERS SCORE ALL SOUTH’S POINTS (Special to The Times) WELLINGTON, September 23. If the New Zealand team does go to South Africa next year Southland, to judge by today’s inter-island match, should secure strong representation. The South Island showed marked superiority over the North and every one of the South Island’s 25 points was scored by Southland players. The record was: Sutherland three tries, Saxton and Grace one try each, Wesney two penalties and two conversions. Sutherland was the outstanding player on the field and provided most of the excitement in the second half when he scored three brilliant tries in quick succession. The inter-island game is always eagerly awaited in Wellington as one of the best exhibitions of the year. Today’s match fulfilled all expectations. It was fast, open and willing and revealed much talent although it was difficult to see in the two teams a side that would have been capable of beating the 1937 Springboks. Southland provided four of the seven forwards in the South Island team and four of the eight backs. It was in the back division that the South Island was markedly superior. The North Island forwards more than held their own and largely because of Lambourne’s hooking they gained a three-to-one advantage in getting the ball from set scrums. The North gained possession on 30 of the 40 occasions that the result of the scrum was decisive. Possession from the line-outs was evenly divided. SOUTH BACKS IMPRESSIVE The fact that the North obtained a greater share of the ball made the performance of the South backs all the more impressive. Saxton, who captained the South side, played up to his best form, showing the initiative and resource that were such telling factors in the Ranfurly Shield games at Invercargill. A great deal of interest was shown in the relative performances of Saxton and Tindill, the Wellington and North Island half-back. Tindill played a very good game but there is no doubt that on the day Saxton shaded him. Saxton was unlucky not to have scored twice. He gained his try—as he has so many others—by alert backing up. Saxton’s passing to Grace was clean, fast and low and evoked much admiration from the crowd. Grace was a little apt to cut in instead of sending the ball out to his wings, Sutherland and Morrison, both of whom were very much superior .to the North wings. But Grace made a most promising debut in big football and stood out well above his vis-a-vis, Pearman, who was obsessed with the idea of making short kicks. GRACE’S TRY Grace’s try, the first of the day, was scored through his good backing up when Sutherland was tackled close to the line. No one, by the end of the game, had any doub’; about Sutherland being up to All Black standard. He hardly made a mistake all through, not only in his determined rt shed down the line but in his defensive play. Several times when South was pressed he ran through and cleared with a kick to the opposite line. In scoring his second try he beat three men although he had only about a yard to work in from the sideline. It is a long time since Wellington crowds have seen such a clever and determined winger and they gave him an ovation when he was carried off injured a few minutes before the end of the game after having tried to dive through three burly forwards. It was reported after the match that his injury was nothing more serious than a severe winding. WESNEY KICKS WELL Wesney’s kicking gave South a valuable advantage in the early stages. The North Island had no one to equal him. At the end of the first half North had scored two tries to South’s one but Wesney’s kicking kept South in the lead by 11 points to six. Wesney converted two tries. Another kick was a poster and another missed by the narrowest of margins. At centre three-quarters, he played a sound game, perhaps not as spectacular as the Taranaki man, Sullivan, but more solid. The Southland representatives in the forwards were Ward, Herron, George and Sherriff and they gave a very good account of themselves. Sherriff was rather overshadowed by Lamboume, who was at the top of his form. North did so well with the scrums that Tindill took them constantly in preference to line-outs where the honours were much more even. SOUTHLAND’S FORWARDS Ward and Herron did great work in the loose and George also was a solid worker. The match came to an exciting finish when North Island, after being down 9-22, scored two converted tries in rapid succession and reached a position in the last few minutes where one more converted try or a dropped goal would have given it victory. South rallied, however, and when Saxton dived over at the comer with two North forwards on top of him the result was no longer in doubt. Before that Sutherland had ben battering at the North line. It was a thrilling climax to the great game. The teams were:— NORTH ISLAND FULL-BACK: H. M. Dyer (Hawke’s Bay). THREE-QUARTERS: W. J. Phillips (Waikato), J. L. Sullivan (Taranaki), L. Schubert (Auckland). FIVE-EIGHTHS: P. J. Reid (Hawke’s Bay), N. Pearman (Auckland). HALF-BACK: E. W. Tindill (Wellington), captain. BACK-ROW: A. W. Bowman (Hawke’s Bay). MIDDLE-ROW: S. T. Reid (Hawke’s Bay), M. McDonald (Hawke’s Bay), J. B. Coull (Taranaki), R. M. McKenzie (Manawatu). FRONT-ROW: E. Jackson (Hawke’s Bay), A. Lamboum (Wellington), W. N. Carson (Auckland). SOUTH ISLAND * FULL-BACK: S. F. Easton (North Otago). THREE-QUARTERS: A. G. Sutherland (Southland), A. W. Wesney (Southland), T. C. Morrison (South Canterbury). FIVE-EIGHTHS: W. I. Perriam (Otago), M. P. Grace (Southland).

HALF-BACK: C. K. Saxton (Southland), captain. BACK- ROW: A. A. Parkhill (Otago). MIDDLE-ROW: R. H. Ward (Southland), D. B. Herron (Southland), R. R. King (West Coast), C. W. Williams (Canterbury). FRONT-ROW: V. L. George (Southland), W. G. Sherriff (Southland), G. R. MacDonald (Otago).

There was a light breeze from the south, and the South Island played with this at their backs.

The North Island opened smartly, Tindill getting the ball away to his backs for Reid to make a nice cut-in. Reid went almost down to the South Island line, and narrowly failed to score.

Shortly afterwards, after the South Island had .been on the attack, the North Island backs got on the move again. A good cut-in by Pearman gave them a start.

A run by the North Island forwards, with McKenzie in the van, bustled the South, but Morrison picked up the ball.

McKenzie was prominent in another burst by the North Island forwards, but again it was neatly turned, Wesney this time being responsible. Te North Island were penalized just inside their 25-yard line, and Wesney kicked an easy goal. Play had been in progress 12 minutes. South Island 3, North Island 0.

From a scrum in the South Island 25, Saxton served his backs, the ball going out to Sutherland, who beat Phil-

lips and then kicked over Dyer’s head. The ball rolled over the North Island goal-line, but Bowman got to it ahead of a couple of South Island forwards and forced.

Phillips, after some solid forward play in the North 25, retired injured and was replaced by McAneny. There was further pressure by the South, and Grace, picking up the ball, dived over for a try. Wesney converted with a fine kick. South Island 8, North Island 0.

A smart try to the North Island followed. From a scrum Tindill whipped the ball out to Schubert, who beat his man and then sent the ball infield to McKenzie, who had backed up excellently, and the big forward touched down. Dyer did not convert. South Island 8, North Island 3. After an attempt by the North backs to get under way had failed, the North Island forwards took play downfield with a solid rush.

The North Island were unable to hold this territorial advantage, and soon the South were on the attack again, the North Island being given some lively moments in their 25. South' was awarded a penalty kick and Wesney goaled with another splendid kick from near the touchline. South Island 11, North Island 3. From a ruck, Tindill sent the ball to Pearman, who sent out a long pass to McAneny, who was effectively held. After another ruck Tindill again opened up the play with Pearman. Schubert missed Pearman’s pass, but Sullivan, travelling at great pace, came up and scored. Dyer did not convert. South Island 11, North Island 6. The South was soon at the other end of the field and a series of scrums followed. Eventually Tindill relieved the pressure with a kick to touch.

From a scrum, Saxton got the ball away to Grace, who, after selling a dummy, was pulled down by Reid and Pearman. The half ended with play in midfield. South Island 11, North Island 6 SECOND HALF Within a minute of the opening of the second half South Island was penalized in a scrum, but Pearman’s goal-kick missed. Getting the ball from line-outs and scrums, the North Island was very active, and in the drive towards the South line a good touch-finder by Pearman assisted. A penalty kick to the South Island sent the North back again, but after this there was a solid North Island forward rush led by Coull, McKenzie and Reid. Fumbling by . Pearman resulted in a North back attack breaking down early, Ward coming up effectively to stop further progress. The South Island forwards then launched a solid attack, and only the pace of Schubert, who raced round behind the goalpost, saved . the North Island. The South Island pressed again immediately, and from a ruck Saxton passed to Sutherland, who went across for a try. Wesney’s kick was a poster. South Island 14, North Island 6. After further pressure by the South Island, Sutherland scored another try. The movement started from a scrum in the North Island 25, the ball travelling out along the chain of backs to Sutherland, who fended off McAneny and Dyer and scored. It was a splendid try. Wesney’s kick fell short. South Island 17, North Island 6. The southerners’ lead was reduced when Pearman kicked a penalty goal for the North Island. South Island 17, North Island 9. The South Island was soon back again, however, and a run, started by Saxton, swept all before it. Saxton passed to King, who sent the ball on to Sutherland for the last-named to score again. Wesney converted. South Island 22; North Island 9. Smart work by Sullivan got the North Island out of a dangerous situation after a run from a scrum by Wesney and Sutherland. The South Island was nearly over again, Perriam being caught in the nick of time by Schubert. Grace, Sutherland and Saxton linked up in a short burst of passing, but Saxton knocked on just before crossing the North Island line. Attempts by Tindill to get the North Island backs away met with no success, Pearman several times running into trouble. Eventually Reid got clear and kicked over the South Island line. Easton failed to gather in the ball, and Reid, who had followed up his kick with McAneny in support, scored. Pearman converted. South Island 22; North' Island 14. The South Island was on the attack when Carson brilliantly broke clear and put in a good run upfield before passing to Reid, who set off at full speed for the South Island line. Vainly Wesney and Saxton tried to pull Reid down from behind, but Reid had pace enough to carry him over for a spectacular try. Pearman converted. South Island 22; North Island 19. There were still five minutes left, and the North Island staged another great rally, in which Sullivan, Pearman, and Reid took part. The South Island replied with a stinging attack, which drove the North Island back to its line. From a scrum, Saxton worked the blind side, passing to Sutherland, who lost possession of the ball, but Saxton picked it up again and scored. Sutherland was injured and was carried off. Wesney did not convert and the final scores were South Island 25; North Island 19.