HOW THE CROW ENJOYED IT

Southland Times, Issue 24498, 28 July 1941, Page 2

HOW THE CROW ENJOYED IT

Southland Lost, But It Was Close MANY COME FROM FAR AFIELD The hurly-burly of the big game is over now. Otago beat Southland. The game was as fine an exhibition of wet weather football as has been seen for many a long day and there will be post-mortems into it wherever local football enthusiasts meet for the next week or two, but it is time now to talk of the crowds that came from far afield and all those that left homes in Invercargill in dismal weather to spend the afternoon at Rugby Park. It was a fine crowd. Up in the Press box high above the main stand you could hear a constant simmer, of excitement throughout the afternoon. Speculation about the main game started early, as soon as the first few hundred began to gather and it continued until the final whistle of the inter-provincial match, rising to grand fortissimos when tries were scored, when the Southland forwards took command and swept down the length of the field, or when Churchill put in one of his thrilling bursts down tire sideline. This is wartime and interest in Rugby is generally considered to be less than in previous years, but the traditional rivalry between the two southern provinces still lives on. Despite this and despite restrictions on travelling, hundreds came from all parts of Southland and from Dunedin too. Two speci ial excursion train's brought nearly 700 persons and the usual expresses on Friday and Saturday carried extra numbers of football enthusiasts. As well as those who came by train, there were many who motored in from the country and before the match began, parked cars stretched north down Elies road for hundreds of yards. All the same, it did not reach the scale of an “invasion.” You could describe it as a “large influx of visitors.” BADGES AND RIBBONS Two hundred and seventy persons arrived by the excursion train on Friday night. Most of these came for a week-end holiday, returning yesterday. About 400 arrived by the special train which drew in at 12.14 o’clock on Saturday. The Friday night and Saturday afternoon expresses also brought a hundred or two for whom the match was the big attraction. Scores of small boys I scurried about the station platform selling Otago and Southland badges and ribbons and they seemed to do a thriving trade, although nt the match not so very many wore the colours of the team they championed. On Saturday morning the main city streets were filled with youths filling in idly the hours that remained before it was time to go to Rugby Park. Restaurants were crowded, most of the visitors having arrived hungry. Quite early in the afternoon thej' began to find their way to Rugby Park and by 2 o’clock the stands were comfortably filled and in spite of the intermittent drizzle there was soon a fair sprinkling on the terranes on the northern side of the ground. The terraces had been covered with tarpaulins beforehand and those who took sea': there found them useful protection as the afternoon wore on. By 2.30 o’clock it was hard to find a seat i the stands and before the main game began there was a crowd estimated at about 4500.

SPECULATION RIFF Keen interest was taken in the curtain raiser, the boys of the Southland Boys’ High School’s first fifteen and the Wakatipu District Sub-Union”s team providing quite a good exhibition. A couple of clowns dressed as “Uncle Joe” (Stalin) and “TJncle Sam” caused amusement. They were equipped with raucously coloured despatch cases labelled “Diplomatic,’ and from these brought out demi-john’s of soft drink, sips of which they presented to all and sundry. The Band of the Ist Battalion, which had marched through the streets to the ground, took up a position in fron. of the main stand and presented popular selections throughout the afternoon. Snatches of conversation all the time revealed, however, that the chief topic of conversation was Southland’s chances, and, in the west end of the ground where there were hunches of Otago’s supporters, Otago’s chances. V FOR VICTORY The murmuring of anticipated excitement gave way to cheers as the teams came out and instead of forming up into two parallel lines to greet each other, formed up into a Victory V with captains, Herron and Parkhill, at the apex. From the.' on there was the constant, confused noise of excitement that comes from any football crowd wholly immersed in a thrilling game. Oldtimers watched with a critical eye and were not to be carried away into spontaneous cheering or a wild waving of arms, but the majority of the crowd let themselves go at times; such as when the redoubtable Herron led his forwards in magnificent rushes down the field and Southland came within an ace of scoring four times within the space of 10 minutes or quarter of an hour about the middle of the second half. Kearney, Churchill and Jones, spectacular Otago backs, got their share of applause too. PLENTY OF EXCITEMENT The best time had by all, however, was when after Southland had been down 3—o for a long time, F. Stewart capped off a good piece of play by scoring wide out. The people in the stands just stoood up and cheered madly en masse. Stewart did them all a lot of good although most, even then, could not see the Ranfurly Shield holders winning. McCurdy did not put the kick over, ■which left the two teams level. That left everyone highly excited. Then the tense, business-like way in which the 30 players (rotted back to ‘heir positions communicated itself to the crowd. It was metaphorically on its toes. “Now we’ll see something,” was the genera] feeling. What they saw, as everyone knowns now, was the Otago backs going on to outclass the local men and give the visitors a victory, 6-3. It was a good game. Anything that give 4500 people an exciting hour and a-half on a wet, cold afternoon must be good.

OTHER CENTRES WELLINGTON.— First division: Athletic 11, Wellington 3; Hutt (Army) 8, Hutt 3; Wellington College Old Boys 11, Poneke 11; Oriental 14, Air Force 0; Marist Brothers Old Boys 5, Petone 0; University 6, Johnsonville 0; St. Patrick’s College Old Boys 7, Eastbourne 3. Second Division: Athletic 14, Wellington 9; Training College 18, Pirates 3; Onslow 6, Seatoun (Army) 6; Miramar a bye. CHRISTCHURCH.— Army 14, New Brighton 12; Technical 18, Varsity 12; Air Force 22, Linwood 6. Senior Reserve: Wigram 30, Godley Head 8; Merivale 19, Christchurch 3; Albion 22, Southern 12; Sunnyside 6, Athletic 6. • AUCKLAND.— Papakura Camp 16, Grammar 12; Otahuhu 12, Suburbs 3; Takapuna 12, Marist 6; Ponsonby 7, Technical 3; Training College 30, University 8; Manukau 14, Grafton 11.

TEAMS ENTERTAINED AFTER MATCH OTAGO REPRESENTATIVES CONGRATULATED The congratulations of the Southland Rugby Football Union on Otago’s win on Saturday was extended to the team and visiting Otago Rugby Union officials at a function which was held after the game. The president of the Southland Union (Mr W. A. H. Oliver) praised the standard of play shown by the visitors and congratulated them on their win. The traditions of football, he said, had been well maintained, and a fine spirit had been shown by the two teams. He referred to the players now serving overseas and said it was as though their younger brothers were carrying on until they came back. The Mayor of Invercargill (Mr J. R. Martin) in proposing the toast to the Otago Union, the team manager (Mr B. Collie) and the president (Mr I. Grant) congratulated both teams on their performances and on the fine spirit they had shown. In reply, Mr Grant thanked the Southland Union for its hospitality. The thoughts of all followers of the game were going out to those who had shown their paces at Rugby Park and at Carisbrook, he said. They were now wearing different colours—those of their King and Empire. Mr Collie also spoke. A toast was drunk to the players overseas, and the two captains, D. B. Herron and A. Parkhill, referred to the fine spirit that had existed on the field.