FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1920, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE RANFURLY SHIELD. "THE BEST PACK IN NEW ZEALAND." Wellington has held the Shield so often and for so long that the winning of a Shield match, however hard it be, does not mcau as much to the northerners as did the win to the Southland fifteen (says the Southland Times), and tire tremendous wave of enthusiasm that swept over the field when the game ended was only to be expected. But it was a great and skilful team that had had to acknowledge defeat. "TOUGH FIGHT BETWEEN PACKS." The northern men were expected to provide, a fast, open game with its accompanying ' thrills, the game that "makes" Rugby football. Southland relied upon Its forwards, but before the game had gone far it was obvious tl:at the maroon fifteen were a team, not a collection of individuals. The forwards showed more skill and greater combination, and the difference between the fifteen that beat Wellington and the fifteen that met Wanganui was a tremendous gulf. The first spell saw a tough fight between the opposing packs, with Wellington enjoying a manifest superiority in the scrums, but the maroons were better in the light work and in tho loose, and they never lost the upper band. At half-time, Southland were nine points to the good. It was not enough to reimove doubts as to the result, because the wearers of the Wellington jerseys are alwavs hard to beat, always to be depended upon to fight hard for victory. THE CRUCIAL MOMENT. The opening stages of the second half were tho occasion for a brief testing, for the crucial moment had arrived. The nortterners set the pace a cracker, but the Southlanders were quite ready to respond. The black hookers were taking the ball in the majority of the scrums—no disgrace to the home team, who were opposing one who had hooked for Southland, and afterwards for the All Blacks, an acknowledged master of the art, a Southland product. But as often as those nippy, swerving backs came away from the scrum, so often were they tackled down man for man, and brought to earth relentlessly. And, if, perchance, one man did get away clear, he usually found himself up against the Southland wing forward, whose happy knnek of being where danger threatened or opportunity waited, meant much to the local team. The northern backs did not display readiness to go down to forward as-:' 1 Baults that Southerners are used to see, but depended imore on resource, quick taking of the ball, and well-judged kicks. Before the second spell was half spent the Wellington pack was definitely subdued, though it was not beaten. WELLINGTON BACKS' SPECTACULAR PLAY. Although the Southland team relie* so much 011 its forwards ,the backs were seen to better advantage than In any other game. They defended stubbornly and toughly, and several times their attacks developed rapiuly and well. The Wellington backs gave a spectacular display. They handled superbly, and their combined work was delightful, but their deep formation played into the hands of their opponents. These faulty tactics spoilt much of their game, but all the same their passing was thrilling and their resource admirable. Roberts, among the backs, was always dartgerous, but he was carefully watched, especially by Baird. Tho Wellington half was iiulck to get tte ball away, and throughout the game the spectators had any amount ol excitement. The game was full of incident from start to finish.