SCHOOL BEAT WANGANUI

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 4

SCHOOL BEAT WANGANUI

TWENTY-TWO POINTS TO NIL GAME WITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE. HOME TEAM’S CONSTANT ATTACK. By 22 points to nil, New Plymouth Boys’ High School defeated Wanganui Technical College at Pukekura Park yesterday. The day was overcast and the ground sticky. Many people left the ground manifestly disappointed. The score was big, the domination of the home side apparent. but tne Wanganui team was not They were a good average side, but not brilliant. The High School team, it was felt, lacked the sweet precision of earlier years, the ability to slip the ball from man to man without the possibility of error., the laculty of working out to a logical try n scheme of attack in which every man played an indispensable part. Against this it must be remembered that for nearly ten years now the School team, under clever and patient coaching, has fed the public a rich diet of football. It has set a high-water mark for secondary school football in the Dominion. Every year there- are U’e o-aps to be filled, the experiments to be made, the fits of despair to De endured. But all the time the steady moulding continues, the polish rubbed in and the rough edges filed off. Particularly in the early stagefl of the game yesterday, the five-eighths chin o, too long to the ball. Paikes is a really good five-eighths when he remembers that he is not the whole team and Gibbons haS-.that fleetness off the mark that gives- the stamp of quality. Later, as they worked themselves into their team, there was a different tone in the whole line of backs. The line which had seemed scrappy and hallhearted stiffened and tightened to concert pitch. Openings were more varied and more frequent and Ekdahl at centre used the whole of his pace and strength in telling runs. McLean sent the ball away accurately from tne scrums, though he could speed up his passes a fraction and work the blind side more often. White, at full-back, was given little to do, but that little made people nervous. If there is a real weakness it is in the wing threequarters. Ekdahl cannot be expected to do everything by himself. The scruni, as is the way with scrums, did not work out to theory. It had the fatal habit of bulging. The work of the School pack in the lineouts was indifferent, but in the tight and in the loose the forwards were solid and grafting. Andrews, at rover, played an excellent game. The Technical College team played o-ood football, the forwards especially beinn- tireless and hard-working. The backs handled well but lacked the stamina of the New Plymouth backs, who constantly attacked. The teams lined out as follows:— WANGANUI TECHNICAL COLLEGE. Ellis Pargeter Welsh Warren R. Mete Kingi J. Mete Kingi Blythe Hutchinson McDonald Bassett Coop Lauvatu Luxford Thompson Wilkie NEW .PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL. White Snell Ekdahl Morris Gibbons Parkes McLean Andrews Grieve Thomas Harbutt Dallison Wynyard Dickey Short School won the toss and Wanganui kicked off. Both sets of backs kicked the ball into each other’s arms until Ekdahl found a gap and School gained a quarter of the ground. From a scrum McLean swung the ball to his eager backs, but Wanganui came up fast and smothered Gibbons. Off-side by the visiting pack gave School a penalty, but Gibbons’ kick dropped short. The School backs were playing the favourite deep formation, Wanganui were in a straight line and the Wanganui forwards were breaking early from the serums to spoil. Andrews, the. School rover, began early to play his vigorous, most heipful game. He broke away from the ruck but gave a forward pass. School opened out with passing through the line of backs, a little tentative yet, with some reckless rushing into the forwards by the inside backs. Then Blythe set the Wanganui backs moving on a testing run, until Welsh gave a shoddy pass to Pargeter. The state of affairs was clearer, reassuring to School. Wanganui had a back team which could handle and pass neatly, was game enough and fast enough, but was, in short, too gentle. They were content to work across the field rather than up it, content to take what they were allowed instead of demanding the little bit more which means so much. The School forwards dashed through and Andrews shot a clever grubber into touch a few yards from Wanganui’s line. There was a scrum and a chance for the School backs if the hookers could get the ball. The'ball came and Gibbons made a fruitless dash into the forwards. EXTREMELY CLOSE CALL. Andrews, always toiling, flung himself out on the blind side and aimed at the corner. He was inches away when Ellis, with a fine tackle, threw him on to the corner flag. It was a close call.

In midfield Gibbons snapped up a hopeless pass-at full speed, kicked, and the School pack bore down on Ellis, who just saved. From a scrum five yards out the School hookers shot the ball cleanly to McLean, but Parkes went blindl-- on instead of passing, and Welsh cleared with a splendid kick. School were getting the ball and McLean was playimr a very handy game at half, but his backs had not yet dropped into their stride. From a /.ne-out Blythe kicked well up and put his team back in the centre of the ground, lhe game became more brisk, the boys more excited and the movements a little ragged at the e<l (| 'es. Welsh found the line with a fine kick in School’s twenty-live, but sixty seconds later the School forwards were back at half-way. . Welsh shepherded them back again with another long, effortless kick and Wanganui pressed close to School’s line. But their forwards broke too soon from a scrum and Gibbons cleared well from a penalty. School improved in precision. McLean fed his backs and Parkes neatly dummied one man but ran into the next a good piece of work ruined. Then all the School backs handled until Morris was pushed into touch. Things were going better now. Twice Blythe set his backs off, but they were unable to pierce and it was left to the forwards, led by McDonald and Bassett, to work through. Blythe encouraged his men again and the backs handled prettily for R. Mete Kingi to line well in School s twentyfive. , Wanganui were driven back by a tree ki k and from half-way the School backs swept downfield. Ekdahl thrust through the defence and passed to Morris, who was blocked, and Ellis cleared. The run was beenficial. It seemed to clear the channel from the half to the wings, and after it the ball went through much more easily. Wanganui tested White once or twice with deep kicks and the watchers were somewhat alarmed while he patiently coped with the bounces. School freshened and Andrews, speeding away in a forward- rush, shot the ball to Gibbons, who made a stab into a bunch of players on his own. Then Parkes and Morris worked the blind and Wanganui were sorely pressed. Gibbons tried”desperately hard again and there was a scrum five yards out. . School hooked cleanly and McLean passed to Parkes, who was caught in the pack. The School forwards crowded round and all at once Grieve and Short burst through, shoulder to shoulder, and Grieve flung himself on the ball rolling over the line. Gibbons converted and School had drawn first blood.

School ’ Wanganui 0 Heartened, School attacked strongly and twice Ellis had to save for Wanganui. The home forwards hooked and McLean emartly swung right round to set his backs moving. Parkes passed to Gibbons, who slipped through very fast and Ekdahl could not follow. School were given a free kick and a shot by Gibbons from far out just hit the post. The ball bounced infield and the School pack swooped down on it. Quickly the forwards scrummed and hooked to McLean. YVanganui were caught out of position. The School backs came up like a wave. One after another they drew their man and passed out 1 and ended with the cherished spare man over. Morris, the wing three-quarter, neatly capped the movement with a try, but in his excitement forgot to run. round behind the posts. Still, the whole movement was stamped with perfect tactics. School 8 Wanganui 0 Wanganui rushed play well upfield, from the kick off. In a serum Andrews threw the ball between his hookers to the half-back. Wanganui were given a free kick and Welsh had a shot but kicked the ball into Wynyard’s neck. R. Mete Kingi punted high, but Gibbons saved by lining. McLean got his backs away in a rapid, polished rush and Ekdahl bored through. There was a serum near Wanganui’s line and Audreys made a quick plunge but failed. Gibbons chased him at top speed, gathered in the ball and simply leapt over the line for a worthy try. His kick at goal failed, and half-time sounded soon afterwards with the score: — School 11 Wanganui 0 The School pack had been playing with wonderful vim just before halftime, but nobody expected them to score 35 seconds after the second spell had started. School kicked off and the forwards, led by Short, almost raced the ball to Wanganui’s twenty-five. They crowded down towards the corner, stumbled through the harassed defence, worked across field to the posts and heeled. Andrews, coming up fast, took McLean’s pass and flung himself over the line. Gibbons converted. School 16 Wanganui 0

The Wanganui team eame back and settled down to grim, hard work. In the scrums the forwards battled every inch of the way. The side-rankers, Coop and Luxford, came round time and again at high speed on to McLean. At last he shot the ball out and Gibbons kicked through the straight line of Wanganui backs. Ekdahl, following up hard, downed Warren in a trice, but the ball went out. The School forwards were playing a willing game, but the scrum had lost its balance and was bulging badly. School attacked but Gibbons was caught with the ball and Welsh relieved with a well-judged kick. Still the ball hung in the School scrum, and by the time it was away J. Mete Kingi had come up fast on to Parkes. McDonald was doing great work for Wanganui in the tight. FAULTS IN THE SCRUMS. More serums followed with the School ho .kers suspended in the air. Blythe and then Pargeter found the line in succession. Both packs were using every ounce of strength and J. Mete Kingi was doing solid defensive work. McLean fed his backs and Parkes cut swiftly through the Wanganui line till he had only Ellis to pass, but Ellis took h’m low. School flew off again and Ekdahl was hauled down near the line, Thompson clearing. Welsh puzzled the School defence and almost slipped through. Ekdahl grabbed the ball and punted high, giving the defence time to re-form. Gibbons kicked well upfield, but Ellis cleared in the teeth of a hot attack. The School line sped away until Ekdahl’s pass was intercepted and R. Mete Kingi cleared with a nice line kick.

Wanganui opened out, but Ekdahl dumped Pargeter solidly. Andrews broke through with a strong run, well backed up by Short. Andrews drew the last oi the defence and left a clear run in of 20 yards to the line. But Short forgot hie parallel lines and took the pass off-side. From a scrum Andrews came through and passed the wrong side to Snell, who was grimly dragged down by Pargeter. Welsh cleared with a good kick.’ The scrum was still unsatisiact-

ory, the hookers having a slight ence about fitting in their heads. _ Btythe passed out to his backs and Welshkickwell down, with .Warren afte the ball. There was a line-out m twenty-five, but Dickey came through with the ball at his toe and play was back near half-way. Play crept nearer the Wanganui line. There was a.serum with the Wanganui backs spread wide. Parkes got the ball and cut cleanly through. B Gibbons flashed up took the pas. and dived under the goal posts. He failed with an easy kick. 1 IQ School •* * * x 0 Wanganui • • After this try School never lost the upper hand. The heart was taken out of the Wanganui team at Last. The School backs threw the ball about fieely. Once Ekdahl, with astonishing persistence, came right through a wi o e bunch of players only to lose the ball. Gibbons tried a drop-kick which screwed outside the posts. Several School attache broke down until Andrews picked up near mid-field. Feinting to dropkick, he deceived the defence and passed out to his backs. Ekdahl ran hard and fast over a quarter of the field, finish ing with a brilliant seorein the corner. McLean failed with the kick and the game ended with the scores: School 22 Wanganui * Mr. G. Hooker refereed very well indeed.