OLD BOYS WIN

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1930, Page 4

OLD BOYS WIN

NEW RUGBY CHAMPIONS HAWERA DEFEATED 15 TO NIL SUPERIORITY IN THE BACKS CAPTAINS ORDERED OFT’ Too fleet and clever for their opponents in the backs, Old Boys annexed the senior Rugby championship of Taranaki yesterday,and with it the McMasters Shield, by defeating Hawera by 15 points to nil. The game was played at Stratford in fine weather, before an attendance of about 2000. Before the game Critics wefo Universally of the opinion that wild have a 1 definite superiority.lnutile backs and Hawera‘a"similar advantage' in the forwards. For.the first quarter of anhour this opinion was borne out, and the verdict might have been in anybody’s favour. But whereas the back'superiority of Old Boys persisted, Hawera’s forward advantage diminished,' until at frequent stages- of the game' Old Boys’ pack, led magnificently by Drader, set the pace. Statistics of the match shew that of a total of 43 set scrums Hawera won 18- to Old Boys’' 12, : and 13 were indecisive, while out •of 66 line-outs Hawera won 31 and ,Old, Boys only .11, with 24 indecisive., This, combined with the fact that for the greater part of the second spell Hawera maintained a territorial advantage, shows that the southern .pack ..maintained jts repnta- ■ tion. 'lfeveijtriei.ess,, the fact remains that the Old Boys forwards played a splendid game —better even than .-. expected, and virtually won the match for i their team by giving their backs the possession that spelt victory. PRIAR’S DAY OF BRILLIANCJE. In a match that will go down as one of the most spectacular and interesting shield finals in the history of the competition one player stood out head and shoulders above the rest as a brilliant soloist. He' was Priar, the Old Boys’ full-back, whose powerful and uncannily accurate line-kicking, clever extrication from difficulty and impenetrable defences earned "y universal • admiration. ; very good game, frequently kicking with'great judgment and power into'Touch from the centre of the field, but hg\played in the shadow of his brilliant vis.-a-vis. Of the other Old Boys backs it can be said that they were universally too fa'&t and clever for their opponents. Probably through being out of the game so long, Mason, who replayed Olson at half-back, was not up to standard in the early'stages, but he rapidly improved, and quite apart from one brilliant solo run he x proceeded to feed his backs with machinerlike precision. Unsteady at first, Mace'soon settled down, and finally amazed the crowd with a surprising field goal from the ruck. Galbraith and Brown made mistakes, but made or marred the scoring movements, and a lightning scissors cutin by Brpwn in a passing rush, had Galbraith passed a- little sooner, would have resulted Ju one of the most spectacular tries imaginable. The two wings had only to be fed to provide the spectators with a thrill. K. Fookes had most of the work and was never found wanting. Hawera had a good three-quarter line, but the inside backs were comparatively weak,, and on such occasions as they did essay a rearguard attack inaccurate passing let them down. An improvement was effected late in the second spell when Hunter was played at first five-eighths in place of Cameron, but it was too late, and even then Hawera did not seize tl;e only chance of victory—play Old Boys at their own game, make the match open, and feed Their speedy wings. At wing.-forward .K. Riley was outclassed by -8. Fookes, who played a magnificent game.

A sensation was caused about 10 minutes before half-time/ when the two captains, H; W. Brown and W. Robinson, were ordered off for fighting. The play up to that, stage had shown a distinct tendency to become rough, but the. in; eidentAad a salutary effect. Exercising his discretion, the referee brought the two players on again after the interval, to everyone’s satisfaction, and a good spirit prevailed for the remainder of the game. Robinson gave an outstanding display in the Hawera pack, and it was unfortunate that he subsequently had to leave the field with an injury to his shoulder. The teams were:—

Old Bdys:-—Priar; Medley, Brown, K. Fookes; Galbraith, Mace; Mason; S. Fookes; Beck, Slyfield, Perry, Luxton, Drader, Crawford,. Clark.

Hawera. —Cheevers; Crotty, Hunter, Ekdahl; Hammond, ‘Cameron; S. . F. Riley; K. Riley; L. Robinson, Malcolm, Williams, E. Murphy, B. Murphy, W. Robinson, Gibson. SPECTACULAR LINE-KICKING. Old Boys lost the toso and kicked off from the eastern end. There was no advantage in either wind or sun. Galbraith immediately gave Old' Boys a territorial advantage with a splendid line kick, and Mason sent his backs away, but Brown’s kick for the corner went into goal. - Priar and Galbraith earned applause for splendid line kicking. Old Boys off-eide gave Cheevers a chance to find the line well down, end five minutes after the start Hawera forwards were on the attack for the first time. Again Priar reversed the fortune with an accurate kick to touch, but Hawera forwards, hard on the ball all the time, bustled their opponents back to che other end. Hawera. were getting the ball from both scrum and line-out, but the Old Boys were all out to make the game open, and kicked and passed infield on every possible occasion, even within their own twenty-five. Mace failed to take a catch in the face of the • opposing forwards, but Priar dived m and, wriggling through to the open, dashed away solo to effect a brilliant recovery half the length of the field. He was playing a wonderful game, saving his team time and again. Indeed, ;for a time it might almost be said ,that-he was the whole team. Mason missed the ball badly from the ■senlm and Medley kicked desperately into the close ruck, an Old Boys for.ward getting off-side. K. Riley could not goal, however, from fairly well out, and Prior saved with a long line kick. FIRST BLOOD TO OLD BOYS. In a set scrum the Hawera forwards were penalised in a dangerous position, but Crawford’s kick was fairly well wide. Suddenly from the loose Masnn

whipped the ball out to Mace, who cut in;: transferred: to-Brown, thence -to Medley with an awkward, overhead push pass) Ekdahl badly missed Medley and the fast winger brushed off the. fast oncoming Chcevers to draw first blood for Old Boys with a score in the corner. It was hardly a pretty try, |but under the circumstances it was a clever one. Crawford’s kick was just wide.'

Old Boys gained half the field with an exhilarating dribbling rush in which all the forwards and half the backs participated, and the backs topped off the movement with a dashing run in which they were hauled down near the goal line. Mason made a bad mistake by punting over the goal line, and in a race and scramble for the ball Hawera just forced in time.

Down to the other end of the field surged the play, and the Ohl Boys were penalised, but K. Riley’s kick was well' astray. Brown nicked up, but failed to find the line and the Old’Boys were in immediate danger, but in a trice the Old.-Boys’ forwards broke through and, headed by Drader with three others in close attendance, they made half the length of the field. Out came the ball to the backs, but Brown knocked on. Typpkhlg way irresistibly downfield Old. Boys’ forwards ' struggled for .possession iii the' corner and 'K.'Fbo'kcs in the twinkling of an'"eye cross-kicked high to the centre. It was touch and go° who should get the ball first. Hawera won and broke dangerously away, but Priar again saved. TWO CAPTAINS ORDERED OFF. In the height of the excitement of a loose scrum the referee’s whistle sounded and Brown and.W. Robinson, the. two captains, were seen to leave the field. The referee subsequently explained that they were ordered off for fighting one another when lyinw on the ground? The crowd was thunderstruck with the turn events had taken, as ? mpfit of the'people had not seen the cident, and alternately cheered and hooted. The Old Boys’ forwards tore into the 'fray with renewed energy and momentarily took i command, bursting through to the goal line, where Hawera just forced in time. Caught in a dilemma, K. Fookes had a resultless pot at goal, and for the remaining five minutes of the spell Old Boys held the upper hand. A penetrating movement terminated when K. Fookes and S. Fookes in combination almost scored. One of them touched down over the line, but was recalled for a knock-on, and the whistle sounded with the score: Old Boys 3 Hawera ................. 0 TWO CAPTAINS RESUME. After the interval, to everyone’s immense satisfaction, the two captains reappeared, shook hands with the referee and with themselves, and took the field again. Old Boys .immediately attacked with a sweeping back movement. Medley received on the wing to leave the field standing with a great burst of speed, but met his Waterloo at Checkers. , Mason provided the next thrill when- he sidled round the blind side of the scrum and beat everybody, nearly scoring himself before being pulled down almost on the line after he had run quarter of the length of the field. K. Fookes was'outside hi’m and might have scored had he received a pass m time, but Mason’s effort was a splendid one for 'all that 4 Old Boys were getting the ball’ more frequently to the backs now. The next points came from a brilliant movement. From a line-out Medley suddenly threw the ball wide out to the waiting 8. Fookes.? Fookes immediately fed his backs and with delightful speed and precision they burnt the grass under their feet. Galbraith cut in like lightning to send Brown on a powerful run, and at the right moment K. Fookes received to dash over in the corner. Crawford’s kick hit the post and bounced infield.

CROTTY’S SPLENDID SAVE. Within a few momenta Old Boys were at it again and K. Fookes received on the wing to make a spectacular bid. for the line, bot he was hauled down within a foot of his objective by Crotty, who had come across fast .from the other wing to make a . brilliant sa\e.From a scrum-, in the corner K, Fookes received on the line to- pans suddenly back across the scrunl infield to : Mace; and from the midst of a turbulent ruck the latter quickly potted a great goal from neai the side line. Hawera took a turn, Cheevers putting hie side on the attack with some splendid line kicking. One magnificent kick went into touch at the corner flag, and for a period Hawera launched attack after attack on the Old Boys’ line, but grim defending managed to keep them out. Finally Old Boys’ forwards staged a magnificent rally. Headed by Slyfield they swept downfield and were nearly away when a knock-on brought them up. Hunter was not getting much chance to show up on attack but was playing a fine defensive game, and was tackling indefatigably, as well as taking some great marks in the face of opposing rushes. A CLEVER MOVEMENT. . Soon the Ohl Boys were.away again. Medley receiving and seeming almost get for a score when W. Robinson appeared from nowhere, showing a remarkable turn of speed, and tackled him from behind. It was but the prelude, however, to another try-crowned movement. The ball travelled sweetly through all the' 3 -backs to K. Fookes, each man drawing his opponent perfectly, and all Fookes - had to do was to dash over for a spectacular try. Crawford converted. Beck (Old Boys) was injured and was replaced by Frethey. Then W. Robinson, the Hawera captain, was injured, Clements replacing him. With Old Boys 15 points ahead and the result practically a foregone conclusion the dying stages of the game lacked the previous excitement. Both teams were tiring, but the Old Boys pack was lasting the distance better than its opponents. In the last ten minutes Hawera hammered away at its opponents’ line but without avail, and the game ended with the score: — Old Boys : . Hawera -0 • ■’ Mr. 11. C. Johnson refereed. AUCKLAND TROUNCES BUSH. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Pahiatua; Last Night. - • The- -’Auckland - touring Rugby- team defeated Bush by 27 points to 7 to-day in a fast game. Conditions were ideal and the attendance was large. Bush offered stout resistance although unable to field its best side owing to the lateness of the season. Auckland was

superior in all departments. The Busit forwards, however, put up a solid front. The visiting backs were too speedy. The score at half*tiine was . 1.6 to 4. Mahoney played.- with a .broken nose in the second half.