COLLEGE RUGBY TOURNEY

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1931, Page 10

COLLEGE RUGBY TOURNEY

REVIVAL IN FORWARD PLAY.

SOME OUTSTANDING BACKS SEEN

(By “Old Collegian.”)

Including as it does four of the greatest. Rugby schools of New Zealand. Wellington, Christ’s, Wanganui and Nelson, which, by the way, is probably a distinction no other event can claim, the inter-collegiate tournament, held this year at Wanganui, always has its interest, even for those who are not directly connected with the schools. The outstanding impression carried away from this year’s tournament was that the revival of forward play has indeed set in.

It was said in some quarters that the standard of football was not particularly high. That is’ true only in part. There was -some very fine forward play and three or. four really promising backs could be noticed. Perhaps the feature of the whole four matches was that the’ forwards could play well, among themselves, but never hesitated to open it up to their backs, so that there was plenty of open football to set off the hard vanguard battles. The backs did, however, fail in straight running.

Wellington won convincingly, not because their players were so much better, but because they had what one expects in a school fifteen, admirable team-work, and beyond that just a little more dash than their. opponents. They put down a fine ccrum, which worked hard from whistle to whistle, and were tigers in the loose. O’Loughlin, the wing-forward, made a rattling leader in the open work ..s well as doing some excellent goal-kicking. The backs were very steady but Sadler was one with big possibilities. As elusive as an eel, he made some very telling runs, notaibly in the final when he went right through the Wanganui team. J S. Watt is a good wing three-quarter with a good swerve and plenty of pace and determination.

If Wellington were definitely the best of the four teams, even if only by a small margin, there was very little difference between the other three. Nelson, however, had the best record and much of that could be attributed to the play of the outstanding boy at the tournament, Richards. On the first day he played full-back and did much to prevent Wellington from scoring. Cool and resourceful, he displayed plenty of initiative. Against Christ’s he went into the five-eighths line, where he gave another very sound display, his attacking powers being almost on a par with his solid defence. He was the most consistent back of the event.

In Cover and Bunny Wanganui had a dangerous pair of five-eighths, but they were rather erratic. Both showed powers of penetratior not noticeable in the other ’backs, but they too often fumbled passes. One thing that they illustrated clearly was that a pass infield, especially the scissors movement, is a far more effective method than cutting in after receiving the ball. J. H. Coleman, the centre three-quarter, was also a useful type of back. The Wanganui forwards were quite fair, although not as effective as the other j acks.

Christ's fielded their -usual type of forward and their pack was probably quite as good as Wellington’s. Smith was outstanding, working hard and displaying a good turn of speed and good hands, but the whole lot were; very even. The backs were not high-class, all the insides running across field tod much or else getting lost in the forwards. Gresson on the win" was very fast but lacked determination. Monteath at most tournaments would be considered a really good full-back, but lie was overshadowed by Richards, A deadly tackler, Monteath was a thought too deliberate. One trick he exploited with success was when he could not quite reach a ball on the full. In such cases he would take the ball. on his boot, showing judgment equal to a Soccer player’s. As usual the tournament was an opportunity for a reunion of old boys. Golf matches and a football game were enjoyable means of bringing old boys of the various schools together. In the football match Wanganui old boys field a strong side and were greatly superior to a combined team of the other old boys.' J. T. Shaw, a master at Wanganui, played for the home team _and W. A. Alexander, a master at Nelson, for the rest. 'Both were members of the New Plymouth High School XV in 1923.