SCHOOL SNATCHES WIN

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1932, Page 11

SCHOOL SNATCHES WIN

WANGANUI COLLEGE GAME MARGIN OF ONE POINT IN SCORES. PROMISING MATCH ENDS BADLY. GAME PLAYED AT PUKEKURA PARK The first fifteen of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School snatched a rather lucky win by 7 points to (5 in their annual match against Wanganui Collegiate School at Pukekura Park yesterday. School scored a penalty goal and a field goal and Wanganui College scored two tries; The last try of the Wanganui beam was scored almost on the call of time. , If they had converted it they would have won instead of lost the game by a point. The game began in a promising way. The School forwards more than matched the heavy Wanganui pack in vigour in the early stages, and several of the School passing rushes in the backs had a good finish about them. In addition the School, backs opened the game with a pleasant variety of movements, working the'blind, spreading out, in passing rushes on the open and using the short punt With good, judgment. Unhappily the 'bloom soon wore off School’s game and the match settled down early to the dead level of mediocrity. Now and again there were patches of play which lent colour to the game. Once the whole line of Wanganui backs swept away in a perfect run until the wing was toppled over by a flying tackle in the corner. Both of School’s scores came from excellent kicking, the first being a penalty goal from far out and the second a snapshot field goal from in the thick of play. _ Finally Wanganui won honour by their grim struggle on School’s line for the last score. “

Apart from these, however, there were few of the flowers of Rugby tfiat usually blossom when School plays a rival secondary school. There was no doubt Wanganui had a strong, steady set of forwards, but they did not handle the bell well. Their backs had pace 'but had the same fault as the forwards. The School forwards had more vigour than in the Hamilton match and the •breakaways were constantly upsetting the Wanganui five-eighths, but when one or two had opened the way the rest were too far behind to carry on and clinch the opening. After the first promising movements the School backs went yapidly downhill, and in the second half the ball rarely went further than the five-eighths. The beams lined out as follows: WANGANUI COLLEGE. Rutledge Harvie Knight • barley Harding Dean Tennent Williams Payton Heenan. Gibbons Swainson Irvine Coleman (capt.) White SCHOOL. Blackley Nilsson Ekdahl Campbell Rotts ■ Carroll Meredith ■ r Birch (capt.) Kipling Elmes Purser Simpson Frethey Rogers Thomson From: the kick off Wanganui gained ground, to. School’s twenty-five. Twice Meredith drove them ‘back with shrewd kicks. Wanganui had a solid pack and held School tightly. Then play opened up and the School backs went off in a run that seemed to promise good things later in the match. The School forwards set off in a fine dash, Purser and, Keeling bustling through to the full-back. School were making the game brisk. Thwarted on the open the backs went round the blind and Campbell felled a tackler with a hearty fend. The backs and forwards used the short punt and the follow through and Rutledge came through some trying periods well. For the first time the Wanganui backs went away and Dean gained useful ground. From a scrum Meredith slipped round the blind side, cut in and held on too long. The School forwards, led by Keeling, chased the ball on to Wanganui’s line, but the attack broke down. In a flashing run Harding and z Dean went through the School defence but lost the ball. Meredith helped 'School with timely kicks, and once Nilsson followed up fast and almost caught the full-back with the ball.

The Wanganui forwards began to give School a taste of their mettle and swept down to School’s twenty-five in a fast rush; bowling over the defenders. There was a scrum on School’s line, a clean hook and Harding slid through a slender opening to score a clever try. Williams just missed with the goal from far out.

‘Wanganui 3 School 0 Playing with fresh vigour, Wanganui swept down both flanks in turn. Farley made a fast dash down the left wing and a moment later if Harvie had 'been able to pick up the rolling ball he would have scored on the right wing. The School forwards pressed and Wanganui were penalised outside their twenty-five, but Meredith’s kick fell short. A moment later Wanganui were penalised again and from midway between the twenty-five and half-way Meredith kicked a fine goal. Wanganui ...1 3 School . 3 With the scores even play became keen. Tennent tried to open up the game but Birch was launching himself straight at the five-eighths and the School forwards were carrying on. Several times the School backs had chances but they lost them through holding too long' to the ball. Then just outside the twenty-five the ball camo back to Potts, who swung smartly round, lifted his foot and drop-kicked a fine field goal. The bell rang immediately afterwards for half time with the score; School ? Wanganui 3 School kicked off deep down towards Wanganui’s goal-line and Rutledge lined at the twenty-five. Bad passing by the School backs let Wanganui through and soon afterwards Coleman ran through the School defence but threw forward at the critical moment. The Wanganui five-eighths looked dangerous until Birch intercepted and kicked for the line. Tennent was keeping his men moving and sometimes slipping through well on his own. He set his backs off and the line handled perfectly. Farley ran round his man and ran hand for the corner but Blackley came across and took him with a flying tackle. School were penalised in the corner but the kick by Williams failed. With the ball at his tog Potts led a rush through the Wanganui backs, but the visiting forwards came round quickly and stemmed the rush. The School backs were not handling weU and the ball rarely went past Potts. There was a, brighter moment when Purser came through the scrum alone and went down

to the full-back with Birch. Once again Birch and Elmes went down the field in a bustling dribbling rush. Wanganui were penalised and Meredith just missed with a long kick at goal. Play hung in midfield, with the' teams making short lengths of ground by forward rushes. Once Birch and Keeling went through in a hard rush but Rutledge went down well. The Wanganui backs turned the tables on School and Harvie made a fast run down the line. Only four points behind, Wanganui pressed hard on School’s line, straining every nerve to score. Time and again they flung themselves in to the line and at last almost all the forwards went over, Irvine being awarded the try. The kick by Williams missed, making the final score: School 7 Wanganui 6 Mr. ft Qernhcefer yefereeda ,