BRILLIANT BACK PLAY

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1934, Page 10

BRILLIANT BACK PLAY

CANTERBURY MEN IN FORM NARROW DEFEAT OF WAIRARAPA. FINEST RUGBY GAME OF SEASON. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The most brilliant football of the season was seen at Lancaster Park yesterday when Canterbury beat Wairarapa by 28 points to 23. The Wairarapa forwards had the advantage of weight in the scrums and some were dangerous in the loose, but the Canterbury men packed tighter and took their fair share of the ball in the scrums. Tire Wairarapa backs played some clever football, but they were definitely shaded by the Canterbury backs, who gave a remarkable exhibition of good attacking tactics, fast running and clean handling.. Mortlock, Oliver and Hart were playing at the peak of their form. The visitors had the sun in their eyes for the first spell but had a light easterly breeze behind them. In the first minute of play Manchester courted disaster by throwing a long, ill-directed pass infield, and- the Wairarapa forwards bustled Mortlock. The Canterbury forwards got round to save, but before the game had been going 20 seconds Canterbury was penalised under the goal and Hemi goaled easily. Canterbury, however, soon wiped off the deficit when Rankin scored a try which was not converted. Canterbury held the advantage for the rest of the spell. Two tries were scored by Hart, both presented to him by Mortlock, and Nolan converted both. In addition he kicked two penalty goals. For Wairarapa, Hemi kicked two penalty goals and Fluety scored a try which was not converted. Half-time came with the score: Canterbury 19, Wairarapa 9. In the second half Hart, Sweeney and Oliver- scored tries, which were not converted, for Canterbury, while Devine scored two tries, one of which Hem; converted, and Hemi kicked two penalty goals for Wairarapa. Canterbury 28 Wairarapa 23

OTAGO BEATS WELLINGTON NARROW WIN ON MUDDY GROUND. WELLINGTON BACKS’ GREAT RALLY Dunedin, Last Night. ■ Otago added another to its list of interprovincial Rugby successes this season when it defeated the Wellington touring team at Carisbrook on Saturday by 6 points to 5. The game was played in heavy rain, and the ground was a quagmire in parts which, with the greasy ball, made open play difficult: The mateh developed into a forward struggle in the rain and mud. In the last two minutes it looked as if Wellington was going to repeat its previous performance and snatch the game out of the fire with a last minute try, but an excellent save by Silver relieved Otago from an exceedingly tight corner. With the second spell well advanced Otago seemed to have completely dominated the visitors, but Wellington sprang a surprise, and by dint of good back movements and passing, which was brilliant in the circumstances, more than held its own. Several tries were narrowly averted by Otago, which had -to defend vigorously much of the latter half of the second spell.

The Otago forwards used their weight to better advantage than did Wellington and enjoyed an almost complete monopoly of the ball. The greasy, ball and ground nullified most of their efforts, however. The Wellington backs showed surprising pace and combination in the dying stages of the match, but Otago still deserved its narrow win.

The first try came when Arnold, after receiving from Simon, dived across to score. Silver failed to convert, but retrieved his failure when, just before half-time, he kicked a fine penalty goal.

Lilburne made Wellington’s only try when he raced upfield, short punted and gave McNeill a chance to streak to the ball just as it crossed the line to score a good try. Fuller’s kick at goal was a great effort. Here, Gibson, Parkhill and Niven were the best of the Otago forwards, while Simon and Dunne were the most prominent backs. Simon played a game “out of the box” behind the scrum, and with Silver, the full-back, probably saved the match for Otago. Sadler, the Wellington half, gave an excellent display in the latter stages, at the finish outshining Simon. Had the Wellington backs shown the same combination earlier in the game the result would have been very much different. Creswell was not too certain at full-back, but Lilburne, Langdon and Upchurch gave good accounts of themselves. Fuller made some spectacular dashes but did not get anywhere, and near the end of the game he threw away a certain try through kicking when there was only the fullback to pass, instead of passing to a man who was backing him up. Play was very exciting in the last ten minutes, and twice Wellington looked like getting across. The backs threw the ball about in great style and the home forwards were unable to hold the visiting pack. Otago 6 Wellington 5 MARLBOROUGH PLAYS WELL WIN IN SEDDON SHIELD GAME. NELSON FIFTEEN OUTCLASSED. Blenheim, Last Night. In summery heat before a record crowd on Saturday Marlborough retained the Seddon Shield, decisively defeating Nelson 17-10. Played at a fast clip throughout, the game was marked by torrid forward exchanges, relieved with thrilling passages of sparkling back play. Reproducing the form which enabled it to lift the trophy from West Coast, Marlborough was definitely a superior team, playing first-class Rugby with excellent combination both in the forwards and in the backs. Despite the inclusion of the All Black, Max, the Nelson were outplayed in the loose, though they had a full share of the ball in the scrums and line-outs. Lane's anticipation at first five-eighths repeatedly smothered the Nelson backs, who did not handle as well as the Marlborough combination. Few Nelson passing bouts reached the wingers because of Watson’s chronic failure to accept passes.

Marlborough established a lead early and maintained the advantage in points all through, crowding on the pace towards the end to clinch the victory. In the first spell Mcßryde and Patchett scored tries, Lane converting one and kicking a penalty goal for Marlborough. D. Max scored a try and Newman kicked a penalty goal for Nelson. J, Macdonald added a further try and Diack kicked a penalty goal for the winners in the second spell, Kotua responding with a field goal for Nelson. O'Sullivan, Lane and Bartlett were the best-Marlborough backs and Lovell and

Moßryde the outstanding forwards. Mellish was the only conspicuous Nelson back and Fleet, Drummond and Thompson the leading forwards. WELLINGTON BEATS WANGANUI. WINNING TEAM MAINLY COLTS. Wellington, Last Night. A Wellington representative Rugby fifteen comprised largely of members of the colts’ touring team defeated Wanganui at Athletic Park on Saturday by 18 points to 8. The game did not provide anything in the nature of outstanding football and Wellington was not a ten points better team than the visitors. ... The Wanganui forwards gave _ their team better service, than the Wellington forwards did for their fifteen, but the visitors lacked finish. Tire game produced much back play but a good deal of it was marred by poor handling. Wanganui led at the interval by. 8 points to 5. Scorers of tries for Wellington were Hudson, Baldwin, Lamason and Abrim. Lamason converted one and Crisp kicked a field goal. For Wanganui Lockett scored a try which Walker converted, and kicked a penalty goal. SOUTH CANTERBURY’S CLOSE WIN. ASHBURTON LOSES FAST GAME. Ashburton, Last Night. South Canterbury beat Ashburton by 19 points to 17 yesterday in a fast game. At half-time South Canterbury led 13-11. Tries by Morrison and Gaffaney, converted by King, and a penalty goal by Gaffaney were scored for the visitors. Ashburton scorers were Cates and Pablecheque (tries), Behrnes (a conversion) and Betteridge a penalty goal. In the second half Pablecheque and Dalton scored tries for ■ Ashburton and Trotter 1 and King for South Canterbury. AUCKLAND B WINS WELL. Auckland, Last Night. Auckland B 22 beat South Auckland 12 in a representative match here yesterday;