WIN AGAINST SOUTHLAND

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20511, 1 September 1936, Page 8

WIN AGAINST SOUTHLAND

TEN POINTS IN GOOD TIME SOUTHERN COMMENT “For the second time this season the Southland Rugby representatives have been defeated at Rugby Park,” says the “Southland Times.” “On Saturday afternoon the Maroons failed to reproduce the form which won them so many encominums in their game with Canterbury during the week, and in a patchy game lost to South Canterbury by 10 points to eight. Each side scored two tries. "The game was won and lost in the first ten minutes of the second spell when South Canterbury, showing a marked improvement on its form of the first spell, fairly bustled the Southland team and rang on 10 points while the Maroons looked on. Southland had scored two tries (one converted) in the first spell while playing against the wind, and it was generally conceded that It would outplay the visitors in the second spell. There was reason for this presumption. Southland had won the majority of the exchanges m the first half, and had the backs and forwards capitalised the many opportunities presented to them, they must have taken a greater lead than eight points. Twice C. Milne literally threw away tries on the grandstand wing; a dive at the end of one run must have brought results, while a pass infield to J. Purdue on another occasion would have left the Southland half back with an unmarked line at his mercy. Then there were the two occasions when forwards (W. Parker and C. George) had only to take the ball cleanly to go over at he posts. Caught “On the Hop” “It was South Canterbury, however, which did the outplaying of the opposition; It faced the wind and the eight points’ deficit with a verve which was refreshing, and Southland was ‘caught on the hop.’ The first try of the visitors was the culmination of a persistent attack for fully five minutes in which the defence of the Maroons was made to look very ordinary. The Green forwards and backs combined m some dashing work which more or less overwhelmed Southland, and when Lundy (five-eighth) came in at the end of the rush to receive and race over behind the posts the Maroon backs were routed. There followed a ‘gift’ try to the visitors. The play which led up to it was worthy of reward but the try would not have been scored had C. George fallen on the ball instead of gathering it in his hands to force down. The Invercafgill forward was surprised by Wright (South Canterbury half back) who raced up and coolly took the ball out of George’s hands and touched down behind the posts! “There was little between the sides. Southland penalised itself in many ways and really deserved to lose. On the other hand the South Canterbury backs infused a lot of dash into their play and at least tried something even if they were not proficient in handling. Had the five-eighths displayed any accuracy at all in the first spell it is probable that the visitors would have won by a bigger margin. At the same time there was no comparison between the two sets of backs; neither was up to representative standard, but South Canterbury’s combination showed up as markedly superior to that of Southland’s.

Owing to indisposition R. Sharpe (centre) did not play and his place was taken by M. Hamilton. A. Sutherland was shifted from the wing to second five-eighth and L. M. Uttley took the vacant position on the left wing. The introduction of Uttley to the side gave it much-needed pace, and it was a pity that he was not made more use of in the second spell when the inside backs were shaping so poorly. Uttley had a strong winger to mark in E. Ryan, but he performed with credit, and in the first spell scored a spectacular try. The only weakness in his play was his Inability to bring Ryan down on one or two runs, though each time he broke the run.

Comment on Players

“G. Gaffaney was the better of the two full backs. He was playing in a position practically new to him but filled it with credit, and could be said to have played a prominent part in his team’s victory. He saved a certain try when he bundled Milne into touch in the first spell, and in the last five minutes of the game cut in on a Southland movement which looked like giving the Maroons a win. Wesney was not sound, although he put in some good work and tackled well. He fumbled too often to give solidity to the side.

Ryan and Uttley were the best of the three-quarters. Ryan impressed much more than Morrison, who did not shape like an All Black wing threequarter in the making at all. Ryan’s type is preferred. A. Gaffaney and M. Hamilton (the centres) put in good work, although the latter was inclined to hold on to the ball over much. The five-eighths on either side were fair, with honours to the South Canterbury pair because of their greater resource. Lundy was always dangerous, and when King replaced Cartwright in the second spell there was an improvement in the combination. J. Purdue, Southland half back, was the best back on the ground. He was always eager to open up the play, but much of his work was spoiled by the men outside him. The forwards had a good battle. It was strange that more use was not made of the Southland pack. It was clear early in the game that the Maroon backs could not make good use of the ball, and the game then was to have kept the ball close. Purdue tried this method of attack late in the game, but too often chances were thrown away by opening up the play. The distribution of the spoils of ball possession was about even, although at one period of the second spell the South Canterbury pack got the ball twice to Southland's once.

“ There might not have been the same vigour about the play of the Southland forwards as there was in the Canterbury game, but this was because the South Canterbury pack was equal to it. Adkins, the All Black forward, made a good leader. On the Southland side R. Ward played one of his

best games, and in line-out play stood head and shoulder above the rest of the forwards.

“An exciting finish to the game provided the fair crowd of spectators with a final thrill. Southland made desperate efforts to pull the game out of the fire, and when two or three scrums were put down on South Canterbury’s line after the bell had gone It looked as if the Maroons might get home. They just failed."