RUGBY SKINNER CUP TO TEMUKA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23289, 27 August 1945, Page 6

RUGBY SKINNER CUP TO TEMUKA

Old Boys Runners-up Star Beat Celtic Temuka won the South Canterbury Rugby Union's senior competition and the Skinner Cup on Saturday when they beat Zingari by 9 points to nil. Old Boys beat Southern-Huimai by 9 points to nil to become runners-up. Celtic dropped out of the picture when they went under to Star by 8 points to nil. Geraldine and Makikihi played a drawn game 3-all. Final points in the competition were: Temuka 19, Old Boys 17, Celtic 16, Makikihi 15, Star 12, Geraldine and Zingari 11 each and Southern-Huimai 9. Star and Geraldine both played 13 games during the season, while the other teams played 14. The contestants for the Beri Cup will be Temuka and Old Boys, while Temuka and Makikihi will play for the Allan Memorial Cup. The Harris Cup knock-out competition will begin next week.

OLD BOYS WIN AGAIN The Caledonian ground was firm and dr.v for the game between Old Boys and Southern-Huimai, when Old Boys won by 9 points to nil. The country team’s backs were not up to the standard of their opponents and although their defence was excellent they showed no initiative on attack.

On the day s play Old Boys should have run up at least 25 points as their light forward pack was hooking the ball cleanly and Gould gave the backs a feast of the ball from the base of the scrum. Too often the Blue backs were standing still when they received the leather, or an excellent scoring movement would break down through a wild pass at the crucial moment. Behind the Old Boys scrum Gould played excellent Rugby. His passing was swift and accurate and he varied his game nicely, cutting through the opposition five-eighths and selling the dummy to make some brilliant openings for Parsons and Cameron, who were playing outside him. The Southern-Huimai backs Played a solid defensive game and were never afraid to go down on the ball, but on attack they lacked combination and any ground gained was through purely individual effort. The country team's half-back threw out dive passes in the approved style, but they were never accurate and by the time he had gathered in the ball and taken off into the air the opposing backs were up on the Southern-Huimai five-eighths. The star player for the country team was Meynell, full-back. Usually playing in the five-eighths position, he filled the position of full-back admirably, and his kicking, rush stopping and handling of the ball saved his side time without number. Wills, a flyer on the Old Boys wing set sail for the line on one occasion with plenty of room in which to move, but Meynell appeared out of the blue to catch him and toss him into touch. The star forward on the ground was P. Riley, who was playing in the front row for Old Bovs. Stockily built, Riley shone in the 'loose dribbling rushes, did his share of the tight play and showed a surprising burst of speed on several occasions when backing up passing' rushes. He was ably supported in the loose bv Campbell and Howey. The latter is a young third grade player recently promoted to senior, and although playing in the forwards showed enough speed on Saturday to make a fast inside back. Myers, Kilworth and Morton were the pick of the Southern-Huimai forwards in the loose, although ail eight men toiled hard. The only trouble with the fast breaking country forwards was their overeagerness, and time and again they were offside, and often Gould, the Old Boys half, and Myers, the country team’s breakaway forward, were around the Old Boys side of the scrum together waiting for the ball to come out. In the first half all the Old Boys backs handled within SouthernHuimai’s 25. Th' the forwards took a hand and Riley eapned off the movement by diving over near the corner. Foi- the remainder of the spell Old Bovs held a territorial advantage, and both backs and forwards staged some bright movements which were spoiled by lack of finish. They could do no better after the interval, although Gould and Parsons made some nice openings before passing to Cameron who was drawing his man well to give the threequarters plenty of room to run. but wild passing and solid tackling broke up the movements. Gould came

! around the blind side of the scrum, passed to Campbell, to Riley, and the last named clapped on the pace and shot over the line to score. Ten minutes before time Gould snapped up the ball in the loose, sold the dummy to three country players, cut through brilliantly, passed to Howey, who raced along the touch line outpaced several Southern-Huimai backs and touched down, to make the final score 9-0. The referee was Mr L. K. Murray. A POOR DISPLAY In a game which ended in a draw, Makikihi and Geraldine staged the worst display of Rugby seen at Waimate this season. An unconverted try was secured by each side, and the score mav be taken as a fair indication of the* standard ol play. The ground was in splendid order, but with nothing dependent on the result the majority of the players appeared to adopt a lackadaisical altitude. i The Geraldine side showed more enterprise than the local team. 3arI low was the outstanding player in the Makikihi team, and frequently came from the full-back position to add another link to the oack line. ' he handling of die Makikihi backs was. to say the least, bad. Hobbs played a good game and Martin, who cm through, crossed over in creditable style to score Makikihi’s solitary try. Geraldine’s score was secured also in the first spell. One of the low bright patches of the day came when the Geraldine backs initiated a passing rush, which culminated in Robinson crossing over. Hobbs wa.s outstanding among the Geraldine forwards, while McKenzie, Goodall and Gibson were prominent at various stages. A feature of the game was the frequency of the warnings given by the referee <Mr I) Mackavi; and the uninteresting nature of the play <. sod a number of spectators to leave at the end of the first spell. A few players on either side showed an inclination to play the man. and the game became particularly rough in the last 10 minutes. BULLER BEATS (OAST < N.Z.P.A.» WESTPORT. August 26. Buller beat West ('oast in a match ; played in somewhat of a holiday spirit ' by 14 points to 8. The game was never thrilling and the forwards showed a decided reluctance to play tight footi ball. For Buller. T McMan is (2). T Anderson and O Smallholme scored tries, S. Anderson convert hr* one. J i Hurren scored lor (.'oast. J Lindbom | converting and kicking a prnnllx goal.

TEMUKA WIN Although Zingari held a territorial I advantage for most of the game on No. I 1 ground at Fraser Park, Temuka won . by 9 points to ml because they ex- | ploited a weakness in tackling in the I opposing rearguard.

The Zingari forwards packed solidly ■ in the tight and won a preponderance | of the bail from set scrums. The backs j were ineffective and could not capitalise the strength of their pack. High I tackling and a disposition to intercept allowed the Temuka rearguard plently of latitude, and L. Goodson in particular, was not slow to size up the position. Time and again he fooled the opposition with a series of dummies and at least two scores came from these tactics. Had the Zingari inside backs tackled low it is doubtful if Temuaa would have scored. D. Fraser played centre in the first half for the losers, but he was not a success. His penchant for intercepting allowed E. Leary to score the first try. In the pack in the second half he played a useful game. L. Hanson was the most conspicuous forward for Zingari, and R. Smith, until he went off injured late in the second spell, played a solid game. For Temuka, L. Goodman, although not as nimble as formerly, was a tower of strength at five-eighths. His tackling and positional play had the hallmark of class. E. Leary and J. Chapman were effective links. In the forivards Temuka was best served by D. Reilly and D. Goodman. For the first 15 minutes Zingari, by means of good forward play, hemmed Temuka in near the line. Two freekicks relieved the pressure. Returning to the attack a scrum was ordered on the line and Temuka heeled and forced. From the kick off the Temuka backs gained possession and the ball travelled through the line to Leary, whose series of dummies acted as a passport to the line for a score. He failed to convert. L. Hanson broke from a scrum and placed Zingari in a scoring position, but he was unsupported. Winning the ball from a set scrum the Zingari backs swung into action. King was actually over the line but be could not ground the ball. Receiving from W. Edgier, Goodson dummied his vis-a-vis and the ball was passed out smartly to J. Chapman (wing), who,‘after a determined run. scored near the corner. Leary’s attempt at goal failed. Finding the opposition a gullible lot, Goodson sold a dummy four times and almost brought about another score. R. Smith led a Zingari sortie, but the ball was fumbled by the backs and a Temuka player returned play to mid-field with a good kick. An orthodox passing movement allowed Chapman another run, but he was pushed out. Shortly after, the Zingari backs were caught out of position and a chain-passing movement allowed Palmer (centre) to gallop over unopposed. Leary failed to convert. There was little to enthuse over in a colourless second half. For the most part the Zingari forwards held play in Temuka's territory. On one occasion P. Scott (Temuka) went over the line but was tackled and turned over, the referee ruling a force down. Zingari pressed on the Temuka line for a considerable time, and from a melee a forward all but scored. Shortly afterwards full time sounded W'ith the score: Temuka 9, Zingari nil. Mr F. Morgan w r as referee.

CELTIC GO UNDER There was little between Star and Celtic in the first spell of their encounter on No. 2 ground at Fraser Park. Fortunes fluctuated throughout the spell., which began with the Blue pack on the attack. Celtic had regained the upper hand when the Star wing three-quarter. W. Tiffen, following up smartly, raced past half a dozen Celtic men to reach the ball and score. Ron Prattley’s kick from wide out failed and the halftime score was: Star 3, Celtic nil. On the resumption of play, the Celtic backs began to throw the ball about. They were without J. Goddard, who was indisposed. The Green wing threequarter. P. Jackson, had a torrid time, getting the ball often but being surely marked by the opposing backs. A good run by Tiffen brought Star within striking distance, but B. Mulcahy and his forwards got Celtic out of trouble. Celtic looked like scoring but they lost possession. Edwards and Ivey were conspicuous in the Star team, but the going was hard all the way. Celtic were awarded a free-kick wide out. it being taken by W. Kelly. The ball landed on the cross-bar and bounced back into play. Celtic had Star hemmed in when the Blue forwards broke away. Prattley t irned on a great run and J. Fraser completed the movement with the ball at toe to score. Prattley converted. Celtic made valiant but unsuccessful efforts to score and the game ended: Star 8. Celtic nil. Mr S. Hunt was referee.