THE SCHOOL MATCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12689, 10 July 1919, Page 3

THE SCHOOL MATCH.

A HARD-FOUGHT CAME.

SOME BRIEF IMPRESSIONS.

One glance at the packed grandstand at the Show Ground yesterday, and the people standing and sitting on every stair and passage way, and the reporters crowded out of decent view of the game, and the people, five and six deep, on the picket fbnces, who had little chance of anything but an occasional high kick-one glance at all that concentrated mass of Rugby followers must have silenced for ever, the gea “but the annual match between Pugh School and Christ’s College should bB P W 011 tke Scho °l or College ground. I here were almost enough cars parked m the ground to have made Lancaster Park look small, and the Y as ? s f roll g argument for a big effort to clear Lancaster Park of debt and erect a huge east stand worthy of the Rugby standing of the Dominion. I? Via ?, so ™e such scheme as this surely that Mr I. Wilding had in his mind, as a peace memorial to the Canterbury sportsmen who have fallen, and the public interest in the old game should encourage the amateur sports bodies to go on fearlessly with then* project. Yesterday’s match was started promptly at 2.45, and as the crowds- of late arrivals surged into the grounds hoarse 'roars from all sides toldi them, eloquently that somebody’s twenty-five was, invaded. Even with a well-printed guide it was difficult to pick out players who were not numbered, and the Rugby Umon might very well issue numbe/s fox the jerseys, to enable the crowd to follow th e forwards in particular. The game lost some of its personal interest by tins omission, hut it was not difficult to pick out players by some prominent feature-little “Snowy” Dailey,, a bigger chap m every way this yeai*, playing first five-eighth instead of half, mm e m ‘Mm . M h - rage's forelock down perpetually among the rough stuff, and a nimble pair of hands whipping the bail out to his supports; Oarleton’s familiar figure’ in the hve-eighth line, and on the wing Crawford that solid little cricketer of a SpV* “Who's that fair ," tva +i a fi uer y. often heard about Avenll on the opposing back line. Hargre r Y n S u Wa ; s anotller well-known figure at full-back, but the hefty Cowlishaw was missing, and some of the remainder weie Grangers. A number on each back would have been a big help, especially to the pressmen. ’ Ihe game was good to watch from the start, the passing was up to old standards, and the headwork at times superior. College were heavy ?t n l" s rv n I™*** 11 * the v mad « it easy for_ their back division. There were promising boys on both sides Wilson, th© College centre, a likely runner, Crawford on the School wing and Ford on the other side. There -was too much grabbing at heads and necks, but occasionally some big College forward would go down like a'stone, and W”V/ jdent tlm * the “take him ! r them y was not forgotten. These big College forwards looked like making no race of it for a long time. Tlmy let the ball loose time and again for their hacks, joined in little short rushes, swarmed on top of the School backs and broke through with the ball. But just when a loose rush was lookiim dangerous in would nip a fast, manffiuvlng hack sometimes School and sometimes College, and defence would dissolve m thin air, and offence’ would appear on the scene in the shape of a counter-attack of ishort passes, with men going down like ninepins, and finaUy a sacks-on-the-mill, and the referee holding out his arms for a sc ,rum it was a lightning change from defence to attack that gave College first blood A School attack went wrong, and away went the College pack m full cry lettmg the hall out to the backs until Richmond dashed over at the corner an easy scorer. School had a couple of shots at goal, but either the kicker had a had day off, or he wa.s no use from the start, but they were poor attempts. 1 here was a big chap playing centre tor School, who seemed to be a good r bit below his probable form. He had weight , and pace and kicked shrewdly but. he never just managed to gather the ball in. his .stride. At other times i Dalley_ seemed to slip right away from him, depending on a long pass to the the wings to finish off the attack. Dailey s runs were superlative, and he “used his nut” defensively by watching the ball. For all that, School were outplayed in the first spell, and it looked as if ■up-and-under tactics by College in the second spell, with the sun behind them, might bring the game to a tame ending. A:change came over the,scene in the second spell. ■ the College, forwards' tired; And as. the School backs got relief from the disheartening ’ defensive game they sparkled un into' admirable’ attack, throwing the ball about, ducking through, and altogether mvirm College a very anxious time. The Whites fell back on the defensive game, forti-

fied with, a three-point lead, but at any time they looked like losing it, for bchool booted the ball up to the weak central spots and swarmed up behind it Twice Averill intercepted, and on the second occasion he streaked right away from the field, charging right up to the full-back, who was standingrather deep on account of the sun .in his eyes. Averill kicked a. shade too soon, and in the race for the line he was just beaten, and School carried oyer, subsequently forcing from al scrnm. College sustained the attack, and let the ball out to the backs in a handy position, but very faulty passing broke down each movement and School cleared. They were soon back on the College line, where both Ford and Crawford made great runs on the wings, the first-named centring the play admirably. Crawford was'held up in a dash for the line, but Petre snappy, up the ball and ran round almost behind the posts. The kick was almost a gift, but it was taken too far out, and missed, leaving the sides level, thus they stayed till the end, with an almost constant attack by . School. They made the mistake of not letting the ball out to. the wings- The College forwards were beaten, and School were unlucky time after time not to score. Time was called after one of the most memorable games in the history of school football. •. . PREVIOUS GAMES. , As far as reliable records go, Ctelleve have won 16-matches and High School 10, and including yesterday’s match i qo! 6 • ve The list from 1096 is as follows: 1896 —High School won 9 —3. 1896 High School won 16—3. 1897 High School won 16—0. 1398 —High School won 6—5. 1899 High School won 16—3. 1900— -College won 25—8. 1901— College won 19 —3. ■ : 1902 College won 20 —6. 1903 — College won 20 —10. 1901—High School won 12—0. 1905 — High School won 41—0. 1906 — High School won 9—3. 1907 — High School won 24—8. 1908 — High School won -22 —13. . 1910—High “School won 16—6, , 1911— Drawn & —6. 1912 — College won B—3.8 —3. 1913 — High School won 7—5. 1914 High School won 18—3. 1915 — High School won 12 —10. 1916 — College won 13—9. , 1917 College won 15 —0. 1918— College won 9—3. 'l9l9—Drawn 3—3.