Onlooker’s Notebook

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 193, 15 August 1931, Page 18

Onlooker’s Notebook

On their showing in the early stages of to-day’s Varsity game, Canterbury College have got a lot to learn about handling. Passes were dropped in the most depressing fashion. The inside backs had the pro\ erfcial butter fingers and never looked like doing anything more than weary the onlookers. 2*l M ti Canterbury College received a muc\ needed lesson from the Victoria men. who torsed the ball abou» and made few mistakes about taking it whether it was high or low. Ruru is an attractive winger. Playfor Victoria Col-

lege, Wellington, against Canterbury College this aftermoon, he showed a fine tarn of speed, and one of the prettiest swerves that has been seen here this season. He has a safe pair of hands and tackles in a business-like fashion. He brought Loveridge down at top speed.

and there are few men who. can do that. « Grey and Watts meant business when they went down the touchline to score Canterbury College’s second try to-day. Snappy in and out passing had the Victoria men thinking and when once Watts got clear of Ramson he made no error about his destination, scoring a good try ‘ 96 SC St On the run of play, the half-time score was flattering to the local Varsity team in their match with Victoria College. Territorially, the first spell was all in favour of the College men. Canterbury’s scores were the result of solo bursts that were favoured with a good deal of lupk, whereas the Victoria College team showed the better combination, and with a slice of the home side’s good fortune would have been ahead.

Something like the open game was seen when Canterbury College scored their first try in the second spell. Backs and forwards spread out in a bright rush from their own twenty-five and went clean through the opposing side for a try. King gave the movement its beginning and Watts finished it off. Solid tackling could not break up this rush for every man got rid of the ball a split second before he was brought down. It was good w'ork.

Cormack, the Victoria College fullback, had a hard job to do and filled all requirements. His tackling was deadly and many rushes had their ending when he went round the ankles of an attacking Canterbury player. There was no mistake about the way in which Otago Varsity scored their first try m the Payne Trophy match. Smith stepped out of a half-hearted tackle by Rhodes and got away in top gear. Running to half-way, he 6ent in a long pass over the heads of a bunch of forwards and in a flash the ball 'Aas transferred out to Salt on the other wing. A great run put Salt across in the corner. Bullivant’s gluey fingers lost Merivale a sure try in the early stages of the game. The centre broke away with Howatson in close support. Lindsay came across, but, instead of sending out to How’atson, Bullivaat elected to hang on. It was a bad decision, for Lindsay brought him down with the ball and the chance was lost. Howatson was out of his usual position when he took his position on Menvale’s right wing. The crowd on the bank found it amusing to see the burly player having a try at everything. But, if some of his work did not bear the stamp of quality, he played his part for all that. He had several runs for nothing when Bullivant could not see his way clear to hand on to the winger. There was a lot of obstructing among the forwards, the Merivale men being more at fault. A lot of it got past th© referee, but Mr R. J. G. Collins was down on to anything without delay on every occasion that he could be sure of his decision. Flewellen had bad luck when he tripped and fell in front of the posts, after cutting clean through the opposition. Hendry is a coming five-eighths of more than ordinary calibre. Playing for Merivale to-day, he made his first appearance in big football, coming through with distinction. His handling was sure and a tricky side-step made him a useful man in making openings. « 26 35 0 Although they saw plenty of the ball in the early stages of the second spell, the Otago backs did not have the speed to make the best use of their opportunities. Dropped passes lost Merivale -aeveial good scoring chances. For a quarter of an hour Otago were hard pressed on defence, and during that period four rushes by the Merivale rearguard cracked up through handling " weaknesses, Hendry and Flewellyn being at fault. « K 2* Hard workers in the Merivale van, which was calling the tune for a greater part of the second spell, were Kearney, .Suckling and Kirkland. Rich, the wing forward, was in fine fettle, showing up in open work as a constant thorn in the side of the Otago Hartnell, the Otago captain, and -Gifford were shining lights in the Otago pack. Both have plenty of weight and a good turn of speed to make them dangerous when breaking through. •A X X The spice of the match came at the end. when forwards and backs of both sides opened out to stage some exciting rushes. Otago swept down to within a few yards of the Merivale line, but were repulsed, and while the crowd was roaring with delight, Merivale smartly transferred play to the other end. There was no saying which way events would turn out. The ball was kept in motion at a lively pace with neither side gaining any advantage. Nobody cared w’hich way the tide of battle went so long as the players were willing to carry on in this enlivening fashion.