EXCITING RUGBY

Wairarapa Age, 31 May 1928, Page 5

EXCITING RUGBY

MASTERTON OLD BOYS BEAT WELLINGTON TEAM. BRILLIANT PLAY BY COOKE. AN INTERESTING ENDING. WELLINGTON, May 30. ® In an exciting game at Athletic Park to-day, the Masterton Old Boys fifteen outplayed the Wellington College Old Boys’ team by 14 points to 12. The fair crowd of spectators who watched the play did not see particularly good Rugby but the visitors, who were led by A. E. Cooke, the famous New Zealand representative player made matters extremely interesting in the last quarter of an hour. The local team had all the best of the opening exchanges, the Wellington forwards securing the ball in the scrums, on the line-outs and also did better in the footrushes. Time and again Du Chateau sent his backs away only to see Grenfell run across the field to crowd his wingers to touch. Bad handling and faulty passing were responsible for the Wellington backs failing to score at least four tries during the first spell. Both sides threw the ball about freely, but the passing was wild, and not infrequently, first one side and then the other would intercept, to start play off in the opposite direction. Cooke gave a brilliant display of defensive work, running all over the visitors in the first spell, and it was largely due to his experience and speed that so, few points were scored. The only score recorded in the first spell was a good try by H. Hand, which Malcolm failed to improve. Early in the second spell the local forwards rushed play to the Masterton line, and passing by the backs saw Du Chateau cross the line. Malcolm failed to find the crossbar. The visitors then took a hand at attacking, and snappy reverse passing between Cooke and Faulknor saw the latter go over in the corner. Smith made a good attempt to convert. The Wellington forwards then forced play to the visitors’ line- and Hand again scored, J. Lamason going close with the attempt to convert. The visitors then clapped on the pace and neat passing by Nunn, Cooke and Ball ended in the last-named racing lound almost behind the posts. Cooke failed with an easy kick. Play was see-sawing in a most exciting manner and it was Wellington s turn to score. The forwards, headed by Hand, Menzies and J. Lamason rushed play to the line, and a forward pass to McDonald saw the fiveeighths score in a handy position. Malcolm again failed at the goal. Hand ' Vl ? h a StT °“ g TUn but Cooke brilliantly intercepted his pass, only to have the ball taken from him. " ‘The Masterton men then aroused great en-wh’n-h’w Wltb brill iant passing, in . b ? Smith, Cooke and Buckqm;rtg7ed ’'' the last ’ name< t crossing for fhen Jt n nVert ‘ J he Norton men “pn got all over the local team, and a bright bit of concerted play ended in goarand S ” ith failed at tho goal and the game ended with the ton T l2 readlng ’ Mas ‘erton 14, Welling--(P.A A ) E ’ Neilsen earricd thc whistle.