EXCITING RUGBY

Wairarapa Age, 29 August 1932, Page 2

EXCITING RUGBY

CANTERBURY RETAIN RANFURLY SHIELD. .. WEST COAST NARROWLY DEFEATED. SHORT TIME PLAYED. CHRISTCHURCH, August 27. By the narrow margin of two points Canterbury retained the Ranfurly Shield to-day, beating West Coast by 5 points to 3. It was a fast and open game, both sides tossing the ball about freely and the spectators found it one of the most exciting games played at Lancaster Park this season. The Coast forwards were quite equal to the Canterbury pack but the home backs had more finish as an attacking combination. However, the Coast backs’ defence was very sound. Coast played against a fairly stiff breeze in the first half and attacking early were within inches of scoring in the first few minutts of play. Canterbury repelled this attack and very soon developed a likely looking attack. One movement was stopped but two minutes later King broke away for a good run. He passed to Cottrell who ran under the posts. Roberts added the extra points. Canterbury 5/0. The Canterbury backs took charge of the game for a time and looked like scoring on several occasions but the stubborn defence of the Coasters enabled them to clear. Half time came with the scores unaltered. Very soon after the opening of the second spell the Coast backs broke away on the right wing and Schroder nearly went over in the corner. Within a few seconds Martyn intercepted smartly and dashed over for a try. Gilbert’s kick just missed. Canterbury 5/3. The Canterbury backs tried hard to increase the lead but every assault broke down either through the visitors’ sound tackling or through dropped passes. The game went on at a furious pace till the final whistle. After the match it was stated that the final whistle had been blown ten minutes too soon. The referee, Mr E. A. Empson, said he had compared watches with those of the line umpires a minute before the end. He said to them: "There’s another minute to go, isn’t there?” and received an affirmative reply. The early sounding of the whistle was a hardship to the Coast who were going better at that stage than the home team.*—(P.A.) CLOSE SCORING. WELLINGTON BEAT TARANAKI BY ONE POINT. WELLINGTON, August 27. Wellington defeated Taranaki to-day by 18 points to 17. Honours of the game went to the losers who played a far better game than Wellington. Apart from a heavy wind which favoured Taranaki in the first spell and Wellington in the second conditions were good. Taranaki led 17 to Bat the interval. Scorers for Taranaki were Gfudgeon, Willis, Clarke and Walter. Collins converted one and kicked a penalty. Ball (2), Griffiths and Macdonald scored for Wellington, Neal converting three. SOUTHERN TOUR. The following Wellington team has been selected for the Southern tour: — Backs: Cresswell, Pollock, Ball, Macdonald Killeen, Hislop Griffiths, Neal, Robins Tintfell; forwards, Quaid, McLean, Reid McPherson, Martin, Lamason, Keeney, Stiver.—(P.A.) HAWKE’S BAY BEATEN. C. LE QUESNE BREAKS LEG. August 27. The second local instance of a Rugby match this season being ruined through the non-replacement rule was provided to-day by the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay Bugby clash, the latter team winning by 8 points to 6. Early in the game C. Le Quesne the visiting fiveeighths, sustained a broken leg. From then on the result was never really in doubt, though territorially the play was fairly even. Hawke’s Bay, assisted by a strong wind, attacked for most of the first half which ended Hawke’s Bay 6/3. Half-way through the second half Harsman, who scored the first try for the homesters, paved the way for Carrington to score, Dennis converting. For Hawke’s Bay Mataira scored an unconverted try and Grant goaled from a penalty.—>(P.A.) ONE-SIDED GAME. ASHBURTON WIN EASILY. ASHBURTON, August 27. In a one-sided match Ashburton beat Waimate by 39 to 6. Waimate had the >jcst of the scrums in the first half but Ashburton’s superior combination piled up the points in quick succession in the latter part of the second spell. The half-time score was 13/3. —(P.A.) INTER-DISTRICT MATCH. SOUTH CANTERBURY WIN. TIMARiU, August 27. South Canterbury defeated North Otago here to-day by 16 points to 11. The visitors led by eight points to six at the interval but failed to use the wind to the best advantage in the se-> cond half. Tries were scored for the winners by Ryan, Adkins, Callinan and Seaton. Two were converted by Meiklc. For the losers Grainger and Tem'pcro scored tries, Grainger converting one and kicking a penalty.—(P.A.) SEDDON SHIELD. BULLER SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND TROPHY. WESTPORT, August 27. Tn their hardest game of the season Buller successfully defended the Seddon Shield to-day against Nelson, the final scores being 13 to 3 in Buller’s favour. For the winners Holder (2)

and McNeight scored tries, Graham converting two. —(P.A.) AUCKLAND RESULTS. AUCKLAND, August 28. The Rugby championships were resumed yesterday in fine weather. Results: University beat Manukau,'*l’3/3; Grammar beat Technical 11/0; Ottahuhu beat Graftotn, 21/8; Marist drew with College Rifles 6 all; Ponsonby won by default from Training College. ~(P.A.)