AT NEW PLYMOUTH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 189, 12 August 1932, Page 4

AT NEW PLYMOUTH

SCHOOL'S ONE-POINT WIN WANGANUI COLLEGIATE MATCH The fast fifteen of the New Plymouth Bovs’ High School snatched a rather lucky win bv 7 points to 6 in their annual' match against Wanganui Col eglate School at Pukekura Park on Wednesday. School scored a penalty goal and a field goal and Wanganui College scored two tries. Tho last try ot the Wanganui team was scored almost on the call of time. If they had converted it they would have won instead of lost tlie game by a point. The game began in a promising way. The School forwards more than matched the heavy Wanganui pack in vigour in the early stages, and several of the School passing rushes in the backs had a good finish about them, savs the Taranaki Daily News. In addition the School backs opened the game with a pleasant variety of movements, working the blind, spreading out in passing rushes on the open and using the short punt, with good judgment. Unhappily the bloom soon wore on School’s game and tho match settled down early to the dead level of mediocrity. Now and again there were patches of play which lent colour to the game. Once the whole line of Wanganui backs swept, away in a perfect run until the wing was toppled over by a flying ta'ckle in the corner. Both oi School’s scores came from excellent kicking, the first being a penalty goal from far out and the. second a snapshot field goal from in the thick of play. Finally Wanganui won honour by their grim struggle on School’s line for the last score.

' Apart from these, however, there were few of the flowers of Rugby that usually blossom when School plays a rival secondary school. There was no doubt Wanganui had a strong, steady set of forwards, but they did not handle the ball well. Their backs had pace but had the same fault as t>e forwards. The School forwards had more vigour than in the Hamilton match and the breakaways were constantly upsetting the Wanganui five-eighths, but when one or two had opened the way the rest were too far behind to carry on and clinch tho opening. After the first promising movements the School backs went rapidly downhill, and in the second half the ball rarely went further than the five-eighths. The teams lined out as follow:

Wanganui Collegiate School, hutledge, Harvie, Knight, Farley, Harding, Dean, Tennent, Williams, Payton, Heenan, Gibbons, Swainson, Irvine, Coleman (capt.). White. School. —Blackley, Nilsson. Ekdahl, Campbell, Potts, Carroll, Meredith, Birch (capt.), Keeling, Ehnes, Purser, Simpson, Frethey, Rogers, Thompson. From tlua kick-off, Wanganui gained ground to School’s twenty-live, twice Meredith drove them back with shrewd kicks. Wanganui had a solid pack and held School tightly. Then play opened up and the School backs went off in a run that seemed to promise good things later in tho match. The School forwards set off in n line dash, Purser and Keeling bustling through to the full-back.

School were making the game brisk. Thwarted on the open tho backs went roun dthe blind and Campbell felled a tackler with a hearty fend. The backs and forwards used the short punt and the fo’low-through and Rutledge came through some trying periods well. For the first time the Wanganui backs went awav and Dean gained useful ground. From a scrum Meredith slipped round the blind side, cut in and held on too long. The School forwards, led by Keeling, chased the ball on to Wanganui’s line, but the attack broken dowu. In a flashing run Harding and Denn went through the School defen'ee but lost the ball. Meredith helped School with timely kicks, and once Nilsson followed up fact and almost caught the full-back with the ball.

Tho Wanganui forwards began to give School a taste, of their mettle and swept down to School’s twenty-live in a fast rush, bowling over the defenders. There was a scrum on School’s line, a clean hook and Harding slid through a slender opening to score a clever try. Williams just missed with tho goal from far out. —Wanganui 3; School 0. Playing with fresh vigour, \\ anganui swept down both flanks in turn. Farley made a fast dash down the left wing and a moment later if Harvie had been able to pick up the rolling ball ho would have scored on the right wing. The School forwards pressed and Wanganui were penalised outside their twenty-five but kick fell short. A moment later Wanganui were penalised again and from midway between the twenty-five and half-way Meredith kicked a fine goal. Wanganui 3; School

With the scores even, play became keen. Tennent tried to open up the game, but Birch was launching himself straight at. the five-eighths and the Schoo 4 , forwards were carrying on. Several times the School backs had chances but they lost them through holding too long to the ball. Then just outside tho twenty-live tho ball came back 1o Potts, who swung smartly round, lifted his foot and drop-kicked a fine field goal. Tho bell rang immediately afterwards for half-time with the score: School 7; Wanganui 3. School kicked off deep down towards Wanganui's goal-line and Rutledge lined at the twenty-five. Bad passing bv the School backs let Wanganui through and soon afterwards Coleman ran through the School defence but threw forward at the critical moment. The Wanganui live-eighths looked dangerous until Birch intercepted am! kicked fo the line. Tennent was keeping his mon moving and sometimes slipping through well on his own. Ho set his backs off and the line haiidled perfectly. Farley ran round his man and ran hard for the •corner, but Blackley came across and took him with a living tackle. School were penalised in the corner but the kick by Williams failed.

With the ball at his toe, Potts led a rush through the Wanganui backs, but the visiting forwards camo round quickly and stemmed the rush. r l he School backs wore not handling well and the ball rarely went past Potts. There was a brighter moment when Purser came through the serum alone and went down to the full-back with Birch. Once again Birch and Eluios went down tho field in a bustling dribbling rush. Wanganui were penalised and Meredith just missed with a long kk’k at, goal. Play hung in midfield, ‘with Ihe teams making short lengths of ground by forward rushes. Once Birch and Keeling wont, through in a hard rush but Rutledge went down well. The Wanganui backs turned the tables on School and Harvie made a fast run down the line. Only four ponls behind. Wanganui