MARISTS’ GREAT FIGHT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 106, 8 May 1933, Page 5

MARISTS’ GREAT FIGHT

PIRATES SCRAPE HOME. Marist attacked in the opening stages and Pirates conceded a penalty, from which Upston made a good aattempt, the ball just missing its objective. The greens held to their advantage and by [smashing a way through the inside black backs won to the right-hand corner, where Buckley scored. Upston’s kick failed.—Marist 3; Pirates (I. Still keeping Pirates penned in their twenty-five the greens made strenuous efforts to cross against a shivery defence. Pirates infringed again and this time Upston’s kick was a beauty.— Marist 6, Pirates 0.

Spriggens was placed out on the wing and Wakeling brought in to second fiveeighths in the black ranks at this stage. Pirates lost a change through mishandling. Williams came away from the tight and sent the backs away. McGonaglc dropped a pass and the greens cleared. The score was still the same at halftime.

The black backs scored a spectacular try within half a minute of play resuming Duncan fielded the ball on his own side of half-way, and running across the field caught the green defence out of position. Gibbons, Spriggens, McGonagle and Williams moved

up. Spriggens cut a man out and the winger (Williams) got clear with Hogg chasing him. It was a good try. Gibbon’s kick failed.—Pirates 3, Marist 6. Pirates had a chance to even up the leeway, but Gibbons’ kick from a penalty failed. Twice the black forwards broke from the tight, and Francis being conspicuous, and on the second occasion a scrum got down on the green line. Marist defended well there but play swung to the opposite side of the field and Gibbons picked up in the tight, and cutting in, ho passed to Francis who scored uuder tho bar. Gibbons’ kick failed.—Pirates 3, Marist 6. Pirates 8, Marist 6. Tho greens attacked again and A. Bishop, accepting a pass, stab punted, camo through and beat McMinn for possession. The black defence rallied however, and the Marist attacker spoilt his chances by hanging on, thus earning a penalty. Half a minute later Buckley broke away and kicked beyond McMinn, into the black goal. Williams won in a race to force, but was hurt in the process. Rusden replaced him in tho black team. In the dying stages there was a battle by tho greens to win. The play fluctuated from one end of tho field to the other, according to tho mistakes made by individuals on each side. A scrum got down on the twenty-live line in front of tho Pirates’ goal, and the ball was hooked to Hodson. Ho broke clear and got through tho black inside defeneo before transferring to Stiver. Stiver got to within a foot of tho line before being hauled down. Tho greens infringed in their over-eagerness. Tho next time tho ball went out time was called, the scores remaining the same: Pirates g Marist ... 6 The blacks wore a lucky team. Mr. W. H. Rowe was the refcroe. Tho teams were: Pirates (black): McMinn; K. Wakeling, D. McGonablc, J. Williams; C. Spriggens, K. Gibbons (Ist.); J. Duncan; W. Copley; L. Blackie, L. Francis, A. Tonks, O. Maitland; W. Baird, W. fhompson, K. McNeil. (Rusdeu went on when Williams was injured). Marist (green): J. Upston; Sleyer, H. Hogg, Cronin; C. Bishop, A. Bishop; J. Hodson; G. Buckley; P. Matthews, R. Martin, A. Hansen, C. Stiver, Blake, V. Crotty, Roache.