WIN FOR WANGANUI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 172, 22 July 1936, Page 12

WIN FOR WANGANUI

REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY WAIKATO DEFEATED HOME TEAM’S RALLY IN SECOND SPELL (By “Cross-bar). Wanganui, outhooked in the I scrums and opposed to a stronger pair of wing three-quarters, won yesterday’s representative match against Waikato by 17 points to I). The winners scored three tries, two of which were converted, and D. G. Barton, centre three-quar-ter, potted a goal. The visitors’ score was made up of three tries. When play opened, and well on into the second spell, Waikato was definitely the superior team. Its real weakness lay with the inside backs, particularly after Solomon, the Maori lad. had to retire injured. His ruggedness and all-round safe play was sadly missed in the succeeding stages of the match. Wanganui was better in the loose, and when the scrums kept giving possession to the other side the home team resorted to the practice of breaking into the five-eighth line. The wind made material difference to the trend of play, too, and in the last stages of the match proved of value to the type of game which Wanganui set out to play to retrieve the nine to nil lead, which Waikato had established. The Waikato forwards packed low, and held together well, but when the time came for them to retain dash and resource in the loose they appeared to have wilted sadly in condition. Wanganui, with the protection thus removed from the visiting back line, was able to pen the Waikato side on defence for a goodly portion of the final spell. Only once, after the change of fortune developed, did the visitors regain their earlier form, and that was when hesitancy to tackle on Wanganui’s part Jet the visiting three-quar-ter line almost up to the corner flag. Summed up, one would say that Waikato was the better team until midway through the second spell, when the weaknesses in the fiveeighth line, plus a reduction in vim in the forwards gave Wanganui the upper hand for loose play. The wind was the other factor, as it helped to tell against the wilting pack. The teams were:— Wanganui (blue and black): K. Welsh; M. Dickie, D. G. Barton, L. Burgess; “Drake” Thompson (Ist.), R. Chase; H. Brogden; G. Lockett; Janies, A. Davidson, W. Firmin, Walker; M. McGregor, K. Poppe, C. Reynolds. Waikato (red and yellow); A. Lis[ette; Buick, Aitken, Read; Cole and Solomon; Russell; G. Leeson; Wynyard, Thompson, Sharpe, Cassidy; Taylor, Catley, L. Leeson. Waikato were immediately on the attack as the result of an up and under kick. Wanganui, mulling the greasy ball, nearly let the attackers over, but a knock-on saved 'the line. V sitors Scrum Well. It was obvious at the start that the visitors had an advantage in the forwards and Wanganui found itself up against an opposition which packed extremely well. The visiting pack also showed good form as dribblers and in hooking. The first try of the day was a beauty, Aitken intercepting a Wanganui passing rush between Chase and Barton, and sending Buick off to beat both his opposing winger and the home full-back to score nicely at the corner. Lisette’s kick failed.—Waikato 3, Wanganui 0. Another try came the visitors’ way las the result of a blind side move initiated by Russell. He sent Solomon on and he grounded the ball just a fraction before he was hurled into the corner flag. Another kick failed.— Waikato 6, Wanganui 0. The blues livened as the result of a challenge run and centering kick by Burgess. Barton, by a neat change of pace, put the Wanganui side still further on attack and sent Dickie up. A scrum resulted close to the Waikato line, but Brogden, endeavouring to slip through on his own, was smothered and Waikato cleared. Solomon retired injured and Dempsey replaced him in the visiting team. Cassidy was injured in an ankle and retired, to be replaced by Tristram. Until the end of the spell Waikato continued to show mastery in both backs and forwards. Aitken, at centre, kept playing with sound judgment. though he was inclined to punt too often. Wanganui’s most hopeful move came when Thompson broke away and beat the inside defence. He elected to challenge the full-back on his own and the visitors cleared. The score was still 6 to nil at half-time. Waikato brought off a nice move early in the second spell, the halfback. Russell, running and playing Read up. A centering kick had the ■ blues in trouble, but a tackle momentarily held the attack. From a -crum Russell passed to Read and hen back to Demnsey, who scored. The kick failed.—Waikato 9. Wanganui 0. Wanganui Improves. j The blues scored a moment later, the ball travelling through the whole line of backs to Burgess, who made the most of a favourable position created as the result of good, strong running by Barton and a flash through by Chase. Welsh converted and the trend of the game changed as the score went up.—Wanganui 5, Waikato 9. James saved a certain Waikato try a moment later by overhauling Buick after he had badly beaten Burgess. Wanganui, as the result of good loose play by the forwards, got back again to the attack. In a dire moment Dempsey cross-kicked and Burgess got the favour of the bounce instead of Buick. With nobody to stop him the Wanganui winger scored. Welsh’s kick failed.—Wanganui 8, Waikato 9. Again Wanganui’s loose play stood to them, the forwards swarming over Russell as he was back in his twentyfive seeking to find the line. The ball trickled out to the Wanganui backs, Barton drop-kicking a goal.— Wanganui 12. Waikato 9. The blues were definitely, on top at this stage, but it was a case of hoping that the visiting three-quarter line would not challenge in strong run-

ning as was the case earlier in the match, because the home defence was (weak on both wings. Waikato attacked again, but a stab kick by RusIsell went just too far and U.e blues forced. As the result of another strong run by Buick, the visitors went right up to Wanganui’s corner flag, hesitancy in tackling by the home backs letting the spearhead get there. Several scrums and lineouts dwelt on Wanganui’s line. The visiting halfback, Russell, attempting, as all good halves have been instructed to do. to try the line on his own, actually got over, but a five-yard scrum was the ruling. It proved disastrous for Waikato as Brogden was given possession by his hookers and he passed to Thompson, whose kick, aided by the wind, found touch at halfway. The home team again got well on t'»-» and from tight play in the visitors’ twenty-five, Brogden elected to run, eluding his opposition nicely to draw the full-back and pass to Gay Lockett, Nvho scored beside the posts. Welsh converted.—Wanganui 17, Waikato 9. Mr. G. Thrush wa c the referee.