GREAT, VIRILE RUGBY DRAW

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 197, 21 August 1945, Page 7

GREAT, VIRILE RUGBY DRAW

WELLINGTON AND COLLEGIATE

HARD MATCH TO FINISH ANNUAL COLLEGE TOURNAMENT

(By

‘ ‘ Crossbar. ’ ’)

In one of the hardest Rugby matches ever played on any school ground, the first fifteens of Wcllingotil College and the Wanganui Collegiate School drew yesterday in the final match of the annual quadrangular tournament. Neither side scored. Not as a spectacle did the match appeal, that is if a Rugby spectacle is bright, open-field passing from half-back to threequarters, and with forwards joining in, but as a hard, never-let-up tussle, in which two well-matched packs battled against each other and transferred play from one end of the field to the other with marked rapidity. Back countered back, and the packs were always on the ball.

In the early game Christ's College beat Nelson College by three points (an unconverted try) to nil in a match which was just as close, in regard to the comparative merits of the teams, as the latter fixture, but lacked its pace and robustness. Thus Wanganui and Wellington shared honours as champions, while Nelson won the “wooden spoon.”

Rarely have two school teams matched each other and spurred themselves on as did Wellington and Collegiate yesterday, in a setting which was ideal for Rugby, a calm, bright, sunny day. Rarely has there been a larger crowd of spectators round Collegiate School Held, and rarely has the atmosphere on field and touchline been more intense. It will be a match which will live long in the memory of those who played in it, and those who saw it—hard, fast, no quarter given and many exciting movements. BACK PLAY NOT GOOD. In actual fact the standard of back play was not good, except in the case of bccasfbnal bursts by the Wellington inside backs —G. W. N.choils (half), E. M. Robert (Ist. five-eighth), J. B. Hutton (2nd.) and J. L. McLean (centre). They were ever a dangerous thorn to Wanganui, but the home side had the pace and covered and tackled well. Not only that, the Wanganui pack was forever a danger and a menace to the Wellington rearguard. Led by the superb play of W. Andrews, the home forwards played as they have never played before. They were held for a great portion of the time by the Wellington pack, in which R. H. Pope, M. I Deterte and R. S. McNichol were always prominent. TMF RAI.I. LOST TN GOAL.

It was well that the game ended in a draw, notwithstanding that Nicholls, lhe Well.ngton half-back, got across the goal line and dropped the ball before he could got it to the ground, and notwithstanding that R. V. J. Windsor, the Wellington crack goal kicker, just missed goanng from two kicks wide out, one of them right on the half-way line That kick was lost not because of the great d stance, but because of direction! Wanganui has rarely seen a schoolboy with Windsor’s great boot. Remembering those three incidents —Windsor's two great attempts •at goal and Nicholis losing the ball when all he had to do was put it on the ground, one would say that it was not Wellington’s, but. Wanganui’s day, and that Fickle Fortune, a jade as cruel to Rugby players as to anybody, was favour.ng the whites; but remembering the virile play of that home pack, when Andrews, Sandi'ands and Clere, in particular, raged round the Wellington goal time after time and the occasions when the speedy B. H. Vosper, home left wing three-quarter, was hurled into touch at the corner flag, reward was surely duo to the Collegiate team. The whites deserved reward for tho’.r forward play, if for that alone, In short, it was really a battle between the Wellington backs and the Wanganui pack and if anything was lacking it was probably the stabkick across Ihe field. Io vary the too orthodox passing. Wellington did resort to the stab-kicking towards the last, and brought. Wanganui much trouble. A. S. Paterson, the Wanganui half-back, played a sound game, but a lot of the possession he gave his ' backs was lost, because of lack of ability to vary the style of play, and the Wellington defence, in feet positions was always sound.

But whatever may be said, of whether Wellington showed more enterprise in the inside backs, of good luck or ill for either team, the match should remain as a memory of two virile teams, keen, to the point of exhaustion, to get the ball over those elusive goal lines, or over those beckoning crossbars. It was fitting it should end a.s it did. enabling one to borrow a line from “Banjo" Patterson —‘•and the Cult and Collar captain, when he tumbled off to die. was the last surviv ng player, so the game was called a tie.” No one tumbled off to d e in this match, but. it was a tie ar.cl at the end both teams were done. How those 30 players stood up to the pace of that match, only they themselves can tell! And a word of commendation is offered to Referee George Thrush, who kept up with the play a.l the time in a match in which a baited eyelid might have made all the diTerence between a draw and win.

THE PLAY IN DETAIL

(By “Forward.") There were changes in both the ■ Wanganui and Wellington teams. C. R. Lynch replaced R. L. Pease as first live-eighth in the Wanganui fifteen, and D. C. Montgomerie replaced G. J. Barnard on the wing for Wellington. In the early scrums the honours : were going to Wellington and Rob- ’ erts punted long and low, but Bab- i bage the Wanganui full-back, lined | deep for the home side. Twice the i Wanganui backs raced goalwards, i I from half-back (Paterson) outward. but the defence of the Wellington I backs was hard to elude. Later. Pal- • I erson made a blind side move for Sal- I : monel, but Doneghue. the Wellington full-lvick. tackled rigidly. In a iooso | rush Wanganui got within striking dis- j lance and a ncnaltv against Wellington ; saw Dodgshun miss with a fine effort. 1 Wellington were still winning majority of scrums and were denying llt* Wanganui bosks chances of co-ordin-!nted attack. Nicholls anti Paterson, jthe respective half-hacks, v ere servin’ their respective sides veil. Salmond. ■•''con-1 fi'-p-ei 'hlh for Wanganui, and Hutton, for Wellington. v ere defend- i inv stoutlv for their tc.’.m-u Clere pn • , Andrews led a fast forward move for Wanganui, and the home backs 'pained ; ucsscssic.w the ball gobi ■ to Vosne v | win- lined vol; dow:i. From the Uno- i out nlay swirled in front of the We l - , fired on goal and fiom a strum Lynch J ’)• la : . ' ' Lot al ■. • ■••! hut missed. L dor Rolr'r's put V/c'hngton in an i '■•ltackin nosiHon and \Van> r aniu lm-1 ! Io cork ivor'imr Io koeo the black-! i tnrsovod nlavers n.it. From defence !Wnn ,y nni! ; rained I bn ascendancy but: in m’cnnriorFlond w '' T het ween two book-; I Inf Wellington through, but H' o ball ■'.nnt out. Ra’f-timo camo with nn I Rnn.^ in j| V r Ihn SPCOIV' hn 1 f Wn]|jng-I' ton pressed hard, and Nicholls sent!'

Roberts racing at the Wanganui line, I but the home forwards rallied to stem I the onslaught. There was a thrill when : Nicholls, the Wellington half-back, in I a swift solo move from a scrum, raced I over the Wanganui line unopposed. He I went down on his knees to score and, apparently, his two e Ibows hit the ground ana he lost the ball, which Wanganui forced It was a let-off for Wanganui! Fighting desperately hard Wellington come again and the defenders, Wanganui, were penalised for offside play. There was a hush as Windsor took his kick, which missed the posts na’Towly. Wanganui hit back good and hard and Well : ngtcn had to concede ground Vosper made two fast side-line dashed, but Doneghue, the Wellington full-back, was sound on defence. Rising to it in the forwards, Wanganui made a gallant effort to cross but success was denied them. { Right on half-wav Wanganui were penalised and Windsor made a great but unsuccessful effort to goal, the ball going cutsido the posts. The pace which had been exceptionally fast, now began to tell on the forwards ot both teams. Roberts and Pope caused anxious moments for Wanganui in one raid, hut it was stopped by a quicklynullying defence. Fluctuating play saw a hard game end without any score being regtsThe teams were:— Wanganui: R. R. Babbage, A. W. Middleton, TT. A. Farquhar, B. H. Vosner. R. J. Salmond. C. R. Lynch. A. Paterson (cant). W. Andrew, C. H. Williamson. K. C. Dodgshun C. T. Clere, M D. Beattie. B. I. Williams B. N. Sandilunds. A. G. Barnitt Wellington College: N. R. Doneghue, A. Montgomerie, J. I. McLean, R. V. J. WTndsor, E. M. Roberts. J. B. Hutton, G. W. Nicholls, M. I. Deterte (enpt.), P. J. Hobson. R. S. McNicol. R. H Pone, G. H. Bennett, J. Patching, A. Bov, J. Hunt. Mr. G. Thrush was referee.

WIN FOR CHRIST’S COLLEGE. Good understanding among the Christ’s College backs and robust play by their forwards won the game against Nelson in the early match on the ground. The Nelson barks lacked sureness in their hand ling of the ball and lost touch at vital points. Their forwards gave a better shewing hut were up against a virile pack, which won the majority of scrums and line-ruts. Nelson did well tn hcl-1 the Christchurch team to such a small score, an unconverted try scored bv Spiers There was one cnange in the Christ’s College team. Spiers replacing Gori on. who was injured in Saturday’s game During the game. Nelson lost. Griffiths, who was replaced by Kearns. Th-’ teams were:—

Christ’s College: G. W. Pinckney, R, W. Gudgeon. P. D. A. M. Rotting, R. J. M Biggs. B H. Jaggar, J. M. S. Douglas. D. G Crawford R. .T. BarneU. G. B. Soier. R D. Gould. A. H. Gould S. H. Mcndy. R. B. Allison, P. W. Pinckney. Nelson Collepp: D. E. Searle, T*. D. Him*-. R. Hayion. N. A. Griffiths. O. C. L. T. C. Boves. L. T. Savage. 'A R Vpvspv P. D. Barnford, J. S. Cal-fsen. D. D Rest I. H. Lowes, I. C. Meadowcraft. W. M. Houlker, J. H. Donald. Mr. H. E R. Newton was referee.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS’ RUGBY

WANGANUI DRAWS WITH MANAWATU KANGITIKCI BEATEN BY TARANAKI (Special) New Plymouth, Aug. 20. Taranaki beat Rangitikei by 9 points to 6 and Manawatu and Wanganui drew, five points all in the first day of play in the Tananaki-Wanganui-Rangitikei and Manawatu Primary Schools, annual quadrangular Rugby tournament, which opened at New Plymouth to-day. Manawatu. which had the boiler of the game against Wanganui, was lead, ing five nil with a few minutes to play, when Whale, taking a difficult pass

scored a fine try for Wanganui and Robson converted. Taranaki had slight.lv the better of the game with Rangitikei and, securing the ball from the majority of the

serums, the Rangitikei rearguard had few opportunities. Their forwards battled hard throughout. Rangitikei’s scores came from two penalty goals bv Gordon. To-morrow • Taranaki plays Manawatu, and Wanganui play Rangitikei.

FEW SEATS FOR PUBLIC

IXTEH-ISEAM) RI ((BY GAME (P A? Auckland, Aug. 2D. Hundreds of Aucklanders were disappointed this morning when the: sought seats for the first inter-islan ■ Rugby match to be played here for 2. years. hundred odd seats available to I Ire public were sold within 2'; minutos to persons heading the queue, which stretched a long way up Queen Street. The first enthusiasts arrived before 11 o’clock last night. Put all those who arrived before daylight secured seats. Eden Park stand, holding only approximately 1200, is lot ally inadequate for such an attraction. Some 900 seals were hooked preferentially by local clubs and unions and sub-unions as far south as Bay of Plenlv and Wairarapa, each of which was allotted 20 seats.