TARANAKI B REPS BEAT WANGANUI

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 September 1947, Page 6

TARANAKI B REPS BEAT WANGANUI

MATCH AT SPRIGGENS PARK

Gaining an ascendancy in the second half, Taranaki's representative Rugby B team defeated Wanganui B at Spriggens Park on Saturday by la points to nine.

The winners' points came from three unconverted tries, two penalties, and a field goal. Two unconverted tries and a penalty made up Wanganui's score. Playing with a breeze in the first half, Wanganui were three points down at the interval and faded steadily in the second period when the visitors' tackling improved. Possession was fairly evenly shared although the home s.de fielded a heavier pack. There were periods ol scrappy play with frequent infringements, due to handling lapses In the face of spoiling forwards, but the match was interesting throughout with both teams eager to convert defence into attack.

Outstanding in the Taranaki pack were Schumacher, Strawbridge and Malcolm, the last-named excelling as a dribbler. Dalgleish went best in the backline, although Gillespie and Adamson returned sound performances. Goldsbury was easily the pick of the Wanganui eight. Two

others to show to advantage were Jones and Ward. Henderson gave a good display at half-back and Hills was dangerous on attack, but marked weakness in the first five and fullback positions robbed the Wanganui backline of sting. The teams were: Taranaki: D. Gillespie; W. Marshall, I. Dalgleish, 1. Adamson; P. Murphy (2), S. Mcßride; J. Brophy; J. Waswo; R. Osborn, B. Wills, T. Morrison. R. Malcolm; R. Nickel, M. Strawbridge, B. Schumacher. Wanganui: W. Mosley; T. Hills, A. Wheeler, J. Bailey; L. Head (2), I. McDonald; E. Henderson; E. Bellis; B. Jones, R. Ward. M. Pettis, N. Lash; S. Stewart, G. Brown, B. Goldsbury. Referee: Mr. R. Lewis (Rangitikei). RUN OF PLAY. First likely move of the game, after an indifferent start, came when Nicholls (Taranaki) broke quickly from a ruck five yards inside Wanganui's halt and reached the line. Wanganui cleared and had a spell on attack. A scrum near the Taranaki line saw the ball come out to Henderson, who passed to Head. Weaving through weak tackles, Head touched down wide out. Mosley's kick missed and after 2 minutes' play Wanganui held a 3-0 lead. Twenty minutes of the spell had gone when Taranaki attacked from loose rucking play outside Wanganui's twenty-five. Mcßride kicked through dangerously and Mosley was completely beaten by the bounce. Murphy picked up and made a nice opening before sending on to Dalgleish who scored in a. fair position. The kick failed. Score: 3 all.

Offside by Taranaki outside their own twentyfive gave Head a difficult chance with the resultant penalty, but he goaled excellently to put Wanganui ahead again at 6-3. Taranaki’s backline came away to the opposition’s twenty-five due to a fast run by Adamson, This same player now kicked a penalty to even the score at 6 all. On time, another free-kick to Taranaki in the same spot as the last, outside Wanganui's 25 at an angle to the posts, allowed Adamson to kick well and put his side in the lead. Taranak. 9, Wanganui 6. SECOND HALF. Staging a dribbling rush from the halfway mark, Wanganui swept play to the Taranaki posts, on the resumption. and Henderson scored. The conversion "disallowed after a no charge had been ordered. Score, 9 all. A long seige by the vis.tors, in which they made determined attacks, had Wanganui defending hotly. Adamson,n?rrowly failed with a treekick aud-u.ll'aranaki score appeared imminent*. “

From scrum wide out on Wanganui's twenty-five, Taranaki hooked. Brophy was slow in getting his pass away, and Mcßride barely' had time to •snap a field goal, beautiful in its certaintly. Taranaki 13, Wanganui 9.

Keeping the initiative and inrowing the ball about to good purpose, Taranaki made their lead reasonably secure half-way through the spell. Winning possession from a ruck outside Wanganui's twentyfive, the backs handled surely in a crossfield move. Dalgleish received and cut out two defenders in a penetrating dash which carried him over for a line try in the corner. Malcolm's kick failed. Taranaki 16, Wanganui 9. * Brophy nearly scored for Taranaki soon after when he led a loose rush over Wanganui's goal-line beneath the crossbar, but was just beaten to the touch down.

Fielding a mis-directed line-kick from Mosley, Dalgleish moved up to the Wanganui twenty-five by the side-line, with the defence out of position, and fed Adamson. The latter returned to the forwards and after a rapid bout of short-passing, Schumacher scored wide out. Adamson failed to convert and full-time was called with the score: Taranaki 19, Wanganui 9.