Pirates Lacked Good Hooker In Match With Technical 0.8.

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 May 1949, Page 6

Pirates Lacked Good Hooker In Match With Technical 0.8.

From a territorial point of view the match between Technical Old Boys and Pirates was not adequately covered by the scores. The losing team did far more attacking than the scores indicated and territorially, except towards the last, were entitled to a greater share of honours. The side also outhooked the blacks but that well won possession was not made the most of.

Pirates thoroughly deserved their win, and had the side been better served in hooking their score would have been greater, because the side had a team of resolute backs, who were better at handling than their opposition and better at backing up. Notable in this was Les Head, who played a really fine game as a fiveeighths. It w as fortunate for Technical Old Boys that in the scrums and many of the lineouts, until late in the match, they won possession and thus kept the ball out of the hands of the very hard running Pirates rearguard. Had the inside backs of Technical Old Boys functioned to better purpose and could have fed Alan Webby with greater speed. Technical Old Boys chances would have been enhanced, but the passing was never very accurate and the handling never very sure. Barnett got his backs going fairly well but they were opposed to a side of deadly 7 tacklers which broke up attack after attack. J. McPhail tackled a good deal and so did D. Aubrey. Pirates suffered through injuries. They lost T. Bristol (full-back! and J. Bryers (Ist five-eighths! in the first spell and N. Anderson (wing threequarter! in the second. Technical Old Boys lost J, Barnett (half-back! in the second spell. The teams were: —

Pirates: T Bristol: J. Taunton. J. Hickling, N. Anderson: Les Head, J. Bryers: M. Dixon: R. Head: D. Beard, V. Bell, B. Pedley, N. Brown: T. Hall, n" Howes, B. Whatmough. D. Cotten. F. Taunton and Len Head came on as reserves. Technical Old Boys: B. Willacy: J. Keats. R. Webby, A. Webby; D. Aubrey, J McPhail: J. Barnett; R. Butters; D. Goldsbury. D. Grant. P. Clemance, J. Clemance; S. Granville. A. Wilson, B. Wright. I. Willacy came on as a reserve. Referee: Mr. W. B. Broadhead. The first try was the reward of great backing up by Les Head. The ball came through the backs to let J. Taunton, then playing on the wing,

get through to the goal line, where, as he was tackled, got the ball back to Head, who jumped as he caught it and then fell to score. Beard’s kick missed.—Pirates 3, Technical Old Boys 0. Technical Old Boys were dominating the forward play at this stage. McPhail stab kicked and A. Webby, going up on to the defence, made Taunton force. Then Ambrose had a run for Pirates but a gloriously low tackle by McPhail saved the line. Pirates were profiting from mistakes made by the Tech, back line. A. Webby went high for Anderson instead of low and again McPhail saved by tackling. Then Bryers, picking the bail up in the loose gave his backs a beautiful pass. Hickling, the centre, stab kicked and Anderson, coming at top, gathered in on the bounce and scored. Beard’s kick from the sideline was a beauty—Pirates 8, Technical Old Boys 0. That was the score at half-time. Technical Old Boys played well in the forwards in the second spell. Grant, Goldsbury. Granville, and W’ilson neing prominent Pirates, in a dire moment defending their goal, picked the ball up after a tackle and R. Webby goaled—Technical Old Boys 3, Pirates 8.

Again the Technical Old Boys’ pack called the tune and a series of scrums developed on the line. Twice Barnett sent his backs away but each time the Pirates blocked them. The third time Barnett got the ball hooked to him from a scrum it looked as though he was going to send his backs away as usual, and Beard, the Pirates breakaway. must have thought so, too. He was like a lamp-post as Barnett slipped in to score a typical half-back try. R Webby’s kick failed—Technical Old Boys 6. Pirates 8.

In the remaining 25 minutes of pla> Technical Old Eoys battled hard for the greater period but Pirates’ bettei fitness told its tale. The blacks began to dominate possession at the end. I Dixon, the half-back, scored a similar [try to Barnett’s, except that Dixon’s 'was from a lineout. He literally slipped into the goal “underneath” sev'eral “lamp-post” like defenders. Beard kicked another great goal from the sideline—Pirates 13, Technical Old Boys 6. To cap the day 4 ” Les Head dropkicked a goal.—Pirates 16, Technical Old Boys 6.