Try In Dying Stages Gave Wanganui Rugby Team Victory Over Rangitikei

Wanganui Chronicle, 11 September 1950, Page 6

Try In Dying Stages Gave Wanganui Rugby Team Victory Over Rangitikei

Wanganui Owed Its Win To The Good Play Of Its Five-Eighths

MARTON, Last Night (O.C.) —After leading to within nine minutes of the final whistle, Rangitikei were beaten by Wanganui in the representative Rugby match at Marton yesterday by nine points to 13. This was Rangitikei’s only loss of the season. Both teams turned on an attractive brand of football which delighted a large crowd Naturally, Rangitikei supporters were somewhat disappointed that the home team could not keep its unbeaten record intact, but on the day Wanganui was the superior side, particularly in the rearguard. The visitors owed their victory to the brilliance of their first five-eighths, M. Hunter, who was the incentive behind the scoring movements. Besides scoring a try himself he created the gap which led to A. Webby, on the wing, scoring Wanganui’s first points, just before half-time.

Wanganui scored three tries (A. Webby 2, M. Hunter), two being converted by I). McGregor. Rangitikei’s points came from two penalties by Pull and a try by Pittier. During the game 27 penalties were awarded—lB to Rangitikei and nine to Wanganui. The majority of them were for obstruction. Pull had five shots at goal and was successful on two occasions. A. Webby (Wanganui) had only one shot, right in front, and missed an easy three points. Webby’s speed on the wing was a great asset to Wanganui and he lost nothing in comparison with Goldsmith who marked him. On the day, Webby, due to more opportunities, was perhaps the better man but his two tries were “made” for him by Jones and Hunter. The Wanganui backline was frequently in action due to the forwards dominating the scrums. Their backs impressed far better than Rangitikei with their combined movements. Rangitikei’s weakness was in the five-eighths, where Paurini was too slow in bottling up Hunter, While Paurini was bobbing up at unexpected places on attack, his defence was not sound. Frequently Hunter drove wedges between D. Kingi and Paurini with sometimes disastrous results for Rangitikei. M. O’Connell, the Wanganui second five-eighths, was good on cover defence, but was inclined to be caught in possession too often. Once it led to a try to the opposition. Takarangi was a fine half-back and combined well with Hunter.

The Rangitikei backline has shown better cohesion and most of the attacking movements were of an individual nature, although the backs saw less of the ball than Wanganui. G. Pull played right up to expectations at full-back and figured in a grand movement which led to Rangitikei’s only try. McNab, centre, was always dangerous when in possession but that was not often. He tackled well. D. Kingi, after some early lapses in tackling, claimed swift retribution later on and grounded Hunter with some copy-book efforts WANGANUI WON SCRUMS Although beaten in the scrums, Rangitikei held their own in other phases of the game. Gibb and Oldfield did fine work in the line-outs which Rangitikei dqminated. Gibbs, in fact, played a superlative game in all departments and caused Wanganui any amount of trouble. Other toilers were Wasson, Tocker and Crocker. The last-mentioned followed up his previous week’s game with another fine exhibition. Fittler was a tiger for work in the tight. The entire Rangitikei pack played well and it was not their fault that the home team lost. Gertie, a loose forward, was prominent in the Wanganui pack. Others to catch the eye were McGregor, Granville and Williams. R. Ward jumped high in the line-outs to gain possession. The Wanganui forwards broke very fast from scrums and linecuts to break up many Rangitikei back movements. THE PLAY The teams lined out: Wanganui: R. Webby: A. Webby, P. Clones, R. Lockett; M. O’Connell, M. Hunter; T. Takarangi; G. Gertie; G. Williams, D. McGregor, R. Ward, B. Jones; S. Granville, M. Griffin, V. Bell. Lockett injured a leg 12 minutes after the start of play and was replaced by J. Davies.

Rangitikei: G. Pull. T. Goldsmith. J. McNab. D. Westwood; D. Kingi, P. Paurini; M. Owens: T. Oldfield; B. Gibbs, D. Morrison, R. Settler D. Stewart; F. Wasson, W. Tocker, W. Crocker. Referee: M. J. Dickson.

Pull opened the scoring with a penalty five minutes after the start of play, kicked from an easy position. After a bout of passing by the Rangitikei backs. Westwood (wing) kicked high infield. Kingi came up fast and tackled R. Webby on his line where a torrid struggle developed. A scrum was ordered and Wanganui was penalised. Pull kicked a good penalty and Rangitikei led 6-0.

The game up to this stage had been rather erratic, with neither side playing polished football. Play proceeded to first one end of the ground and then the other, with the visitors having slightly the territorial advantage. It was after 33 minutes’ play that Hunter, after receiving possession from Jones, carved a hole in the Rangtikei defence. He ran to Pull, unloaded to Webby, who was able to brush off Goldsmith and run 25 yards to score near the posts. McGregor kicked the goal. Rangitikei 6, Wanganui 5.

Goldsmith, who was having some trouble in handling Webby, his opposite number made amends with a brilliant tackle. Paurini flashed up the sideline after the ball, but it just eluded him into touch as he dived for the scoring line.

A high kick by Wanganui saw Pull gather in the ball to send. Goldsmith away. The Rangitikei winger, in one of his typical zig-zag runs, evaded two men and then passed out to Pull who had ranged up on the outside. Pull streaked up the side-line and kicked over Webby’s (full-back) head toward the goal-line. O’Connell was there but Pull just touched the Wanganui five-eighth’s foot as he tried to clear and over he went. The Rangitikei forwards swarmed over the goalliw» and Fittler was awarded a popular try. It was a good effort on Rangitikei’s part. Pull's kick missed and half-time sounded: Rangitikei 9, Wanganui 5.

SECOND HALF Wanganui began the second spell determined to wipe oft the deficit and six minutes after the resumption Takarangi set his backs in action, the ball passing along the chain to Jones, at centre. Jones suddenly accelerated, nipped open the defence, ran to Pull, and then threw a long pass out on the wing to Webby. Webby's pace did the rest —a try in the corner.— Rangitikei 9, Wanganui 8. Opening up the play from all angles, Wanganui were delighting spectators with their enterprising movements, but the Rangitikei defence was sound, even though many of the tackles were of the hugging type. Gerrie once swept round the blind side of the scrum with the ball under his arm, brushed off his pursuers. including Pull, the full-back, and seemed certain to score but Wasson came from “out of the blue” to halt the Wanganui No. 8 forward. Rangitikei might have scored afterwards when Gibbs broke away and tried to push the full-back, Webby, off instead of passing to two supporters. Hunter was frequently flashing intb the limelight and once spreadeagled the defence to send Webby away. Webby, however, was thrown into touch by a brilliant tackle by Goldsmith. Time was creeping on and Rangitikei still held a onepoint lead but with the clock reading 31 minutes gone, Wanganui rushed play to the Rangitikei goal-line. Down went a scrum, out came the ball to Takarangi. who passed to Hunter. Hunter then found a gap wide enough for the Queen Mary to sail through and he scored a try by the posts without a hand touching him. McGregor converted.—Wanganui 13, Rangitikei 9. The game ended with the Wanganui forwards figuring in a grand dribbling rush which gained 60 yards and ended when the ball was kicked "dead.” The whistle sounded fulltime immediately, the final score being: Wanganui 13, Rangitikei 9.