Freyberg Cup

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 22, 10 May 1940, Page 4

Freyberg Cup

WON BY WELLINGTON

The 19th Battalion from Wellington won the Freyberg Cup in the divisional Rugby tournament in Egypt. The battalion defeated the Machinegunners in the final by three tries, one converted (11 points) to nil. It says much for New Zealanders’ attachment to Rugby that they carried through the tournament with everything against them. The fields were of sand, in which a little Nile mud had been mixed, and the players had to wear guards on the legs and arms, bnt fortunately there were no serious accidents. The wfeather was also warm for Rugby and • the final was played in a khamseen with a temperature of 95 degrees in the shade, states a correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald.” The 19th Battalion, which was unbeaten, started a strong favourite and the team did not disappoint. Play was not as interesting as in some of the earlier matches, being essentially a forward tussle.' In the first half there was little to choose between the two packs, but if anything the Machinegunners were slightly superior. After the interval, however, the battalion pack got the ball back better and, in consequence, its back division, where Griffiths and Arnold once again proved an excellent combination at fiveeighths, came into action. First Cochrane and then R. Arnold scored tries, which were not converted, and in the closing stages Griffiths made a bril-

liant run before sendir,., pi,,. Griffiths added the t™ “**■ Mrs. Freyberg present ’«*. Griffiths, captain of the medals to the winning team th ’ a The - teams were: 19th h Vernon; Cochrane, R. A , Ba M Griffiths, L. Arnold; Littler e 1 Hart, Riley, Phillips, Coull’p?' Fleming. Machine-g U n *>l; White, Wolfe, Hepburn"* Matthews; Parsons; P arke . affa; bauer, Ferguson, Whittake ‘ boraugh, Andrews, McDonald ley. - . /§