CANTERBURY BEATEN BY WELLINGTON

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22516, 26 September 1938, Page 4

CANTERBURY BEATEN BY WELLINGTON

Final Representative Rugby Match

POSSESSION OF BALL THE DECIDING FACTOR

Although weakened by the absence of some half-dozen of its leading players, the Wellington Rugby team proved too good for Canterbury in the final representative match of. the season on Saturday. The visitors' big share of possession of the ball was a decisive factor, and, playing enterprisingly and attractively, they won by 14 points to 8. Each side scored two tries, but although Wellington's extra points came from goals, it was by far the more impressive team.

The game was played in perfect weather, and quite a large crowd was drawn to Lancaster Park by this meeting of provinces which have always been keen rivals. Fast and occasionally spectacular, the match did not disappoint, although supporters of the home team would have welcomed a bigger contribution to the spectacular elements by the Canterbury men.

The chances of the Canterbury backs, however, were strictly limited, for in no game this season has the home pack been able to win so small a share of the ball. The Wellington hooker was R. B. Burke, former Canterbury College player, and a member of the Canterbury Ranfurly Shield team in 1935, and he appears to have justified the high promise he showed as a specialist forward when in Christchurch.

Hooper broke through when a Wellington passing rush broke down close to the Canterbury line, and Pearson had a start of a yard on the whole field. Paterson, however, caught him from behind on the Wellington twentyfive line. McNicol raced right through the ruck, and when he passed to Wales a score looked certain. Pearson came across from the opposite wing and brought off a great saving tackle. Griffen was injured and was replaced by I. Carter.

Then came a glorious Wellington movement. Veitch cut past Jarman, and when Sargisson came inside him to take a good pass the defence was spreadeagled. Three forwards handled in a burst of 15 yards, and Hegglun scored under the posts for Sargisson to convert. The half-time score was:

Apart from expert hooking, however, the Wellington team had the advantage of a forward pack which gave its full weight to the scrums and. rucks. F. H. Fraser-Smith, the captain, was a good leader in the tignt work and one of the best in. the lineouts. E. GrifTen, until he was injured, and JT. Hegglun also were great grafters. An outstanding forward for his speed and vigour in the loose, S. McNicol, a flank forward, playe-i a brilliant game. G. Wales was" usually close in his support. A Brilliant Half-back The Wellington backs were given a feast of the ball,, and it would have been poor tactics on their part not to attempt many varied moves. The men were willing enough to throw the ball about and to "give it a go," but there was not a great deal of thrust in their efforts. This was net altogether surprising considering the number of leading backs who were standing down—Tindill, Jones, Fulton, and Pollock. Canterbury enthusiasts were disappointed at not seeing Tindill, but most of them will need very strong arguments to convince xhem that he is any better than C. O'Halloran, who played probably the best half-back game seen on Lancaster Park this season. Everything was in his favour—regular hooking and quick heeling—but he did not. send out one misdirected pass in the whole match. And they were all extremely long and deep. On one of the very few ocI casions O'Halloran ran from the scrum a try resulted.

Wellingrton 5, Canterbury 0.

Hooper was injured in the closing minutes of the first half, D. P. White coming on in the first five-eighths position and Jarman going to second five-eighths. Foley and Fright led the Canterbury forwards to the Wellington line from the kick-off, and from a scramble Foley dived over. Nolan missed from wide out. Wellington 5, Canterbury 3. Foley again led the forwards grandly to the line and White missed a pot at goal. Hunter made a beautiful opening, but Pearson dropped his pass when he had an open field. Soon after Jarman also wasted possession of the ball with a fruitless pot at goal. Canterbury was playing with great dash at this stage, even Nolan taking a prominent part in attacks. The Canterbury forwards were not to be denied, and Homer dived on the ball after another smashing rush. Hadlee goaled well. Canterbury 8, Wellington 5.

Wellington threw the ball about in a further series of back rushes, which took play to the Canterbury line. From a lineout there O'Halloran weaved hin way through the ruck and sent Wales over for a try, which Sargisson converted. Wellington 10, Canterbury 8. Gilmour missed a penalty kick at goal and Hunter, fielding the ball on his own line, beat several men and sent a long kick to the Wellington corner.

R. Veitch, given this perfect service, made fairly good use of his opportunities. He was generally well clear of the Canterbury breakaways when he got the ball, and he beat both Jarman and White several times when they were opposite him. E. Sargisson was usually content to hand the ball on to his centre, L. H. Edwards, quite the most thrustful back in the. team. Edwards, who is a North Island representative wing three-quarters, will be transferred" shortly to Wigram Aerodrome, and may be a big asset to Canterbury ne,xt season. He straightened up the attack very well and frequently broke through the centre. Fortunately for Canterbury the Wellington wings were riot outstanding,' although they played soundly. R. Paterson was a very competent full-back. Defensive Weaknesses Canterbury was unlucky to lose J. A. Hooper at the end of the first half. On the few occasions on which he received the ball with room in which to work, he was very thrustfuL Hooper's defence has improved greatly since his visit to Australia, and it will not be surprising if he re-establishes himself next season as one of the Dominion's best five-eighths. In the defensive role which the Canterbury backs were forced to fill almost throughout the game, C. Saundercock and B. L. Pearson gave their side great service, the former going down well to forward rushes and the latter tackling brilliantly—often covering up the mistakes of others. W. Jarman and A. G. Hunter fell below the required defensive standard, the former appearing to oe baffled by the great distance Veitch stood off from the scrum. Hunter and W. A. Hadlee both did good things on the rare occasions on which Canterbury was permitted to have the ball. G. T. Nolan, at full-back, played another grand game, making many good saves and handling and kicking with great accuracy. . The Canterbury forwards rose to great heights at the beginning of Ihe second half, and their efforts enablsd Canterbury to take the lead. But they could hot keep up this hectic pace, and it was not long before Wellington's well-served backs were again dominating play. The Canterbury captain, F. J. Foley, played one Of his best games of the season, and was in the thick of the game from start to finish. C. W. Williams, L. Homer, and R. Duncan were the best of the others.

In the last few minutes of the game Brien and Pearson, the opposing wingers, were both hurt. Rhind also was injured and was replaced by N. J. McPhaiL Veitch robbed Fright of the ball and the Wellington backs tore through to the corner, a drop-out being ruled- when Hadlee tackled Knowles on the line. From a scrum O'Halloran sent a perfect long pass back to Sargisson, who dodged White and potted a neat goal, the game ending:—

Wellington 14, Canterbury 8. Referee: Mr E. A. Empson.

ELLESMERE BEATS NORTH CANTERBURY

BRIGHT MATCH PLAYED AT RANGIORA

One of the brightest exhibitions of Rugby football seen at Rangiora this season was given at Dudley Park on Saturday when a fairly large atendance saw Ellesmere beat North Canterbury by 9 points to 3. The day was warm and sunny, with little wind, and the ground was in excellent order for fast football.

Play was evenly distributed between backs and forwards, and was more reminiscent of Australian than New Zealand football. The ball was rarely kicked out, players relying on dash rather than on caution when hard pressed. The handling, generally, was clean and crisp, and the tackling by both teams was good. A spirited showing was put up by the two packs who pleased spectators with clever dribbling and scrum work. For Ellesmere, Watts, Johnston, and Walker played outstandingly, Devlin, Jackson, and Cook were prominent in the North Canterbury side. The teams were:—

Ellesmere—G. McLaughlin, C. Watts, W. Templeton, A. Johnston, J. Walker, B. Wagner, D. Bennett, R. Lilley, G. McClure, D. Warren, C. Watkins, D. Shearer, J. Legg, E. Miller, L. McCloy.

North Canterbury—F. Devlin, L. Southen, L. Cook, C. Streeter, F. Jones, T. Lindsay, B. Banfleld, J. Robertson, P. Jackson, W. Stephens, K. Doody, F. Stubbs, W. Boyce, J. Peach, R. Adlington. Soon after play began Ellesmere was awarded a free-kick, but'failed to score. A forward rush by the Ellesmere pack followed, but was stopped by hard tackling. Again Ellesmere invaded North Canterbury territory, backs and forwards combining brilliantly in short chain and in-passing, for Watts to dive over for a good try. The kick missed. Ellesmere 3, North Canterbury 0. Over-anxiousness by the North Canterbury breakaway forwards cost the home side another penalty, Walker sending the kick over. The score at half-time was: Ellesmere 6, North Canterbury 0. North Canterbury attacked more in the second half, the backs swinging into line for passing rushes that often carried play deep into Ellesmere territory. Excitement ran higher when Devlin brought three points to North Canterbury with a free-kick. Ellesmere retaliated by forcing the pace. From a ruck on the home side's twenty-five Johnston secured and passed to McClure, who flashed round the blind side for a neat try. The kick failed. Ellesmere 9, North Canterbury 3. The home side was again attacking strongly when the whistle sounded.

The Teams The teams were .as follows: CANTERBURY

Full-back: G. T. Nolan. Three-quarters: W. A. Hadlee, A. G. Hunter, F. L. Pearson. Five-eighths: J. A. Hooper, W. Jarman.

Half-back: C. Saundercock. Forwards: R. Duncan, H. B. Hay, P. K. Rhind; W. Fright, C. W. Williams, L. Homer. D. Herman: F. J. Foley.

WELLINGTON Full-back: R. Paterson. Three-quarters: R. Knowles, L. Edwards, W. Brien. Five-eighths: E. Sargisson, R. Veitch. Half-back: C. O'Halloran.

Final score: Ellesmere 9, North Canterbury 3. Result of Junior Match

Forwards: J. Gilmour, R. B. Burke, T. Hegglun;. S.. McNicol, T. H. FraSerSmith, E. Griffin, J. Gunn;'G. Wales.

A junior representative match between North Canterbury and Ellesmere was won by North Canterbury by 11 points to 6.

Wellington Attacks Early

Wellington kicked off against the light south-westerly breeze, and a good cut-in by Edwards, who veered infield to link up with his forwards, took play to the Canterbury line. Gilmour narrowly missed a penalty kick after an exchange of forward rushes. Hunter made a good attempt with a penalty from halfway. Wellington was winning the ball monotonously from the scrums, but in spite of clean handling and determined running by the inside backs no gap could be found in the defence. The Wellington half-back, O'Halloran, cleverly threw the defence on the wrong foot with/a break from a scrum, and McNicol took an in-pass and sent a long kick over the head of Nolan; Hadlce raced back to save well. Again Gilmour missed with a penalty from a handy position.

PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS' MATCH

In a well-contested match on the south ground at Lancaster Park on Saturday, the Wellington Post and Telegraph Department beat the Christchurch Post and Telegraph Department by 11 points to 6. The scorers for Wellington were Wilkinson (two tries) and Arnott (one try), one being converted by McLennan. Rich and Scott scored tries for Christchurch. The referee was Mr G. Berry. POST AND TELEGRAPH SOCIAL Visiting players from the Wellington branch of ■the Post and Telegraph Department were entertained to dinner by the

LAST-MINUTE VICTORY SOUTHLAND RETAINS SHIELD FINE DISPLAY BY ASHBURTON (PUESS ASSOCIATION TKi.KG.UAM.,) INVERCARGILL, September 24. Southland successfully defended the Ranfurly Shield against Ashburton to-day. Playing conditions were ideal. There was bright sunshine, the ground was fast, and there was just a little wind. 1 The game ended sensationally, Ashburton taking the lead two minutes before time, and Southland scoring tlie winning points right at the bell. Southland won by 20 points to 16. Mr W. O. Ward was referee. Southland opened the scoring when Herron touched down in a scramble on the line after several breaks by Southland. Wesney failed to convert. Southland 3, Ashburton 0.

; Saxton was getting a feast of the ball from the Southland forwards, and the backs were opening up play at every opportunity.' Herron scored his second try after a run of 15 yards.- Wesney failed witli the kick. Southland 6, Ashburton 0. The Southland forwards dominated the play, but the backs were not handling well, and many scoring opportunities were lost. Ashburton scored alter a great movement in which both backs and forwards handled and outplayed Southland, Brooker scoring. Behrns failed with the kick. Southland 6, Ashburton 3. Ashburton played with great dash for the remainder of the spell, and on two occasions deserved to score. R. Lilley charged down a kick by Sutherland and beat J. Purdue (full-back) for possession. Fulton raced away clear to the posts, where he was collared from behind by Mahony. Lilley appeared to score, but the referee ruled a tackle short of the line. The crowd's sympathies were with Ashburton, and the referee was booed for his action in not awarding a try. ' Ball Lost on Line

Shortly afterwards a passing rush by the Ashburton backs had the Southland defence outwitted, and Bradley lost the ball right on the lino. Apart from these breaks. Southland had much the better of the exchanges, tout played without finish.

In the second spell Ashburton opened strongly, and for five minutes had Southland busily defending. Bradley and Burgess potted unsuccessfully, but Behrns kicked a penalty and equalised the scores amid great enthusiasm. It was clear that the crowd appreciated Ashburton's bad luck of the first spell. The Southland backs got going, and Mahony lost a try right at the corner. Then Sutherland cut the defence in two, but stumbled as he went for the line. Ashburton was penalised when O'Donoghue stood ahead of the line of the scrum, and Grace kicked an easy goal. Metcalfe scored for Southland after a scramble at the corner. It was a doubtful try, three Ashburton men holding him as he w,ent over. The try was not converted. Southland 12, Ashburton 6. Herron kicked a penalty goal. No sooner had he done so than R. Lilley scored the best try of the game. He cut in on Southland passing and ran over under the posts. Behrns converted. Southland 15, Ashburton 11. The play of the last five minutes was exciting. First Southland and then Ashburton made great attempts to score. With two minutes to play Ashburton turned the tables, and R. Lilley made an opening which left the defence standing. He gave Bradley a clear run in, when Behrns converted, and gave Ashburton a lead.of 16 points to 15. The enthusiasm of the crowd was unbounded. The last two minutes were sensational. The Southland forwards made strenuous endeavours to get over, but were unable to do so until'the last seconds of the game. Two scrums were formed on Ashburton's line. Ashburton forced down from the first, but the referee awarded another, and as soon as the ball came out Graham dived and scored an almost similar try to the one scored against Otago. The crowd by this time had surged round the touch and goal lines, and the referee twice had to stop play to get the crowd back. Herron converted the try and the game ended with the score: Southland 20, Ashburton 16. The crowd rushed on to the playing area as the teams filed off, and much booing was directed at the referee, who was escorted'off by a policeman. The general opinion 'was that Ashburton was unlucky to lose on the day. REFEREES' MATCH

CANTERBURY BEATS ASHBURTON

The Canterbury Rugby referees beat the Ashburton referees in their annual match, which was played at Lancaster Park on Saturday as a curtain-raiser' to the representative match between Wellington and Canterbury. Canterbury won by 13 points to 12 after the score had see-sawed in an exciting game. Canterbury took the lead toward the close of the first half when Osmers scored from a forward attack and Billens kicked a fine field goal. Ashburton attacked strongly after the interval in an endeavour to reduce the 7-0 deficit, and at last King scored at the corner after Day had made an opening. Day himself scored after good work by Farrell and Hood. Dalton broke through several tackles to score a try, which put Ashburton ahead and the score was increased to 12-7 when Wellman dodged over after a long throw-in. After a good forward attack Murray scored at the corner for Canterbury. A good kick to a gap by Coulter sent the Canterbury forwards away again and A'Court scored to give Canterbury the lead again at 13-12. Canterbury had no difficulty in holding its lead to the final whistle. The teams were:— Ashburton—E. McDougall; C. King. C. Wellman (captain), M. Betts; G. Day, G. Stevens; F. Kennedy; K. Hood, H. Rose, W. Farrell, S. Pannell, A. McKenzie, C. Thomas, A. McLennan, G. Dalton. Canterbury—J. Edmonds; V. Beaumont, E. J. Parker, R. W. Blazey (captain); A. Timms, A. Billens; H. R. Escott; E. A. Osmers, A. E. Rogers, J. Gough, R. J. McLachlan. R. Anderson, C. Spring, S. Baird, G. A'Court. The referee was Mr R. Burke (Sunnyside). Visitors Entertained

The visiting members of the Ashburton Rugby Referees' Association were entertained at dinner by members of the Canterbury Association after the game, Mr R.' J. G. Collins presiding over an attendance of about 100. On behalf of the Canterbury Referees' Association Mr Collins presented a silver teapot to Mr J. C. F. McLachlan as a mark of appreciation of his services as sports director. A toast list was honoured, speakers extending congratulations to the Ashburton Rugby Union on its fine attempt to win the Ranfurly Shield from Southland. Items were given by Messrs J. Haynes and N. D. Coulter. HIGH STANDARD OF PLAY

FORMER REPRESENTATIVES

BEAT AUCKLAND CTMS» IHOCUSXO* TEI/»O*AM.) AUCKLAND, September 25. One of the finest exhibitions of Rugby seen in recent years was given by the Barbarians' fifteen, which decisively beat an Auckland representative team by 43 points to 21, in a colourful game that excited a large attendance at Eden Park.

Christchurch Department after the game on Saturday. Mr T. Gibb presided over about 150 guests. The following toasts were proposed:—"The Department,' Mr R. T. C. Roberts, replied to by Mr F W Furby; "The Wellington Team," Mr L. O. Tyrell, replied to by Mr D. McLelland; "Canterbury Rugby Union," Mr W Whitham, replied to by Mr R. R. Masters- "The Referee," Mr T. Lilburne, replied to by Mr A. G. Berry; "The Entertainers," Mr T. H. Hall. Items were given by Messrs G. Titchener, J. A. Fitzsimmons, C. Peters, L. SmaU, R. Harrison, J N Havord. W. Bell, and R. Wilson.

Right from the starfr the Barbarians, composed of former Auckland and New Zealand representatives, displayed superior tactics and combination. The brilliance of the team's movements proved too much for Auckland, which was considerably weakened, as D. Solomon and McLean had transferred to Barbarians for the match, and Martin, Dick, Pearman, Lockington, and Cooney were not able to take the field. Tries for Barbarians were scored by Fraser (2), D. Solomon (2), McLean (2), Bullock-Douglas (the former Wanganui player), Hart (the former Canterbury § layer), Caughey, F. Solomon, and Bush, ush converted five tries. Hardy, Brown. Hull, Whillans, and Grant scored tries for Auckland, Clark converting three. WANGANUI BEATEN WELLINGTON SECOND TEAM'S SUCCESS (FBESS A4SOCXATXOV TII.IOHAM.) WELLINGTON, September 25. The Wellington second Rugby team beat Wanganui in the final match of the season by 22 points to 14 on Saturday. H. R. Pollock kicked, four penalty goals for the I

winners. R. J. Kemp and H. K. C. Wild scored tries and Kemp a field goal. For Wanganui, L. Burgess, W. McLennan, and Johns scored tries, and Welsh converted one and kicked a penalty goal. The forward packs were even, but the Wanganui backs, of whom Welsh and Barton were the stars, were much more dangerous.

Pollock's first goal was kicked after three minutes' play. A Wanganui passing rush started slowly, but Welsh raced beI tween Wild and Pollock to send Barton and Burgess away for Burgess to even the score. Kemp scored an easy try after a Wellington forward rush, and Pollock's second goal gave Wellington a half-time lead of 9 points to 3. Early in the second half, McLennan dived over when Wanganui hooked the ball, and Pollock kicked another goal Johns's try gave Wanganui a lead of 14 Pi? J° b , ut i ll tne last 10 minutes Wellington took charge. Pollock landed his fourth goal.. Kemr> after just missing a try. dropped a goal from well out. and Wild handled twice i in a magnificent passing rush to score two minutes before time.