Wanganui-Manawatu Beaten 17—15

Chronicle (Levin), 29 August 1946, Page 6

Wanganui-Manawatu Beaten 17—15

—Press Association

By Telegraph-

WANGANUI, August 28. More than 8UU0 people saw the visiting Australian Kugby Union team defeat the Wanganui-Manawatu combined side ou Spriggens I'ark, Wanganui, today by 17 to 15. It was au overcast ctay but eonditions were dry and suitablo to open play which was indulged in by botli sides, pujictuated by vigorous rueking in the i'orwards. Some of the best of this type of play was seen.: There was iittle between the two teams as regards territorial lionours. If any- • thing the combinod side had the best of it in that respect but lacked paee,; backing up and polish to eapitalise ou, well uon possession of the ball. The Australians, ou the otlier liand, made good use of every lapse made by the combijied team in passing, playing that traditional type of Australian football whicl/ looks for reward from good backing up. Oue try m the inatch scored by .the visitors, was typicaJ of that. Wanganui was attacking wheu a dropped pass was snapped up and a move started which emled in Bainton, Australian live-eiglith, gonig over to score. Not withstanding the obvious pace and teamwork shown by the visitors, they eould not yet be rated as good a side as that which toured New Zealaud in 193j wlien I'orwards of the type of Hodgson, Br'ulle and K. Wiudon wero lie.ded and three-quarters of the calibre of A. D. McEeau,,..!. D. Kellaher and W. McLaughlan. Injuries have afL'ected the side and the pack werit well eonsidering that this was its third matcli for soinc of the players within a woek. Wanganui Manawata combined Jiehled a good pack of forwards but with Ihe exeeption of K. Welsh, lirst iiveeighths, the backs were not above the averuge. Welsh could be rated the best back on the field, shariug lionours perliaps with T. McBride, tlie Australian eentre. McBride is a dangerous player wlum given half au incli of room to move in. Anv criticism that the Australian tackling wa- wenk, was elfectively answered in this matcli. Every back in the team went clean and low and there was souie deadly tackling by the Australian I'orwards who rucked well, putting plenty of dasli into their play. It was in tliis departiuenl, however, that the coinbiiied side held its own. contesting incli for incli of ground. llad McBride boen playing outside Welsh, nnich bf the dearlv won possession of the ball gained by the home forwards would have boen ttirned to good aceount. But so orthodox was the home back play and so slow in nioving away from rncks, liueouts and scnnus, that the Australians had sullieient paee tn get out and bloek it. Three tnnes thecoinbiiied side should have had an over-. lap in that the wiugs had come into the>-iive-eighths line, but the Australiaif covering iu defence was encouraging^ to watcli. . . ' ^ The home side 's half-baek, Williamson {.Manawatu) eould not cope with the Australian forwards breaking througli with the ball at toe but he got tlie Imll (iway fairly sinartly to a very deep live-eighths. Thoreufter he did not move away to ebver projierlv and in this respect liis playv contrastod , with that of the Australian half-back and captaui, Hchujte. Schulto was incliued to lose timo by twisting liis body riglit rouud wlien passing but lie moved always. to give liis three-quarters a hand should they need backiug up. Also liis

blind side play was tricky. Oi' the two Australian wings, Eastes and MeLean, the former got more to do but was well marked by McCarthy. In the end Eastes resorted to kicking short puats over McCarthy 's head aud trving to regain on the bounce. This brought trouble to the home team on at least three occasious. With the task of finding a full back to alternate wit;h Pipcr, the Australians today lielded Cremin, X.S.W. liveeighths. He did well in positional play, Jielding and tackling but liis kicking was not as accu'rate as will be requircd from a full back of international calibre. Harkness, the home fullback, was beaten twice badiy by straiglit running backs who evaded liis tackling. The pick of the Australian forwards was Tweedale in the front row, Hardcastle iu the tiglit, with Wiudon and Livennore always dangerous in the loose. In the home pack Eichardson (Mauawatu) and Tupaea, of Taihape, better ku own as Whiskey, went well. >So did Bresuahan (Manawatu) and McNicol (Wanganui). Gerrie (Wanganui) was iiiilslaiuling in Ihe loose. Australiu scored four tries (Tweedale, Baiinon, Eastes aud McBride oue each), Liverniore kicked a penalty goal and converted oue try. For the combined side Welsh scored twelve points (two penalty goals, oue conversioa and a field goal). Bresuahan scored a try. Compared with the ruliags of referecs iu Wanganui, the Taranaki referee today allowed inany liberties round tlie scruin to botli sides aud it looked as if ihe purpose was to ignore minor faults lo speed tlie game up but some of the breaches not penalised were criticised by supporters of botli sides, in some cases perhaps unduly, in that the advautage rule was applied. To overcome the ditiiculty tlie Australians have expurienced as the result of injuries- to players, arrangements have boen made with the New Zealaud Kugby Uuion wherebv a hooker and utility forward will be flown to the Doliiinion, priorities having boen arranged. This was decided today as the result of a conference between Mr. S. S. Dean, chairnian of the management committee of tlie New Zealaud Kugby Union, and Dr. W. 11. Ward, manager of the Australians.