THE TOURNEY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1842, 30 August 1913, Page 13

THE TOURNEY.

VIGNETTES OF COLLEGE GAME. [By Mem Meee.] • The stroller seeking sunlight near tflio Basin Reserve on Thursday afternoon would indeed -have teen very deaf if there did not occasionally- penetrate to his ieairing a solid, sustained shouting of lusty lungs, rivalling in volume tho thunderous surging of tempest-swept sea-rollers. * Tho Intor-Oollegiate Rugby Tournament 3iad onco again Wellington as its fleeting liome, and it was the thrilling :passages of tho overture that were prompting such a roar. Wellington's cliiefest boys were engaged in battle with Wanganui's elect, and along the far clay bank sjvarmed hundreds of youthful, local partisans who wore mainly responsible for the Chorus, ivhile on the seats along the sward of the sideline their , seniors took a more silent though none-tho less intense interest' .in tho progress of tho play. Half-time was past, and the sturdy schoolboys of Wanganui were five points on, but this tho home lads did not feel depressed over. And then from a nudfield scram bio a'lithe visiting back, picked up and gathered speed while tho Black and Yellow wearers were still at sixes and sevens. Away to the goal ho sped with an entrancing freedom of stride; the last of the defenders had l , but a touch at, and a glimpse of, tho streaking Whitc-clad, figure, and tlio ball was grounded between tho posts. Ten—nil! An official reporter for the "School Journal"—recorder, of all his fellows' athletic skill— sliook his head; things were glum indeed. ■ A stalwart principal was thoughtfully wondering if a laurel crown had vanished from his school's grasp. One note of clatioiv—a Wanganui master;—" We've never had his equal in tho football field/;" and tlio scorer's strido seemed worthy of tho praise. , . AVellington lagged a little 111 the rally, but a lucky punt heartened them as it fell outsido tho line in Wangaiuu s oorner. Here scrum sueceededi scrum, and behind tlio Black pack a midget half-back shifted with' tho swaying mass. Out camo the ball; the midget s spiderv arms grasped it, and down tho blind side, with shepherding wing threequarter, ho swerved. A hefty tackle, and tho little spindlo logs shot ill tho air, but just' bcfoio tho spidery arm had sfliot the ball to his confrere. Tho venture, though, was luckless. Quickly again the tactic was repeated, and the littlo half was trounced once _ more. Then a subtle wisdom seized Ihim—lie started off on another similar manoeuvre, slowed tho thin arm as if to hurl the leather to 'his convoy, deluded tho defenders, and swiftly wriggled over tho line. And then camo tho roar The other corner bccamo tho "round; Wellington worried Wanganui ceaselessly. Tho midget was swept along like a straw before the wind, but still ho luing to it —bowled down but to bounco up again. He loosed his backs oncc more and down the lino "Hindy" dashed; then the ' wing finally scurried and just got there. : Soon the flags behind the posts went up and Wellington were two points bohind. *' Urgent came tho advice from the flock of boys perched 011 the hill: "Do it now," they sang.' Tlio schoolboy never has a cheering note with which to urge on tho other sid'e. Time was well on tho wing; now and then a "fellow" was knocked out and while he lay on tho ground enduring much smacking on an injured limb, panting gladiators, ignoring altogether tho risk of chill, lay prostrate round about on tho dampened turf. Between the "casualties" Wellington reached to within tho scoring zone, and tho snippet half reverted to his wiles. Tlio lads in white looked for him, and twice or thrice solidly embraced hisslim form: another time a sturdy 'Wanganui champion whom ho tackled carried him along as if ho had been a veritablo feather. But at last tho midget's moment came. Ho got possession inside tho twenty-five, but there was no clear field. Ho cut as though for his convoy; then doubled in; twirled and twisted and insinuated his Lilliput o proportions over the fighting lino. From the puzzling picture of post-impression tho refereo sorted him out as tho winning subject. And then the hoar ! | Tho stalwart principal appeared quite unconcerned. His boys were now in tlio lead: tho crown might still be theirs. But was it not only what a boy worthy of his cap should do? There was "time off" to make up and Wanganui made sortie after sortie which at times frightened tho clay-bank perchers into breathless suspense. Eagerness caused a breach, and there were calls for "Hindy" to kick. "Hindy" took it and achieved a magnificent climax with a sailing goal from a lialfwrv angle. ... , Tho referee blow his whistlo; throw

wide his arms as if to say: "It is finished." And then from all quarters of tlio field tho crowd, young and old, raced to where tho victors were commencing to cheer the vanquished. From tlio midst of Wellington's "men" they seized the midget-; airily he was slung aloft across heads and shoulders and cheeringly "chaired" to tho dressing-room. It was a parallel pago of ''Tom Brown's Schooldays." And a diminutive person of the nam© of Brierloy was the hero. Amidst the din tlio cheers and coun-ter-cheers of tho combatants were drowned. Then filed the warriors off tho field, and many were tlio pats for white and black jersey alike. For long the ehecring continued, and u'hilo Rugby can reel off such spectacles as tlio intor-collegiato tournament films tho game must live. 1 But tho Rugby Unions want to find tho secret of conserving that enthusiasm for tho old game which our secondary schoolmasters so successfully nurture in tho lads who pass through their schools.