WANGANUI WINS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1855, 15 September 1913, Page 5

WANGANUI WINS.

WEAK LOCAL TEAM BEATEN. A highly amusing farce, which might reasonably have been entitled "Imitation of a Rugby match," was enactod on Athlotio Park before a small crowd on Saturday afternoon. Tho teams engaged represented l Wanganui and Wellington. With some men on the way to California, atoam in Christ-church, some playing against tho Australians in Dunedin, and several injured, Wellington could not put forward even a B team. However, Saturday's fifteen, would probably havo won had tho men gathered at the eloventh hoyr been in condition. Almost all of them have been out of training for some time. This accounted for Cunninghamo 1 having to play tho visiting pack single-handed at times. Capper gave a very fine display of fullback work, and Beard showed tliat he possesses tho qualifications of a firstrate centre-three-quarter. Littlo (half), Sullivan (five-eighth), Young, and Gardiner (wings), did well, but l)ansey was hopeless. The Wanganui backs throw the ball about nicely, but muddled away their chances in the most wonderful mannor. Tho teams were: ; Wanganui (blue and black): Fullback, 11. Faker; three-quarters, Temperton, Lockett.'F. Meuli; five-eighth, R. Campion, F. Collier; half, F. Atkinsj wing-forward, Brown; pack, R. O'Donnell," H. Collier, Takarangi, Caldwell, Smith. Lairden, Batley. .- Wellington (black): Full-back, H. Capper; three-quarters, C. Young, Beard, Gardinor; five-eighths, Sullivan,' Dansey; half, H. Littlo; wing-forward, J. Cunninghamepack, Parker, Murphy, Perry (Wellington ■ Club), Ready, Keeney, Osborno, Price. Referee, Mr. Fordyce. ( The Wanganui pack held tho upper hand for the first half-hour, but the play was raggod and uncertain on botli sidos. Takarangi broke away twice, and almost brought scores to tho river-city team. When tho Wellington backs settled down to organised work they provided soveral excellent passing rushes. Little sent the rearguard away once from half-way. He made a beautiful opening for Sullivan, who sent a good transfer to Beard, and tho Victoria College man just failed to bump a path over the line. The ball drifted into the ruck, and Cunninghame gathered it ui and dived over. ellington, 3; \\ nui nil. Sullivan snapped up in tho looso and sent on to Dansey. Gardiner got it on the. end of the chain and made a fine, but unsuccessful, dash foi the line. Just before tho end of the spell Wellington-were penalised in their twenty-five, and Faher goaled. Wellington,' 3; Wanganui, 3 Early in tho second half Faber landed another. penalty goal. Wanganui, 6 ; Wellington, 3. The visitors attacked most of the ?ppll, but their own muddling and' Capper's safety them from scoring until about half way through tho spell, when tliey opened a big account. Meuli, H. Collier, and I'. Collier scored tries, and H. Collier's try was converted by Faber. Thus the game ended: Wanganui, 17; Wellington, 3.