O'BRIEN AGAIN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19985, 10 July 1939, Page 11

O'BRIEN AGAIN

GOAL-KICKER IN FORM 1! IVI NTS TO FORWARD WEAK MARIST DEFENCE Marist .‘Jlpts. H. 5.0.8 13 On very few occasions on Saturday did Marists look like the leading team in the Gisborne competition, and the only highlight of their play was the magnificent kicking of M. O’Brien, who kicked three penalties and converted a try. His tally for the season is now past the 50-point mark. The least said about the Marist defence, or perhaps the whole of their display, the better. On about two occasions their backline had a gallop, and then they looked like a team; but, apart from this, the only noticeable feature of their play was their poor defence, which was not worthy of a fourth grade team. Fortunately, Hoy. Hceney, Duckworth and Moughan made some efforts to tackle, the first-mentioned and the last-men-tioned being noticeable in this despect. The losers provided little to enthuse over and sadly missed the services of J. Leach and W. Morrison. The maroons by far had the best of the scrums, despite ’the absence of Leach. Field Goal to Smiler Play from the outset was dull, and. with a lot of aimless kicking, the game dragged on until Wyn Smiler opened the scoring with a neatly-potted field goal from well out, to give Marist a four-point lead.

With Kutia and Johnstone prominent, the maroons took a turn on the offensive and played all over the badly-disjointed blues until Rigney saved with a side-line dribbling rush. Two brilliant breaks-through by Jack Short looked dangerous for the blues, whose inside backs seemed more intent on speeding him or, with a pat on the back, which they mistakenly mistook for a tackle. Wei! on the attack. H. 5.0.8. opened their account when McCracken, the winger, finished off a movement with an unconverted try to make the score Marist 4, H. 5.0.8. 3.

From the drop-out, the blue backs had one of their few gallops of the game, and the brilliant W. Hoy was forced out near the corner. Maris 1 : scored again when O’Brien put over a penalty from a difficult angle and ' about 35yds. out. —Marist 7, H. 5.0.8. TTecnev set Marist on attack with a side-line burst from the base of the scrum, but V. Kutia led a counterattack in good style. Back came Marist, and McGrannachan badly bustled Newman, the maroon fullback. Per medium of O’Brien's boot. Marist scored again when their great goal-kicking forward found the uprights with another penalty from an acute angle.—-Marist 10, H. 5.0.8. 3. Just before half-time, H. 5.0.8. added to their tally, Gardner kicking a penalty when W. Smiler was caught ofl'-side, the score at the interval being Marist 10, H. 5.0.8. 6. On the resumption of play, Chris. Anderson and W. Smiler put the side on attack, but the blue tackling was still very weak. Honey saved his side from a dangerous position when McCracken was hauled down close to the line, and Duckworth made things better for his side with two good rushes down the right wing. Following two surprising solo clforts by Joe Anderson, his brother Chris, went over to score a try, which O'Brien con-verted.—-Marist 15, H. 5.0.8. 6. When Ifeeney was penalised for playing the ball on the ground, Gardner went close with a penalty and shortly afterwards McCracken scored bis second try, Gardner missing the goal.—Marist 15, H. 5.0.8. 9. A Hoy Try O’Brien missed his only shot at goal shortly afterwards, when the Smiler trio sent Hoy away for the winger to score a typical unconverted try, tiie board then reading Marist 18, H. 5.0.8. 9.

With Tom Smiler and Wrightson prominent, the blues were away again, the latter, who was playing a great forward game for Marist, being •dropped from behind. Marist had their reward shortly afterwards when O’Brien kicked his third penalty goal from an easy position, to make the score Marist 21, H. 5.0.8. 9.

In the dying stages, the maroons added to their tally when R. Short cut in strongly and Gardner ranged up to take a final pass and score an unconverted try, he himself missing the sitter. The final score was Marist 21, H. 5.0.8. 12. The referee was Mr. W. McKeague.