THRILLING RUGBY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20042, 14 September 1939, Page 16

THRILLING RUGBY

SHIELD-HOLDERS BEATEN SOUTHERN PACK SUBDUED 9 TAR ANAKF S TRIUMPH HOME BACKS BRILLIANT (Per Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. Subduing the fiery Southland pack in the last stages of a torrid game, Taranaki inflicted the first defeat on tlte Ranfurly Shield holders in a thrilling Rugby game at Stratford today. Taranaki won by three points, a try, to nil, but deserved a bigger margin, for it had marked superiority in tire last 20 minutes. Greater pace in the backs and more devil in the forwards contributed to Taranaki’s win, the best performance of a Taranaki team for many years. Southland was something below full strength, but against that the visitors won the toss and had the advantage of playing with a strong southerly wind. It was a magnificent performance on the part of Taranaki to prevent so strong a team from scoring with that in its favour. An additional factor which enhanced the home team’s performance was that the ground was heavy after rain, and Taranaki this year has been a dry-day team. Tcrriffic Struggle

The match was exciting nGt for brilliant movements, which were few, but because of the terrific struggle for supremacy between teams evenly -o-itniied and able to lust out the full duration of a gruelling struggle in which the pace never slackened till the last minute. As Taranaki assumed the upper hand play brightened, culminating in exciting fluctuations of the last 10 minutes. Taranaki was close to Southland’s line when it look a scrum instead of a line-out and, with C. Sullivan coming in as extra man, swept across the field with a fine movement. Hauman dived for the line but lost the ball as he got there. Play swung back to the other Corner again and Taranaki took another scrum for a line-out. { Arnold was held up short of the line, but Maclean was there to throw himself over and ground the ball before he was thrown on to the flag. " \ 1 1 The final act of the drama came when Southland went away in its best back attack of the day, which seemed likely to bring the scores level, but J. Sullivan, the best back on the ground, saved brilliantly. Credit to Sullivan To the forwards and to Johns, fullback, and J. Sullivan must go the credit for Taranaki’s undeniable superiority. The magnificent pack held Southland against the wind and swarmed all over the opposition in the ;econd spell. O’Dowda was a fine leader. With him, the pack hunted vrimly. Walker and Benton smashing through the defence time after time. Maclean played a loose game to aid the backs. In orthodox attack and defence, the Taranaki backs did their share by keeping the visitors confidently in check, although the raking thrusts lacked the brilliance shown by Killeen and J. Sullivan on a dry ground. Had Killeen been his usual scintillating self, J. Sullivan, who was ‘he outstanding personality on the H weuld have carved the South,"T>d ripfpnpe to ribbons. The Taranaki threequarter line was too fast and tha+, combined ’’h fremjptit mishandling after the 1 'd' passed Grace, kept the home line ’omparatively safe. Except for Sax*nn and. to a lesser extent, Grace, Mahoney and Ward, Southland was simply a solid, dependable fifteen with no versatility to aid it in a revival should its methods be conquered. Ward played like one of New Zealand’s finest forwards, but S. Purdue was too slow. Saxton played tc form and Grace’s litheness and handling were impressive. The rest of the backs were colourless on attack ‘hough merciless on defence.