RANFURLY SHIELD

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1929, Page 3

RANFURLY SHIELD

WEDNESDAY’S MATCH

COMMENTS ON THE GAME

MASTERTON, August 28,

11l the fifth Ranfurly Shield match of J.he season Canterbury’s challenge failed, Wairarapa showing second spell superiority, and winning by lv points to 12. The score was a iair indication of the play. Canterbury was unfortunate in that Lifetime and iiu;rd were replaced. Jne Wairarapa team remained intact. Prior to the kick-off the general Opimoj.l as that the Canterbury backs would be a thorn, in Wairarapa's side. With the progress of the game, however, tiie 'challenging rearguard lost its sting, and it was not until ten minutes before the filial bell rang that" they livened up. The opposition backs were for the greater part on the offensive, and got away with a lot which would not have eventuated had the Canterbury men tackled low. The Canterbury forwards held the. Wairarapa pack in the first spell, winning most of the line-outs and scrums, but their position was entirely reversed in the second. Playing a fast and concentrated game, the big Wairarapa forwards gradually wore down their opponents and sent their own hacks awiiy at every opportunity. Of eighteen scrums ; in the first spell Canterbury hooked twelve times, i ivbiVe scrums got down .in 1 the second spell, Wairarapa : winning nine. Canterbury were awarded eighty of the fourteen penalty kicks. The shield holders were particularly careless in scrummaging. This was' a feature which to a great extent marred the first stages. Time after, time the whole Wairarapa scrum would go down like, a bull at a gate, only to be ordered to break again. This apparently was a subject which the Wairarapa coach dealt with at half-time, for on resuming play .they formed better scrums and were rewarded with a greater share of the ball. Thus the Greens were able to show the combined work which won the. game for them.

Lilburne’s injury was received' on the shoulder before the game had been in progress ten minutes. It is quite likely that Canterbury would have come out of the first • spell on top had the accident not occuried.' The captain was obviously playing at a great disadvantage, arid failed to make most of his chances. D. Hay replaced him at half-time. W. Thompson replaced Baird thirty-five minutes after the commencement of the Second- spell. Of the two full-backs, Harris was the better. His fielding was safe and his defence good. When opportunity came his way he never failed to open up play, to nis backs. Unfortunately, he was. not supported by the . rest, of the. backs, as., he should,, have, been, and it was resulting upon this, that Wairarapa scored one. of their tries. At this particular stag® the Canterbury forwards were hardpressed and eventually scattered; by the opposition. Cooke cut through their midst, was upset by Harris, and the ball rolling over the line, was touched down by .Irvine for a try. Opportune assistance by any. of. the Canterbury inside backs would undoubtedly have prevented this. Steel showed no form and was most, disappointing throughout. Cundy, who was marking him, passed him for one try. The latter, however, was little better, Hart was one of the best backs on the field and scored the best try of the day. From a. scramble in midfield Oliver raced away with Hart in support. The winger received his pass elgmly, and after doing twentyfive yards down the line short punted over Roadie’s head to beat Stringfellow in a gallop for the ball. This was characteristic of his game •throughout. He also did very good defensive work. Carleton was certainly not up to All Black standard, and was one, of-the chief:.offenders at high tackling. Stringfellow, his vis-a-vis, outshone him. Oliver marked. Cooke and acquitted- himself with credit. He played-’a somewhat selfish game, but his idea was right, with Carleton unsteady" and Steel well marked. He punted. through or. practically every occasion the Can-, terbury backs got the ball in motion, consequently Steel was able to follow through and on one .or two occasions came within an ace of scoring. Hay outshone Corkill at first five-eighth and potted a good field goal. ."When Mullan fyad most of his chances, which occurred, in the first spell, he gave erratic passes from the scrum and hampered back movements. He played a good defensive game and steadied up his handling in the second spell.

Mill made >po mistakes in sending; the Wairarapa backs away. Scrimshaw was better ' than J. Donald in the loose, but failed to make the openings which the latter made. The combined work 1 of the Cantorbun’ backs was, on the whole, superior to that of Wairarapa in the first spell hut, as previously stated, they were handicapped to a certain extent by the injury to Lilburne. With the exception of Toby Robinson and Manning, the loose play of the Canterbury forwards lacked sting. The following up was very' slow and spasmodic. In the tight they more than held their own. Robinson scored from a line out on the Wairarapa twenty-five after a smart piece of following up. The rest of the Canterbury pack appeared to feel the strain in the second spell, and only spasmodically resisted , the onslaughts of the Wairarapa team with any vim. The game had really developed into one of stamina among the forwards, Lin which Wairarapa were superior.