RANFURLY SHIELD

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1932, Page 2

RANFURLY SHIELD

WIN FOR CANTERBURY

BY 14 TO- NIL.

CHRISTCHURCH, August 20,

In a hard fought game Canterbury defeated '.Auckland by 14 to 0 and retain the Ranfurly Shield. The match was played in ideal weather, there being warm- sunshine and very little wind. The ground was in perfect condition. . There .wa,s a crowd of about 14,000 or 15,000 -spectators — a record for this -season.

-Cottrell captained the Canterbury team, and Radley was skipper of the Auckland side.

Canterbury won the toss and elected to play with the wind and sun behind them.

An exchange of kick's found Auckland invading the Canterbury twenty-five, where a penalty relieved the situation. Roberts found the- lme well down.

Play 'settled down in mid-field for some! minutes, with the forwards engaging in a battle royal. And the first thrill came when King fought his way free of the rack and sent out a long pass to- the backs. Oliver was getting into his stride- when a scrum was ruled for a kfiock-on. The Canterbury pack was beaten for the ball, and Corner came round on the blind side, but Thompson was there to pull him down. iSo far Auckland were forcing the game and were beating Canterbury in the scrums for the baU, but their bucks could not get going properly, as tho back.rankers in the Canterbury pack were breaking up fast -and playing a spoiling game. “ . Solomon broke away frotn a ruck and stab-kicked over the heads- of the Canterbury backs. Roberts was tber© and found the line safely.

The hooking of the Auckland forwards was a revelation a-nd so far Canterbury had not won a scrum. The ball came back to the half-back l'ke lightning and Corner was getting it out to his five-eighths, but the inside bucks had not yet found their’ feet and the attention they were receiving from the Canterbury, breakaways was not helping them. Kahu, Batty and Stone figured at the head of a loose rush by the Auckland forwards and took play close to the Canterbury twenty-five.; The. Canterbury, backs 'staged a good i-itsh" from a scrummage, the ball travelling out to Brown. Brown put in a short kick and there whs great excitement among the crowd when. -Manchester followed up and looked like getting away. The bounce of the ball beat him, however, and Auckland .returned play to the Canterbury twerityffive. ; Canterbury had Auckland baffled when the forwards opened up a fast loose rush, but a penalty was ru’ed for off-side play, and the game settled who again/ headed the' Canterbury., forwards in an -exciting dash into Auckland territory. A try did pot eeem very far away, when a #orum waft ruled for a knock-on. The Auckland hookers were again equal to the occasion and beat 'Canterbury for jibe ball.' • Once more Auckland cleared, : - .

A brilliant rqn by Hazelhu-rst, who cqt in, heating, the Auckland fiveeighths, again placed Canterbury in a st-r-ong position, and for the- second time within ; three minutes they looked like scoring, only to infringe. Canterbury came hgain and again, and when Hart got the ball' h© beat Pearson and went down the line like a streak of lightning. 1 He was tackled by Bush, but slung himself over in the corner. Roberts failed from a difficult angle. '

Canterbury 3, Auckland 0. ■lt was Auckland’s turn to stage the thrills, 'and. Caughey \iroke away, beating two m three Canterbury men be.fore passing to Pearson. The winger got away at top speed, and only a sound tackle by Roberts saved the day. Canterbury quickly recovered, and ■'were right on top of Auckland when Oliver, Inhes and Hazel hurst joined in a merry bout of passing that seemed likely to produce a score. King was brought down within a few feet of the line, but not before he got the ball out to Hazelhurst, who went over, but was recalled for a scrum five yards out. The Canterbury backs were right on their toes locking for every opportuai. ity to keep the game open, and in this connection no one was doing better work than Hazelhurst, who was right on his game. A neat cut-in on his part saw him beat the Auckland liveeighths and send a reverse pass to King, who was seen in a dashing run that took the Canterbury attack under the Auckland goal posts. The Auckland hookers again beat Canterbury for the ball in the scrum and neared, but Canterbury’s lead was further advanced . v lieu Roberts . kicked a magnificent penalty goa] from thirty-five yards out, from a difficult angle.

Canterbury 6, Auckland 0,

Tilings looked dangerous for Canterbury when Palmer broke through with the ball and got, to within four yards of the Canterbury line before being pul'erl down. Corner whipped round the scrum on the inside, but Eouteicy spotted him and brought him down. Canterbury were not yet, however, out of danger, but they were successful in bustling Caughey as he was'about to take a pot at goal. The kick went wide and Roberts forced. Spreading out in open order, the 'Canterbury forwards were quickly down info Aucklind territory and Auckland were on the defensive until half-time The score was •.

Canterbury 6, Auckland 0.

Immediately -after the resumption King, Cottrell, Manchester and Perkins bustled play right down to the Auckland line. From the line-out, Cottrell fought his way across and went down with a pack of Auckland forwards on top of him. A force-down was. ruled. ;< The Canterbury forwards again put on an open rush with Manchesttjr m the lead. Ike. mad© a good 15-yard run before losing possession.

YVjth the Canterbury forwards going hammer, and tongs Auckland had to call; u{? all their reserves to keep their line- -intact. , It was Solomon who cleared for them by finding the line. Soon afterwards Oliver was seen in a 'fine /dash that brought Canterbury back to a-n -attacking position, but Brown was brought down by Mil’.ikcn. The fabric of the Auckland deferj.e was, cut to pieces by the next attack of the Canterbury backs. r kouterey got the ball out nicely -and all the backs handled, tile ball going swiftly out to Hart-, The speedy winger got into top gear and made a thrilling da'sh along the line -and kicked over the heads, of. the defending backs. Then there was an. exciting race in which lnnes was beaten lor the touch down by Bush by inches only.' 1 A' long kick took Auckland well inside Canterbury, territory, and Bush just, missed with a penalty kick from well out in the field. The advantage remained with Auckland, and a rush by the backs looked dangerous, but was broker: .up by solid tackling. A blind side thrust by Auckland went astray in the 'Canterbury twentyfive and Hart came into his own by picking up u-nd turning on another brilliant -Van and in a few seconds forced ' play right back oil to the Auckland line. Bush, the Auckland full-back, got underneath Hart’s centring kick, but Cottrell and 'several qfhe-rs were there also and the full-back, although lie got his kick in, gained no ground. The ball went out straight across the field. -Canterbury were on their toes al! the time and when they had established a footing in Auckland territory gave the challengers no quarter. Auckland had possession of only four feet of ground and Canterbury were launching attack after attack. Forwards and backs took part in thrilling play. The little Canterbury half-ffi&ck, Bout-orey, had his third attempt .to dive across and was successful. -He scored a*great try near the corner Roberts sent- over another magnificent kick- Canterbury 11, Auckland 0. -Play had now risen to brilliant heights, 1 with the Canterbury tdam definitely on top. The pace in the forwards was terrific, and both packs were working harder than at any other stage of the 1 game. A tremendous kick by Bush carried the play well inside Canterbury’s territory, but Thompson, Perkins -and Gottrell'quickly brought it back to half-way. The Auckland barks were then seen in a -series of attempts to break away, but I 'they’'did' Tfot ,, ‘hhVaf' thfe Ap'eed' ' to penetrate t-He Canterbury defence. 'Caughey wag seen -ifi-' a thrilling dash., ®# beat the Canterbury backs as he wont , round on the blind side and sont out to Milliken. The winger made a flying attempt to get across in the corner, but a -scrum was ruled for a knockon. * •

For some minutes play hung in the Canterbury twenty-five, and Pearson was nearly over in -the corner, but Hartreached him and pulled him down a foot or so from the line. The pressure was still on, and Auckland were making desperate attempts to make up leeway. They had a, great chance when ' the ball came neatly out to Corner from the scrum, but Caiughey missed a pass under the posts. Canterbury’s play was slumping and Auckland were sparkling up their attack, the backs engaging in a series of rushes that had Canterbury on the defensive. When 'lnnes got otf-side Bush had a kick at goal that missed by a .fraction. Thompson and King then came away in a rush for Canterbury that swept' play through to half-way. Oliver came up fast, picked up smartly and sent out'to Brown, but the winger \vas pulled down and lost possession. Oliver ,was there again, with Manchester in -support, and’ things looked dangerous for Auckland. Cbrner picked up smartly and found the line, however. Following fome heavy scrum work just outside the Auckland twenty-five, King picked up and passed out to Innes, who cut out two, men and then pased in to Brown, who had conne up on the inside. Brown had a clear run home. Roberts’ kick, ‘missed.

Canterbury 14, Auckland 0

Auckland were making a fighting finish, the backs exp’oiting • every method of penetration. There wa,s a thrill when Caughey whipped round on the blind side, and beat Hart and Oliver with ,a cut-in. . He was making a beeline' for the goal when Roberts brought him down, with a dive tackle. Canterbury were not to be denied, and were -playing the winning game at the finish, as they had done for the greater part of the game. The forwards were tearing up-field with Thomson and Mancheister in the van at the finish, and when the ball wee sent into touch time was, called. Canterbury gaining a fine victory. The final score was : pi A ■V’rrTT'TVRfTRY AUCKLAND 0 Referee: Mr,6. Hollander.