STALE TEAM

NZ Truth, Issue 1190, 20 September 1928, Page 14

STALE TEAM

STALE_TEAM Otago Now. Easy Side ■^f 6 Beat; ■ (From "N.Z. Truth's" Dunedin Rep.) If Southland can travel any sort of a team to Dunedin next Saturday they should have no trouble m giving Otago a miserable exit to what has been a very miserable season. BY the performance of the Otago men against Wellington vlast. Saturday, the dark blues,are .quite.ready,fQr the curtain to be~rung"down. Kids with a kerosene tin could have interested vthe crowd .of, 7000. just as well as—if.not better than-—last week's representatives of the two. provinces, which, In earlier-day; meetings were ■ never known; to disappoint. ••/ With Marsliri, Holden, McClymont and Bradanoyich away In the third Test at Christchurcb*/.;the Otago team "as certainly m.lnus; .its aces, yet wuthern supporters hi^diy anticipated such a pasting by a team which was only too' evident. of the weakness of Rugby m the cjajiital, at...the,present tiro*. % ■■■ ■' :"' v "'■;" : ' ■/' ".-•'• If Otago backs had taken up; the same means of attack, they might. have got more support from their j. forwards who seemed positively to -■,S*fuße': action when?' \t- came to backing-up a long kick. It took Otago thirteen'minutes from the kick-off to pierce the visitors' twenty-five, and- then It was only to give ah exhibition of 'how badly the backs could pass; m fact; the fumblins by both .sides was; abominable. ••' • ; Both back divisions were repeatedly out of position for spectacular passing- work and what life there was m the match was of -a "come-and-go", nature, V:ith.?pme player, of either side, finishing up a rush by Just tossing the ball anywhere. , Of the Wellington forwards, Williams was prominent m line-out work, Vitti Sly the hardest bullookar m the tlßThtr Potts-and Claridge at times were also m the llmelisrht Pickering staged the most exciting moment of tho match when he dashed In on the home backs and, securing the leather, headed for the line. Encountering Nicholson;;the Otago full-back, the Wellington man shortr punted, and ' m a'sensational race m which Botting Joined, .chase, just managed to. do.. his stuff for' a reklly brilliant try.. Coman had a passing knowledge T of what a half-back should know, and put it Into nippy execution. Many of the movements hevinHiaV ed, however, broke down for want ,of relnforoements. ' ' -'■'■■■' For the home team, Botting, behind the scrum,, got .his passes away m good ptyle;-but hia first five-eighths appeared: to be a trifle too far out. '■•■"': When Haughton got the ball, Invariably ' he I seemed to y: forget there were other backs outside him, and coffined' many opportunities by sheer . qelflshnesa. " ■More,, iii. the pack, came to Hgh'twith BOiap^hrßt-T^%&::tqe yfptki and was out at the, head of■]a of dribbling rushes. ■ ■' ■££':. ... „.,. ■■ _■->^ ■■■':. /<_..■: ■ ■