POOR SHOWING

NZ Truth, Issue 1239, 29 August 1929, Page 16

POOR SHOWING

Southland Were Arihihilated

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.)

Southland failed to cross the home "side's. . last .line of defence when they played. Wellington at Athletic. y Park on; Wednesday. Hqpelessly outclassed from the beginning they' leftythe' field defeated to ithe tiipe pf-35. points to seven.

XHEIR orily. scones ganie from a field goal by -.Holden and a'penalty about halfway . through 'the ■ second spell. Never: at any tinie. during trite progress of tlie game did they look V dangerous. As-aspirantsyforthe Banfurly Shield,

they at least possess plenty of optimism. The result of next Saturday's, game against Wairarapa is a foregone conclusion. ... ... As an interprovincial clash the game was a, failure. . Never., at any stage did itireach that point of perfection one ex-' pects' to see m such matches. No .. doubt this was m" some respects due to. the lack of opposition the Wellington fifteen had to contend with. Southland possessed a willing .forward division. 'but. it received little or no support from the " backs. JiVith sickening regularity the -ball game out of the scrum to Julian, the Wellington half, and he. always knew what. tO do with it. ■ ' When Southland did get the ball it I never, got past the second five-eighths, j Townsend; How he ever came to be included In the team is a mystery. ;, He- either failed to take a pass, sent tliem out ' Undirected; br ' failed ' to send the ball oUt at' all. The centre, Framptoh, was also weak. . A» a combination; the Southland backs were that m name only, and time after time, when the opportunity arose, they failed -to take ' advantage of it. Every movement lacked . thrust, and halfway through the second spell, when .Wellington began to run all over them, they were completely.^demoralised. The forwards stood up to the gruelling well, but v :they : •were . .useless on their Own. .. '__..' ■_' ■'-.. :.'■ Vy ■ -y , '."... ( With Jessup and Goulstonohooking the ball> with great regularity, for Wellington and little Julian getting It ' away; Johnson, Mackenzie and Ramson had innumerable opportunities to i shlrie.y '.' '• :' ' ' 'yVV.yy : Rushbrook and on the wings; were also L too' good for their opponents. Elvy, with his tricky run, completely nonplussed', the opposition. . : He scored the. greater ;■ majority of' Wellington's points, y■' .-.,- '-..-. .. '. • v'.yy. I The soundest player m the Southland ! divisionvwas the full-back, Norris'. Holden, at half, was starved .arid Bell spent most of ips. time trying. to bolster up a broken 'division. ■• :-.*■■" * ; ,the forwards ail-but held their own iii;' the line-'outs, but : their backs were nearly always smothered^ Conibiriation is sadly lacking m the whole team, arid as an attacking force theyy are ho match for any first grade provincial side. ■■"■■"' ■•■■:•' ' .■■■■•■■■