WILSON’S DAY OUT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 703, 1 July 1929, Page 6

WILSON’S DAY OUT

RIFLES DOWN GRAFTON College Rifles owed their victory over Grafton at Eden Park on Saturday to their five-eighth, Wilson. His boot produced eight points, in a couple of penalties and a converted try which he registered. It was a ragged game, at best, confined largely to the forwards. Rifles beat the Magpies at their own game in the tight and dominated the loose play with short dribbling rushes and persistent following-up, which bustled the opposing backs. Souter, Rifies’ front ranker, was always prominent in the heavy scrumming and invariably was in the van in breakaways, in the loose and dribbling. Noakes and Fogarty were outstanding for their line-out and loose work, the former particularly for his consistency in following up. Rifles’ backs were without the services of Gillespie, but nevertheless combined nicely on the few opportunities offering for rearguard action. The best piece of combined play of the day was witnessed when Rifles opened its scoring account with a really spectacular passing bout. The leather travelled through three men before an opportune reverse pass to Donald let the wing- forward over for a pretty try. Wilson was easily the best of the Rifles’ backs. In addition to registering 11 points himself he made the opening which gave his team the first score. Grafton fielded a comparatively weak team, and consequently was lacking in combination, particularly among the backs. The forwards made a desperate battle to hold teh fastbreaking opposing pack, but had their hands more than full, and they did not receive the necessary SLipport from their backs in rush stopping. Wanoa held the Magpies’ scrum together, but the weight was not concerted to support him in the set scrums. Keary. until he was injured, was always prominent for his line-out play and solid dribbling in the loose, ably assisted by Hammond. The backs, consisting of several juniors, put up a weak resistance to the Rifles’ rushes. Liddle was the only back who infused any vigour or displayed any determination in his running. Ruru and Wilson in the threequarter line had opportunities in the second term, but seemed too nervous to “grive it a go.”