RANFURLY SHIELD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 August 1939, Page 3

RANFURLY SHIELD

OTAGO OUTCLASSED. BRILLIANT WIN FOR SOUTHLAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, August 5. If Southland plays throughout the season as it played today the Ranfurly Shield will be here next season. In a brilliant game today the shield was held against Otago by 23 points to 4. Each side included four All Blacks, but the whole of the Southland team played as an international side, with the forwards gaining the ball from nearly every ruck and line-out and the backs making scarcely a mistake. Southland’s line was never crossed, and Fleming, Southland fullback, had to tackle an opponent only once throughout the match. Mitchell was never given a chance to get moving and seemed at the end to have given up hope of getting past Wesney. Trevathan kicked the inevitable field goal. Southland played Saxton, former | South Canterbury half, as first five-; (eighths. It was a game of-tactics, with Saxton as master tactician. He got excellent service from Purdu, half, and the forwards, who would have matched any New Zealand pack on the day. Ward was outstanding in the forwards, always leading the pack. His two tries -showing scoring capabilities of versatility. Only one try came from the ruck. Each of the others was the result of clever work, in which Otago was completely out-manoeuvred, mainly by Saxton. Purdue and Saxton each scored, and the other 11 points came from Wesney’s boot. He missed two fairly easy penalty goals, but he kicked three others and converted one try. The Otago backs never seemed comfortable. They saw comparatively little of the ball, and when they did get it, Saxton and Grace broke the movement up. Compared with the Southland forwards the Otago pack was sluggish on the heavy ground, but, even when they went into the ruck with the ball, they could not keep it.

Fourteen thousand spectators, including the annual invasion of about 5000 from Dunedin, saw the best game of Rugby for several years.