CITY’S GREAT PERFORMANCE

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20918, 25 September 1939, Page 10

CITY’S GREAT PERFORMANCE

STAG CHAMPIONSHIP WON OLD BOYS BEATEN BY ONE POINT EXCITING FINAL IN HAMILTON The final of the Stag Trophy Rugby Championship on Saturday was a fitting finale to a great season, City, in its first year in the senior grade, defeating Old Boys by one point in a very exciting game. Both teams suffered several injuries and the teams were altered but with so little between them the crowd was kept in a pitch of excitement. There was no doubt that Old Boys made the majority of the play and, particularly, near the end, the backs threw the ball about in fine style. But for the replacements upsetting the combination City’s grand defence might not have withstood the test. It was bad handling and bad passing at critical moments that cost Old Boys the match. Despite this City must be given credit for the grand victory. For the most part the team was on the defensive and the defence was rock-like. The one or two occasions City did make the play the players were very determined and on attack looked more like scoring than Old Boys did, but this was seldom. There was an excellent attendance for the final. The ball was greasy practically through-

The teams were as follows: Old Boys Fullback.—E. Slow. Threequarters.—B. Paterson, R. Finlay, H. Parsons. Five-eighths.—J. Carroll, A. Gillespie. Halfback.—A. Crozier. Back Row.—C. Waite. Middle Row.—MacLean, D. Egan, F. Jones, D. Paterson. Front Row.—l. Bary, R. Reese, T. Bremer. City Fullback.—N. Hague. Threequarters.—G. Hopcroft, Heywood, J. Wilson. Five-eighths.—E. Gerrish, G. Atkinson. Halfback.—A. Dobson. Back Row.—Findlater. Middle Row.—K. Chell, O. Barr. C. Spiro, L. Clarkin. Front Row.—J. T. Johnson, G. Dutton, L. Scott. The Rev. P. C. S. Sergei was the referee. Rain was falling when Old Boys kicked off for the final match of the Stag Trophy championship of 1939. Immediately the team ran to the attack but Hopcroft warded off the assault with sound defence on the flank. Bremer turned the tide in Old Boys’ favour again but Scott led City in a further attack. Early in the game Findlater, a City forward, was injured and his place was taken by Cox. Racing forward amid the cheers of an excited crowd, Parsons relieved a City attack and caught Hague in possession but a scrum brought order into the resultant stalemate and Heywood blocked Finlay’s attempt to set Old Boys on a definite offensive. But Finlay came from a scarum and Carroll timed his transfer to B. Paterson to perfection. Paterson faltered a moment, which might have just cost him a try, but in going on he made a great attempt to lose possession when within an ace of scoring. Old Boys Scores First From the line-out a few yards from the City line, Old Boys attacked again and Finlay sent a great pass to the fleet-footed Parsons, who outpaced Wilson for a great try to open the scoring in Old Boys’ favour. Slow’s attempt to convert was a good effort but it dropped a little short: Old Boys 3 City 0 With crisp passing Old Boys was carrying the attack in the team’s favour, but City met the backs man for man in solid tackling. Infringements curbed several promising movements but the general run of play favoured Old Boys. In the face of another Old Boys’ attack City infringed and Slow kicked well from a none too easy position and raised the flags to give his team a sixpoint lead. Old Boys 6 City 0 City Gains Momentum Momentarily City attacked in a determined manner and Atkinson sent Gerrish into action before Hopcroft came in, but the handling was not crisp and the Old Boys backs stifled the movement and the forwards, who were playing one of their hardest games of the season, tarried the play back to central territory. Scott, Johnson and Dutton formed the spearhead of a City dribbling rush which set the team rushing in devastating fashion towards the Old Boys line but Finlay dived to stop the rush and flick the ball into touch. No sooner had the teams lined up again than Old Boys set play running back to neutral ground with Waite in the van. City was attaining more success with its fast-breaking attacks but the speed of the Old Boys wingers proved a disconcerting barrier to ultimate success. Mac Lean kicked the ball clear of the ruck and beat Hague before Parsons sped for possession but he failed to connect when the situation appeared definitely dangerous for City. Brilliant Field Goal Each City attack was pressing Old Boys nearer submission, but the defence was stubborn. Then Spiro

threw the ball among his forwards. A scrum developed 20 yards from the Old Boys line and City won the scrum. From Dobson the ball was whipped to Atkinson, who immediately transferred to Gerrish. A* try seemed certain but to put the matter beyond doubt Gerrish snapped his boot to the ball and over it went for a great drop-kick: Old Boys 6 City 4 Heartened by this success, City galloped into aggressive action again but Gillespie cut a clear passage to clear. From Finlay the ball went to B. Paterson, but the winger was not fast enough to reach the line before Hopcroft hauled him to the ground. Shortly afterwards Fiuiay made an attempt to open a passage to the line but Atkinson brought him down. Just before half-time Hopcroft left the field and Hague went to the wing for City, Dew taking the fullback berth. Finlay was also injured and left the field. At halftime the score was still: Old Boys 6 City 4 , After Half Time With Rochford on the wing, B. Paterson went to centre to take Finlay’s place when the second half opened. Not only the players, but the crowd too, was keyed to concert pitch when City went to the attack early after the resumption of play but Slow regained 40 yards of lost territory with a great free kick. No sooner had the play started again than Old Boys infringed and Cheil was ambitious in attempting a goal from 37 yards out. The kick was short and Old Boys evened the exchanges. Overcoming the City advantage that had become apparent towards the end of the first half, Old Boys assumed an offensive role again and surged down towards the goal. Forwards and backs were throwing the ball around in an effort to break down the City defence. Cox repeatedly proved a thorn in the side of the attackers, however, and the battering was thrown off. Old Boys, however, was making the pace which resulted in the game maintaining the character of fast, open football. City in the Lead For the first time in the second spell, City definitely carried the attack when Dutton tucked the ball under his arm and battled his way down the open-stand flank. He was held up a few yards from the line out City was determined not to be repulsed. The crowd roared and jumped to its toes as the wave of City success pounded the Old Boys’ defence. Securing possession Wilson rabbited his way over the line and City went into the lead. Chell’s kick was just short: City 7 Old Boys 6 For a while Old Boys seemed to lose its cohesion. City, heartened by this turn of the tide, rallied around and Old Boys fought back desperately. Slow left the field and was replaced by Higginson. Mercurially Old Boys revived. Bremer and D. Paterson led the forwards right to the line but Atkinson proved a bulwark on defence. Still Old Boys battered away at the line and Higginson missed a field goal. Excitement was intense and despite the fast nature of the game the teams kept up the pace, heartened by the fact that either might win, and keyed to concert pitch because of the honours at stake. From 45 yards out Higginson attempted a field goal but the weight of the damp ball was too great a handicap. City turned the defence into attack and Old Boys was obliged to force down when Parsons was put under pressure. Neither team was willing to cede an inch of territory and as the two teams maintained the eagerness it was apparent that it wass till a match in which the honours might go to either team. Old Boys tries Hard Bremer was then taken off and J. Richardson came on. The game was still very exciting. Then came a free kick to Old Boys in a handy position

I but Higginson failed to goal. Old Boys’ backs then worked and Higginson came into the attack. He straightened it up but B. Paterson failed to take a pass in a great position. Again Old Boys backs worked but, again, after Higginson had come into the line the movement failed. Now it was City’s turn to attack and Scott and Atkinson carried the team ciose. Old 3soys worked back, however, and were in an attacking position. Another free kick was granted Old Boys and this time A. Gillespie’s kick hit the post. Another beautiful back movement by Old Boys nearly saw them in again. A third free kick in a handy position saw Higginson miss again; and the final score was: City 7 Old Boys 6 WIN FOR RAILWAY MORRIS CUP MATCH In the semi-final of the Morris Cup competition, as a curtain-raiser to the final of the Stag Trophy, Railway defeated Power Board by 15 points to 3. CAMBRIDGE DEFEATED UNIVERSITY’S NARROW MARGIN (Special to Times.) CAMBRIDGE, Sunday The Auckland University Junior A team was the guest of the Cambridge Sub-Union on Saturday and in a game with the Cambridge junior representatives the visitors just scrambled home by 13 points to 10. On the run of the play with the local forwards definitely on top all through Cambridge was unlucky to lose. The teams were:— University.—Warner, Cutter, Prentice, Gillies, Pulham, Hesketh, Robertson, Prendergast, Overton, Caukwell, White, Brash, Ockleford, South worth, McVeagh. Cambridge.—T. Ross, Jones, Bartlett, Siegal, R. Arnold, A. Sutherland, G. White, Vickers, Chard, Hubert, K. Arnold, H. Arnold, H. Tristriam, A. Ramsay, R. Jones. Varsity had the early advantage and Cambridge was penalised for holding, Warner finding the uprights. ’Varsity 3, Cambridge 0. A Solid Attack Following a period of central play Cambridge solidly attacked from a nice return by White. Arnold received when the visiting fullback was nailed and Keith Arnold ran to close up when he threw a high pass but it was intercepted by a visiting player who ran behind. Varsity cleared from the scrum. From halfway Cambridge failed to take a high ball and Prentice received to send to Gillies.' He side-stepped an opponent and ran 40 yards to score under the posts. Warner converted: Varsity 8, Cambridge 0. A long kick from a free put Varsity close up, but the home team retaliated with a sweeping rush, in which Hubert, K. Arnold, G. White and Vickers figured and took play right to the visitors’ line, where a heavy kick saw the ball go dead. Cambridge kept up the pressure and from another forward rush Hubert scored. R. Arnold converted. The Cambridge forwards continued to worry Varsity, play remaining in the visitors’ twenty-five. From a scrum close up, Sutherland received and making a determined dive crossed for a clever try. R. Arnold again converted: Cambridge 10, Varsity 8. Early in the second half Cambridge attacked and the Arnold brothers rushed through, but the ball was kicked too hard and went dead. There was a long period of central play until, from a scrum, Robertson got the ball away to Hesketh, to Prentice, to Gillies. The latter in-passed to Overton for him to run past the local fullback and score a fine try. Warner converted: Varsity 13, Cambridge 10. Subsequent play was in Varsity’s territory for the greater part. Two good forward rushed just missed their objective. From a mark right in front Arnold missed a great chance to equalise. The game ended with the final scores: Varsity 13, Cambridge 10. Mr L. Bear was tne icferee. PRIMARY SCHOOLS A primary schools’ seven-a-side competition was held, Cambridge A beating Cambridge B in the final by C points to 0. Other results were: First round: Cambridge 5, Leamington 0; Cambridge A 11, Cambridge B 0. Second round: Cambridge B 5, Hautapu 0.