EXCITING GAME !

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20920, 27 September 1939, Page 12

EXCITING GAME !

STAG TROPHY FINAL CITY GAINS HONOURS OLD BOYS DOWNED The final of the Stag Trophy Rugby championship on Saturday, between Old Boys and City, was a very exciting game and it was a fitting finish to a great season that only one point should separate the teams in the final. Old Boys gained an early lead of six points and then City came to within two points as the result of a drop-kick. When City drew ahead by one point the game surged from excitement to excitement and the match finished on a high note. The result of the match has been the chief source of Rugby comment for several days but there is only one thing that really counts and that is the points on the board when the final whistle blows. City had the margin then and thus won the championship.

Well-deserved Victory There will be few who will not agree that City’s victory in its first year was not well deserved, as the team has played many great games during the season. The achievement of the team is a first-class one and a great deal of the credit for resuscitating Rugby in the town can be given to City. The Rugby and the attendances were more like the old days when the maroon colours dominated Hamilton Rugby. The City team is also to be congratulated on the neat appearance of the players throughout the season. The two mascots, the Christie twins —sons of an old City player and grandsons of the president of City when the club was at the height of its fame a decade ago, Mr W. T. C. Christie—paraded for every game and. their neat appearance and keenness symbolised the spirit of the players.

Hard, Clean Tackling The final on Saturday produced better football than most finals between two evenly-matched teams, but it was unfortunate that rain made the ball very greasy. The tackling on both sides was very hard but clean, and during the match there were seven replacements. This upset the combination, and as Old Boys did most of the attacking it were more adversely affected. However, the City defence, always good, has never been better than it was on Saturday, and it would be safe to say that against any other team Old Boys would have gained a good margin. There is little doubt that Old Boys made all the play, and right until the last whistle looked as if it would score. The backs fanned out time and again and the insides handled well. If the movement was not relentlessly blocked, handling mistakes spoilt at least three golden opportunities, while three fairly easy free kicks were missed.

Four Fullbacks Four fullbacks were seen in action in the match owing to replacements and the best two were those who appeared for Old Boys. Slow played a sound game and came up to take the ball well, while he kicked splendidly. If he had not gone off with a finger injury he may have kicked at least one of the goals towards the end. Higginson, who replaced him. was not tested on defence but he came into the attack splendidly on three occasions, using his pace and handling faultlessly. He has kicked such a number of great goals for junior teams that his failure to look like kicking goals on Saturday was hard to understand, particularly as he has kicked many under worse conditions. For City, Hague again made some spectacular saves but made several mistakes from which he again was fortunate to recover. In the attack he seemed more at home. Dew, who came on, was

sounder than Hague and kicked with more length and accuracy and he found the line much more regularly.

Better Back Line Old Boys had the better back line on attack and the insides threw the ball about well, handling it surely despite its greasiness. The longawaited duel between Finlay and Perkins did not eventuate owing to Perkins being in Wellington, but it is doubtful whether Perkins could have done much better than Heywood. Heywood had very few opportunities on attack, and Perkins likewise would not have seen the ball, while Heywood watched Finlay very closely, running up to him fast and giving him no lattitude when Old Boys hooked. Finlay's injury was unfortunate for. Old Boys as he was handling well and gives the wingers such good chances that when Old Boys was attacking so persistently with its backs he would have given the wingers at least twe good chances. Grand Defensive Play The feature of the play of the City backs was their defensive work. The tackling was hard and low and very rarely did any of Old Boys backs make a break. Atkinson was a tower of strength on defence with his excellent handling and kicking with either foot, but Gillespie cut past him several times. Gerrish and Hayward tackled resolutely, as also did Wilson and Hopcroft. Wilson deserved the honour of scoring City’s only try as he was looking for work all day. Gillespie was Old Boys’ soundest back, with Finlay also showing out before he was taken off. Parsons scored a grand try and it was a pity he did not receive more opportunities, but the movements usually broke down before they reached him. B. Paterson was one of the weak links. He had a great opportunity in the first half on the wing, but did not use his pace from the start, while in the second spell at centre he dropped some vital passes. He was thrown heavily on his head about a quarter of an hour before the end, but after his failure to collect one of the passes in the last five minutes he should have been changed with Parsons. Great Forwards Dobson, City’s halfback, was not as prominent as usual but the Old Boys forwards gave him little latitude. Crozier, who played instead lof Broad behind Old Boys’ scrum, | was very solid and sent the backs away on several fine runs. Broad would have, perhaps, sent the backs away more often and a little faster, but Gillespie’s good play indicated the accurate, good passes from Crozier. The forward packs were very evenly matched and the honours were even. For Old Boys, no one forward was more conspicuous than another, with D. Paterson, Bremer, Egan, Mac Lean, Jones, Reese, Waite and Bary all doing their part. The City forwards backed up well on defence and, although they did not get the major share of the ball from scrums evened the line-outs. Scott’s experience was invaluable and he played one of his best games of the season. Johnston, Barr, Dutton and Clarkin were others who were always conspicuous, while Chell was more impressive by doing his part in the tight work and not breaking too quickly round the scrum, all the time.