THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 8, 1939.
Malaya's Fine
Navy Adopt Wrong Tactics But Visiting Halves And Forwards Dominate Play SIMPSON THE PRESIDING GENIUS: MacLENNAN'S GOOD HOOKING
DOMINA
(By "REFEREE”)
OMINATING THE NAVY PACK IN THE LOOSE AND IN THE LINEOUTS AND HAVING SLIGHTLY MORE OF THE BALL FROM THE SET SCRUMS, THE MALAYAN RUGBY UNION FIFTEEN YESTERDAY CONFOUNDED THEIR MOST OPTIMIS- TIC CRTIICS WHEN THEY DEFEATED THE HITHERTO UN- DEFEATED ROYAL NAVY TRIANGULAR TOURNAMENT
· FIFTEEN BY TWO GOALS, À DROPPED-GOAL AND A TRY (17 POINTS) TO TWO TRIES (6 POINTS), AFTER AN INTERVAL LEAD OF 12 POINTS TO 3.
Presiding genius of the game was Capt. F. W. Simpson, the Malayan scrum-half, who played a superb game behind the Malayan pack, while MacLennan, hooking for the first time this series was also in fine form and made an admirable leader of the pack.
Royal Navy can be said to have defeated themselves by adopting the wrong tactics. Instead of opening out the game, Talbot and Elliot, the Navy halves, either attempted to break through on their own or to find touch instead of giv-. ∙ing their very fast threequar-
ters a chance,
YESTERDAY'S GAME BY THE CLOCK
7th Simpson dropped goal from 30 yards to give Malaya lead (4-0).] 11th Skelton brilliantly cut through to
send Askwith over
but Elliot failed to convert (4-3). 14th Simpson nearly over then Elliot
relieved with kick.
20th Pierce nearly away but dropped
ball.
Roualle and McCall, Malaya's se- cond row forwards, were packing much lower than on last Saturday and as a result the Malayan pack 21st more than held their own, especial- ly when they were playing.. only seven forward and packing three-25th four, when they pushed the Navy pack all over the field. Malaya dominated the lineouts where Rou- 26th alle, the two McCalls, McBride, Mackenzie
and
McHugh shone, jumping for the ball and heeling quickly.
Ma- The transformation of the layan pack, from last Saturday's sluggish heeling to a quick heeling' pack was amazing, while the wing forwards, Mackenzie and McHugh were in brilliant fettle, breaking Away quickly to nip many Navy movements in the bud at the out- set.
30th 32nd
Rugby Win
Jumping for the ball during a lineout in last Saturday's Rugby match between the Malayan Rugby Union fifteen and the Club. L. to R. dre 'A. H. Harding, K. W. Salter (Club), H. I. MacLennan, K, A. Watson (Club), P. O, McCall, D. McBride, J. F. M. Roualle and R.
W. McCall. ("China Mail" photo).
Mackenzie failed to convert (7-3)-nan and Malaya's backs saw more
Malaya increased lead when_ball travelled from Simpson to Mac- kenzie via Ewart and Bourne, Staples was no match for MacLen-ISHANGHAI Ewart forced his way through of the ball. In the loose Malaya INTERPORT Navy pack but smothered one yard from Navy's line short were always on top, splendid back-
ing up being an outstanding feature. RUGBY TEAM MacLennan off field with nail in Thatcher, Hain, Darling and Grif-
scrunt.
boot.
con-
29th Simpson sent long pass to Ewart fiths were the pick of Navy's pack COMMENTS
who transferred to Craigie, but but little was seen of Anderson, latter threw away golden oppor- which was very surprising
Shanghai, To-day. tunity by hanging onto ball in-sidering his season's form.
The Shanghai Interport Rugby stead of sending Bourne over.
Malaya were forced to make se-team, as selected, according to lo- MacLennan back on field.
Malaya pressed and from loose veral changes in their team through cal sporting circles, represents a maul Pierce dribbled ball over an injury to Richardson, their right=|very well-balanced side and if not Navy's line after Stevens had centre threequarter, who was un-quite as strong as previous Shang- fumbled in attempting to gather.able to play. Bourne was taken out hai fifteens, there is no reason to Mackenzie just converted (12-3). INTERVAL MALAYA 12 NAVY 3 of the pack and positioned as right|belleve it won't do as well in the
--- Second-Half
wing threequarter with Craigie as Colony. a centre, while Harding was brought
The pack is more than useful into the pack as the middle-of-the- back-row, Mackenzie assuming his and Hong Kong may find it is up against a set of very determined proper role of a wing-forward.
forwards. The game was very fast and furi-
8th Elliot through but pass io. Ask-
with was fumbled by latter. 11th Spittle went through, but Roualle relieved with great tackle and McCall found touch,
EWART DISAPPOINTS
stand-off-half, Ewart, Malaya's was very disappointing in the first half when he dropped and fumbled many passes, but he made! amends in the closing stages with some good work in opening out play in addition to placing the issue be- yond doubt with a grand snap try, the result of clever anticipation and a safe pair of hands. This was when he intercepted a pass 23rd from Talbot to Elliot five yards from the Navy goal line to score between the posts.
20th
24th
10th Navy forwards up in loose drib- ble, Hardwicke went down on ball and put knee out of commission.ous and Malaya were again handi-
Spectators who watched the Club Left fleld. Mackenzie as right-capped by the temporary absence of first-fifteen, which is almost the wing threequarter and Craigie Hardwicke, in the second half, when same side as the Shanghai team, went to full-back, Malaya pack- he put his knee joint out and re- against the Combined Services' ing three-four. Navy pressed and Askwith poun- tired for 18 minutes.
team about a month ago, comment- ced on loose ball which bounced Malaya's back division was fairly ed on how magnificently the forwards away from Proctor to score wide sound although actually made up played, and that if the same form of posts, Elliot failed to convert of two forwards and two backs. can be produced against the Colony, (12-6). Hardwicke returned to field with Pierce made an excellent debut and local sporting circles declare there knee bandaged and Malayan team|although appearing to be on the slow is little doubt that the home team resumed proper positions. side, was actually quite fast off the will be hard put to get their backs Talbot penalised for lying on ball, mark and backed up any, loose move-moving. but Mackenzie hit post above
ment splendidly, scoring a good try cross bar from 45 yards near touchline.
as a result.
In recent weeks Shanghai's backs Ewart brilliantly intercepted pass Craigie was conspicuous for his have played well, but their gener- from Talbot to Elliot five yards fine defence, but threw away sal inertia in rounding out from Navy goal line to score be- tween posts, Mackenzie converted golden scoring opportunity once ments has cost them many points.
when he hung onto the ball, instead
That they have the ability to play of passing to his winger.
Malaya thoroughly deserved their first Class rugger is not doubted, victory and object-keeping the ball but unless they decide put to their start tight and at no time, except per- best foot forward from the haps in the first 10 minutes looked they may find themselves in sever- like going under to the Navy.
al-tight spots.
Navy's back division, with the ex-' ception of Skelton, was very poor.
·Stevens, at full-back, was very slow, 27th while Thomas and Spittle, the wing threequarters, rarely came into the picture being grassed long- before they could gain much ground.
ASKWITH ERRATIC AN
Askwith lived up to his reputa- tion as one of the fastest men here and scored both Navy's tries, but he was very erratic at times when he passed forward
and fumbled
33rd
.
(17-6). Talbot again penalised, for pick ing ball out of second row of Navy scrum, but Mackenzie just. failed, to kick goal.
FINAL SCORE: MALAYA 17 ROYAL NAVY 6
Malayan R. U.-J. L. B. Bardwicke:,
Kenzie.
move-
P. W. Bourne, A. P. Craigie, Lt. J. E. The Shanghai team is due to leave P. Pierce, Lt. J. H. Procter; J. W. for the Colony on Sunday morning passes which might quite conceiva-vice was very poor in comparison Ewart, Capt. F. W. Simpson; D. Me- in the S.S. Taisang. They are ex- bly have led to scores.
to former performances." He at-Bride, H. I. Maclennan, R. W. McCall; Skelton was the only Navy back tempted too much on his own and P/O. McCall, J. F. M. Roualle; J. M. Pected to return either on February to display anything like true form should have tried to open out play McHugh, H. A. Harding, I. F. Mac-24 or 25-Reuter. He took the ball on the run. and much more than he did. His passes Royal Navy :---Pay. Lt. Stevens The Shanghai team is:-W. H. B. paved the way for Navy's opening were often wild. Elliot kicked well, (Kent); F. 0. Thomas (Eagle), P. O. Rigg (full back), P. J. A. Innes, A. G. -try with a brilliant cut through be- and on one or two rare occasions cut Askwith (Dainty), Et. Skelton (Gram- White, I. F. Aucott and I. M. Hutchi
·fore sending Askwith over.
through only to delay his pass pus), Pay. Lt. Spittle (Suffolk); Lt. son (three-quarters), G. M. Mille and Talbot and Elliot were a bitter fraction too long. His form recent-See Romans (Eagle); Shpt. Sta. F. Burford, R. A. O. Mayne, R. P. J. W. Elliot (Eagle), Lt. Talbot (Otua); R. Laird' (halves), W. D. Pearson, J. disappointment yesterday.
ly has been most disappointing. True, Talbot'did not see as much of BETTER BALANCED? -the ball as he had hoped to but when Navy's pack were perhaps
he did got his fingers to it, his sor- better balanced of the
0
the
ples (Eagle), A. B. Thatcher (Eagle); Stewart, R. U. Reynolds, G. H. Ren- 9. Le. (A) Hain (Eagle), Lt. Hodding: olds, J.RM. Warner, and A. M. Ken- tom: (Rover); Lt. Darling (Rover), Lt. nedy (Captain) (forwards), Grinthay. (Medway), - Anderson. Reserves:
M. Martin, and B. (Olympus),
H. Boo.