Osborne Good

Peter Osborne also had a good day. Possibly inspired by Scott, he evaded tacklers with something of his old confidence and did all that was expected of him. Fitzgerald and Jarden had quiet days, being more concerned with battling the well-sprung Petone attack than with their usual capers.

The forwards toiled hard. The referee let the rucks continue for too long. Petone were heavier, taller and grimly determined. But they never once gave up hope. In the first spell especially, with Bob Scott sending them traipsing fifty or sixty yards back down the paddock, must have had its sour moments. The determined cover defence of the forwards in the second spell meant the difference between victory and defeat. The best forwards are those that aren't seen during the rucking and it always seemed to be Ivan Stuart who was last or second to last up from any ruck or sacks on the mill. Biathwayt played a good game and his tackling was always solid. Oliver was shaded in the line-outs but was often in the limelight. Bill Clark did not have his usual charging down opportunities as he viewed most of Scott's kicking from behind in a prone position.

Saturday's team was perhaps the strongest we have fielded this season and had no weak links. Had it been otherwise Petone would have swamped us.

So the Jubilee Cup will be drunk out of, by jubilant Varsity footballers and reside in the trophy cupboard for another year. The team had some lapses but it was during this season that it provided the most consistent and attractive club football. It is not as strong a side as either of the previous champion fifteens, and perhaps because of this are more firm idols of the crowd. Once the crowd saw that Varsity were no longer invincible yet still played their attractive open football, they became idols once more, as the game against Petone testified.

Salient is well pleased because our early reason optimistic forecast seemed to fall on cynical ears which flapped derisively when the Greens were behind in the championship. But the team pulled through with a full four championship points and we look forward to next year, knowing that if a team beats our own fifteen for the Jubilee Cup, our boys will be grand losers.

—Sports Ed.