The Alleynian, February 1929
 

Football

Dulwich College v. Haileybury.

Played at Dulwich on November 17th, 1928.

Result—Haileybury 1 goal, 1 try; Dulwich 1 try.

The only frame of mind in which to watch this year’s side playing School matches is one of calm detachment. One must say to oneself that, after all, it is only a game; that the result cannot affect one finally; that there are other things in life besides winning School matches. Otherwise, shortly after the whistle blows for No Side, one is found wandering round in circles, bumping one’s head against lamp-posts and muttering “Why did Simmons drop that pass?” . . . “Suppose Frankford had gone on by himself?” . . . “Should Pettifer have punted over the back’s head?” . . .

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these—“It might have been.” We breathed them as we tottered out of the Bedford ground, a physical wreck, on October 20th, and we breathed them again on November 17th, when for the second time we had lost a match which, with the merest fraction of luck the other way would have been a victory.

A wind was blowing across the ground and the turf was a little heavy after the recent rain when Dulwich kicked off towards the Boarding houses at 2.35. We were without Hyson, and the heftiness of the Haileybury pack made it look as if we should miss him badly. However, we started off at a splendid pace, Talbot hooking well, and before the game had been in progress two minutes Frankford had swerved through to the back with Simmons and Knowland up on his left. The next moment a wild pass had gone astray, a certain try was lost, and Haileybury were rushing the ball back to our line.

With the exception of about thirty similar moments in the Bedford match, this was the most tragic moment of our life. If only that pass had gone right, Simmons would have scored behind the posts, the try would have been converted, the team, encouraged by success, would have scored three more tries in the next ten minutes, giving us a comfortable lead of—at a conservative estimate—16 points.

As it was, Haileybury, galvanized by their miraculous escape, attacked strongly, and Sinker, after a fine run on the right wing, was only just forced into touch on the line. Our forwards, led by Talbot, who played a superb game from start to finish, broke away, but Haileybury again attacked, and Sinker came within a few inches of scoring when he was pulled up by a great tackle by King.

Chand, Attree and Frankford put in a combined run which took the game to half-way, and the Dulwich forwards, with Niven and Knight prominent, rushed on into the Haileybury half. Haileybury worked the ball back, but were stopped by Talbot. Haileybury made another rush to our line, where Pettifer, intercepting a pass, ran well into the Haileybury half before being tackled by their back. A promising attack by our three quarters was spoiled by a dropped pass, but a minute later Chand with a fine dribble nearly reached their line. It looked as if we must score, but Knowland failed to handle and Haileybury rushed the ball back to half-way and then to our twenty-five.

For quite a time after this play remained on and around the half-way line, first one side, then the other making forward rushes. Then Sinker, always a menace when he got the ball, raced down the right touchline into our twenty-five, where Davies brought off a magnificent tackle, saving a certain try. Stimson showed up well in the loose, and then Pettifer again intercepted a pass and got to half-way, where he was again brought down by the back. Some loose play on the half-way line followed, and then, at a moment when Davies, who had just made a tackle, was lying at the bottom of a heap of forwards, Morshead picked up and ran in, with none to stop him. (“Why hadn’t someone dropped back? . . . Couldn’t somebody see that Davies was out of action? . . . Was there nobody to jump on the man’s neck and rub his face in the mud? . . . Oh, well, it’s only a game, after all. Nothing to worry about really.”).

The try had been scored between the posts, and the kick went over the bar. Haileybury 5 points. Time, 2.55.

Dulwich rushed to the Haileybury twenty-five, Talbot prominent. Frankford made a good tackle. Griffiths, Edwards and Knight did great things in the loose. Then once more Sinker got off on the right and was again pushed into touch in goal.

We dropped out, and Chand dodged through cleverly, bringing play to half-way. A free kick to Haileybury lost us the advantage, and their forwards reached our line. Talbot saved, Davies made a tackle, and we returned to their half, where the brightest incident of the day occurred. Our forwards heeled cleanly, Chand got the ball away to Attree, who took it neatly and handed on to Pettifer, who made one of his best corner-flag runs down the right touchline and hurled himself over. He failed with a very difficult kick. Haileybury 5 points, Dulwich 3. Time, 3.7.

Shortly after this, after Talbot had made a great dribble and some scrambling play had taken place on the half-way line, Half Time was called.

Scrums near half-way opened the second half. Talbot made a splendid tackle, and our three-quarters got away, only to drop a pass and ruin the movement. The Haileybury forwards rushed to our line but Pettifer intercepted for the third time and was once more stopped by the back. Immediately after this, Pettifer made a fine catch from a long punt and ran round to the left, the ball eventually reaching Knowland who got within a few yards of the Haileybury twenty-five. Attree looked dangerous, but the Haileybury forwards again rushed, and were past half-way when stopped by Chand.

Chand was next conspicuous with a run, and he and Knowland, attacking on the blind side, got to the Haileybury line. If only our forwards could have heeled, we might have scored, but Haileybury got the ball and rushed it back to half-way. A dropped pass by Simmons broke up a promising attack, and Haileybury reached our line, pressing hard for several minutes. A free kick to us relieved the strain for a moment, but the game returned to our line until a fine kick by Knowland took us to half way. A free kick to Haileybury brought the ball back to our twenty-five where Frankford made two good tackles near our line. Griffiths was prominent in the loose, and a short while later Knight, King and Niven. Pettifer reached half-way, and Attree and Frankford got to the Haileybury forty yard line.

Haileybury returned to our twenty-five, but Sellick took the ball almost to their line with a tremendous dribble, probably the best individual effort of the day. It looked for a moment as if he was going right through, but a soccer hack on the part of the defence found touch in the Haileybury twenty-five.

Haileybury rushed to half-way. Pettifer returned to their forty yard line. Talbot did a good bit of work out of touch, helping us to reach their twenty-five again. We were now pressing strongly, and a try seemed likely. Haileybury tried to rush the ball back, but Davies, who was excellent all through, saved.

Then came the final tragedy. With two minutes to go, Simmons and Knowland got well away on the left, both up with only the back to pass. Simmons drew the back and sent the ball out to Knowland . . . and the whistle blew for forward.

This was the end. We had shot our bolt. The match was over. It came almost as an anti-climax when Sinker, getting through our defence in some mysterious way, scored Haileybury’s second try near the right corner flag half a minute from No Side. The kick failed, and the whistle blew, leaving Haileybury winners by one goal and one try to one try.

It was a magnificent game, played at a tremendous pace all through. In the sense that, if we had held passes at critical moments, we should have scored at least twice more,—we were unlucky to lose. On the other hand, Haileybury, with their three touch-in-goals, would have been equally unlucky to lose. And the unfortunate fact remains that we did not hold those passes.

Our forwards—and we must once more impress it upon you, dear reader,—that Talbot played one of the finest games a Dulwich forward has ever played on the first fifteen ground—held their own against a typical, corn-fed, bulging-muscled Haileybury pack nobly. Where their inferior physique told was in the loose, where the Haileybury forwards gave them rather a warm time. Outside, there was little to choose between the two teams, though Sinker had rather too much pace for us ever to be comfortable. He played a great game, and if somebody had broken his neck quietly in the early stages, much trouble would have been averted.

Sherborne beat Tonbridge 14—12. Haileybury drew with Tonbridge 11—11. Haileybury beat Dulwich 8—3. It looks like a good game on December 1st. If only our three-quarters will hold those passes, there may be a happy ending.

P.G.W.

The team was as follows:—

A. S. Davies, back; A. G. W. Knowland, L. A. W. Simmons, D. H. Frankford, J. E. Pettifer, three-quarters; J. R. Attree, M. C. Chand, half backs; A. E. S. Talbot (Capt.), G. G. V. Knight, G. D. Griffith, J. Edwards, F. King, R. J. Niven, D. M. Stimson, S. B. Sellick, forwards.

Haileybury:—

S. Mitford, back; A. R. Snelus, J. E. Sturt, A. M. Greenwood, P. T. Sinker, three-quarters; R. M. Morshead, W. B. S. Millar, half backs; H. F. W. Holmes (Capt.), W. A. R. Sumner, P. J. Keen, J. S. H. Gaskain, W. C. Brooks, L. D. A. de H. Larpent, A. H. Newsom, F. St. G. Unwin, forwards.

 

 

Dulwich College v. Sherborne.

Played at Dulwich on December 1st, 1928.

Result—Sherborne 3 tries, Dulwich nil.

The last of our three big games ended disastrously, like the other two,—a curious thing in a season which, by all the indications, should have been a record one and which, so far has brought us 199 points to a mere seventy-four scored against us. It is unfortunate that, just when we had what looked like an exceptional side, Haileybury and Sherborne should have had unusual teams, too. The fact that these three games, the only ones we have lost, should have resulted in a total of no more than one goal and five tries against us, shows how narrow the margins between Bedford, Haileybury, Sherborne and Dulwich have been this year. Unfortunately, in each case the few points scored were scored by the other side.

The Sherborne match, though depressing, was not a hideous tragedy like the one at Bedford or a might-have-been like the Haileybury defeat. Almost from the start the Sherborne team looked at least a three points better side than us, and there was not that feeling that a little bit of luck the other way would have brought a victory. A very fine side all through, Sherborne really owed their win to their back, who did not make a single mistake all through.

Good as the Dulwich team of 1928 is, it has one fatal defect. It lacks thrust. Against a strong defence, our three-quarter line is shown up as wanting in ingenuity. Knowland can race round if you give him room, and Pettifer can barge over in the corner if he gets close enough. But only Frankford looks really hard to hold when the opposition tacklers know their business. That is why, in spite of having a pack of unusually good workers, we have only managed to score once in the three matches with Bedford, Haileybury and Sherborne.

Fog was threatening and a drizzle had begun to fall when Dulwich kicked off from the Pavilion end. A scrum followed on the half-way line, from which our outsides got going briskly, Frankford cutting through dangerously to near the Sherborne line. Their forwards rushed the ball back, King making a good save. Chand and Attree again set us moving, but some judicious punting by the Sherborne outsides pushed us back into our half. Sherborne again rushed, but Frankford stopped the movement with a nice tackle, the first of a great number which he brought off during the afternoon.

A good rush by our forwards, headed by Talbot, Knight and Hyson, set us attacking again, and Chand made one of his best breaks away on the blind side, handing on to Frankford who reached the line. For some minutes we pressed hotly—this period and the last quarter of an hour of the game being our best work. Knowland ran well and cross-kicked, and once more there was scrummaging on the Sherborne line. Then the Sherborne forwards broke away, but were penalized for off-side. On a dry day Pettifer might have scored, but the heavy ball never looked like going over. Sherborne touched down.

A scrum near half-way followed the drop-out, and then Frankford, with a splendid corkscrew run, got right through to the back. The Sherborne forwards again broke away and on the half-way line a free kick was given against us. Then followed one of those movements which look easy enough to stop to the spectators but for the players are less simple. It seemed to be nobody’s fault, but what happened was that the Sherborne forward who took the kick, followed up, recovered the ball, set his three-quarters going, and the next moment the Sherborne right wing was over in the corner.

Sherborne 3 points. Time, 3.50. Exactly twenty minutes after the start.

From this point to half-time, Sherborne dominated the game. Knowland intercepted a pass, but nothing came of it. And once our three-quarters got into the Sherborne twenty-five. But all the rest of the time the game was well inside our half, and just after a Sherborne three-quarter had almost dropped a goal and Frankford had made a fine save and Davies a magnificent tackle which saved a certain try, the whistle blew for half-time.

After the re-start, Dulwich immediately attacked, Chand doing some clever work. A few minutes later Sherborne were forced to touch down.

Pettifer made a good run, winding up with a punt which was well fielded by their back and returned into touch in our half. We got going on the left, and Knowland was brought down in their twenty-five. The game returned to our half, where Talbot picked up and passed, and our three-quarters were nearly in on the left. Clever punting drove us back, and in our thirty-five Sherborne were given a free kick. Sherborne pressed, Knight relieving with a fine dribble. Scrambling play near half-way followed, and finally, at 3.20, a good movement among their three-quarters resulted in their second try, again within a few feet of the right corner flag. Sherborne 6. Dulwich nil.

For some time after this we were on the defensive, scrums following one another in quick succession ten yards from our line. We attacked on the left, but the Sherborne back with a long kick found touch in our half. Another kick, and it was touch in our twenty-five. Frankford and Stimson relieved the pressure, and we attacked on the left, Knowland knocking on when well inside their twenty-five.

There was now about a quarter of an hour to play, and our team suddenly got together and became dangerous. Attack after attack was started, our forwards getting the ball and heeling it well, and once Simmons and Knowland were right on the line before they were stopped. For more than ten minutes we were right on top and did everything except score, and then in the last half-minute of the game the Sherborne forwards rushed, Chand made a weak punt, and the Sherborne tight wing touched down for the third time near the corner flag. Directly the kick had been taken No Side was called.

It was a good game, but not one long thrill like the Haileybury match. Sherborne deserved to win, though six points and not nine would have been a nicer-looking score.

P.G.W.

The team was as follows:—

A. S. Davies, back; A. G. W. Knowland, L. A. W. Simmons, D. H. Frankford, J. E. Pettifer, three-quarters; J. R. Attree, M. C. Chand, half backs; A. E. S. Talbot (Capt.), G. G. V. Knight, G. E. Hyson, G. D. Griffith, J. Edwards, F. King, D. M. Stimson, R. J. Niven, forwards.

Sherborne:—

F. A. Simmons, back; G. R. D. Boddy, R. V. Godfrey, T. K. West, P. R. T. Wright, three-quarters; J. A. Tullent (Capt.), C. C. Hanrott, half backs; C. O. Hasledon, D. E. Ashdown, A. W. Hopcroft, P. H. Mermagen, P. E. M. Shaw, R. H. Bellamy, R. S. Paterson, forwards.