St Michaels University School - Black Red and Blue Yearbook (Victoria, British Columbia Canada)

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FIRST FIFTEEN CHARACTERS WRIGHT tfull backl - On his day the most dangerous broken field runner in the team. His powerful and elusive running compensated for the shortcom- ings ofhis brittle defence and mercurial temperament. An exciting player in attack, but too many of the openings he created were nullified by poor dis- tribution. KOO twingl -A fast runner whose acceleration and determined stride made him difficult to stop. Although his handling was always fallible. his defensive work, particularly his tackling, became more reliable in the latter part ofthe season. HARDMAN tcentrel - Purposeful in attack and adept at exploiting gaps in the opposing defence. Nagging injuries, however. prevented him from realising his full potential. MOORE tcentrel - A robust and resilient player whose unconipromising tack- ling, one ofthe outstanding features ofthe season, formed the cornerstone ofthe cover defence. Although sometimes frustrated by his uncertain hand- ling, his strong running could be halted only by a resolute defence. FOWLER twingb - A creative and incisive attacking player, but handicapped by his lack of positional sense. During the season his positive running allied to a well-executed sidestep produced a number of fine tries. OLSON tfly-halfj - A promising all-round footballer who adjusted quickly to the game at the senior level following his promotion from the Senior Colts. Essentially a linking fly-half, he should by next season possess the necessary speed and confidence to initiate attacks himself. ROSS tscrum-halfl - A consistent performer who made the most ofthe untidy possession obtained from the pack. Courageous in defence, he was also cap- able ofex loitin the fa Js close to the base of the scrum. L K BANKS tpropj - His solid scrunimaging enabled him to render considerable assistance to the hooker. A strong performer in the loose, but sometimes a little slow to reach the breakdown of play. BISSETT Chookerl - A lack ofsife left him with a considerable disadvantage in the set scrums. His striking technique. however. improved to the point where he was able to gain parity even against heavier opponents. LU M tpropl -A hard-working and durable forward equally at case either at prop or in the second row. During loose play he showed considerable flair with the ball in hand. 25

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The team fared well against Brentwood and Shawnigan, winning one oftwo games against Brentwood and defeating Shawnigan at home while losing away. St. Georges were a tough, well-clisciplined side, and were our first oppo- nents of the season. Although we fought bravely and scored shortly after the kic k-off and very near the end, we lost 11 to 25. On Oct. 13th we faced St. Georges again, only at home. Determined to win,we paraded onto the field and were promptly beaten 4 to 28. Our third fixture was also to be a de- moralizer. The L'Yic jutes took a victory of 14-0 over us and wet, muddy conditions helped little. On October 20th the first fifteen were determined to break the backs of 15rentwood's first side. We worked as a team, and conditions were in our favour. Our morale grew as we scored and scored again. The final whistle blew and the score was in our favour, 14-1 1. In this game against Claremont we suf- fered injuries and in our next fixture this was apparent. At Shawnigan, on the 3rd November, we were Cut to ribbons. We held for the first half, but to no avail. We failed in the second half. The final score was 32-O. The Old Boys' game was very enjoyable. As would be expected, their team consisted of 19 or 20-odd players who wouldjump on and off the field at their leisure. It was a fun game for all and we came out on top with a score of 18-14. The following weekend,the 17th of November, proved to be demoralizing. Facing Brentwood in the rain and mud was bad enough. but the game was away for us and the school spirit and spectators, which at times throughout the sea- son proved to be an important factor, was left in Victoria. The game was close, but we lost 6-9. On the 8th of December we faced Shawnigan at home and in- tended to win. Win we did. The final score was lll-3 and a hard, tough game it had been. The Spring Term brought the High School Rugby League games. One month after the League got under way, our first fifteen squad made the pap- ers. 'St. Michaels still unbeatenl Our first game against Reynolds gave Fowler a hat trick and Koo two tries. The final score was 40-3. The next three games were all victories. Oak Bay were our only real rivals as well as Vic High and Claremont who were good sides not to be ignored. On February 23, Oak Bay beat us at home, a stunning blow, but Parklands we beat four days later. Claremont and Vic High beat us while we were on foreign ground on March 4th and 8th respectively. The playoffs were tense and did the school a tremendous amount ofgood as far as school spirit goes. On April lst, the semi-final was played and a close game it was. the final score being 1-4-13. Stewart came screaming down the sidelines in the last seconds of the game, received the ball from Wright, dived over the line and won the game. The final between our first fifteen and Oak Bay was a hard battle. The score was to show this, and poor coverage and a lucky break for Oak Bay cost us the four points which enabled Oak Bay to take the cup. It was a close, well-played gatne and was simply a question of who scored first. The rugby year was good in tnany respects. and I would like to thank on be- halfof the first fifteen all those who gave us good support throughout the year. Those persons are definitely restoring our school spirit to its normal peak. Vivatl Murray McCarten lst XV Captain. 24

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NIcCAR'I'EN tsecond rowy - Much of the quality possession obtained by the pack was the result of his strength in the mauls and his skill in supporting the juniper at the line out. His whole-hearted commitment to the game pro- vided a constant source ofinspiration to his team. DI C.-XSTRI tsecond rowj - A finejurnper and catcher of the ball, he made good use of his basketball techniques at the line out. His scrummaging and loose plav improved rapidly during the latter part ofthe season. HIGGINS tflankerl - A fast, mobile and constructive forward, at his best in at- tack. His speed around the field allowed him to provide vital support for the backs. BLWIQLER tflankerl - A strong marauding flanker who revelled in the close forward exchanges. His fierce tackling often regained possession of the ball lost at the set pieces. DKNBAR tNo. 83 - Although his height prevented him from making the necessary impact in the loose, it did, however, allow him to control the back of the line out. He was capable of creating attacking situations with the com- bination of his lengthy stride and flamboyant distribution. SUBSTITUTES LA L' - A hard-working forward in the set, he lacked the experience and tech- nique to become sufficiently involved in the loose. COSTELLO - A ubiquitous performer whose ability to substitute in a variety of positions often proved invaluable. M.W. Y ii , Q It ta 4' 4-f r si . Q'Z'4n.,.x..35' vu 6 Q 26