Seddon shield stays in marlborough

Nelson's bid to wrest the Seddon Shield from the very firm grasp of Marlborough failed miserably. During the first half, when Nelson scored 9 pts to 3, it seemed that there was an outside chance that the side could raise enough steam to withstand the pounding of the Marlborough pack, but the fire went out and in the second half Marlborough added 25 points to win 28-9. To say the res"lt was disappointing is to say the least. Where did we miss out? Firstly and foremostly, in the lack of fire in our forward pack. Compared to the Marlborough eight, our pack was soft. A harsh criticism? Possibly, but nonetheless true. The hard grinding of the Marlborough forwards paved the way for their victory. Not their skill. Not their height, or weight, or techniques. But their dedicated driving in tight and loose. In the backs Nelson might have had an edge, but the backs seldom had the opportunities and in the second half seldom saw the ball.