A GOOD WIN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 247, 1 August 1935, Page 3

A GOOD WIN

MAORI TEAM AT BATHURST.

A RAGGED FIRST HALF.

(United Press Association—Copyright)

SYDNEY, July 31

Playing ragged l football for the first hour against Central - Western Districts, at Bathurst, the Maoris were at one time two points down. Not until the second, half did they show any of the bright football previously displayed on the tour, but then they played splendidly and won by 42 points to 8. The strong defence and at times the brilliant attack of Central-Western Districts in the* first half appealed to the biggest crowd seen on the Bathurst football ground, and their handling on the soggy ground was, for a time, better than that of the Maoris, who lacked combination. The half-time score was: Maoris 11 Central-Western ... 8 Without the brilliant defence of Nepia, Western would have scored several tries. A quarter of an hour after half-time the Maoris got .into their stride and showed more devil. The forwards and backs combined in rushes, and some dazzling back play was seen. The Western defence began to fade, only three or four men coming up to the standard of the Maoris, who scored six tides in the second half, against three in the first. In spite of their superiority in the latter part of the second half, the Maoris continued to lose the set scrums. However, they won 70 per cent of the line-outs. Play was up and down the field with dour rucking. The Western backs were overshadowing the Maoris in handling until Chase potted a neat field goal. Then the Maoris opened up the. game, and resistance crumbled before their overwhelming forward rushes and hack movements, in which Nepia figured prominently. He came from full-back many times to make' the odd man out in the threequarters line. This offset the solid tackling of the opposition. The game ended: i Maoris 42 Central-Western ... 8 The many New Zealanders in the district were disappointed by the display of. the Maoris until the last halfhour, when 'they scored most of their tries. Western failed to score in the second half. . The kicking was again weak, and only easy goals w r ere kicked. Nepia was the most brilliant man on the field, filling the full-back position as well as coming up into the backs, giv. ing added strength to the attack. He consistently found the line with 50yard or 60-yard kicks. Harrison led the forwards splendidly. He was almost equalled by Purnell, a Western player, while Stan Templeman and lan McKibbin gave Chase and Hemi stern opposition. During the second half, Cooper went off with a cut under an eye. He was not replaced. The scorers for New Zealand were: Phillips, Rogers, Hellish, McDonald, Chase, Cooper and Smith, one each; Kotua two tries • Nepia kicked three goals and a penalty, and Hemi one; Chase potted a goal. Tries for Western were scored by Penman and S. Templenmn, and one try was converted by S. Templeman.

BAD EFFECT OF TRAVELLING.

thousands of miles in short PERIOD.

SYDNEY, July 31. A former NeAV Zealander, G. RPoAvnall, Rugby critic of the ‘ Bathurst Times,” says that m spite of the continued brilliance of the Maoris on the field, the whole team is tired out Avith incessant travelling, totalling thousands of miles in a, short pei lod. Although they have made .no protest, their health and fitness are detrimentally affected. The managers emphasise* that the team is the happiest and best behaved they have ever travelled Avith, but it is obvious from tlieir listlessness when in private and their unusually quiet behaviour, that they are feeling the effects of their strenuous itinerary.

From the point of vieAV of Australian Rugby, particularly in the country districts, the tour is most gratifying and beneficial.

RESULTS OF THE TOUR.

Results of the Maori team’s tour to date are as folloAv:

Against Warwick—Won 32 to 10. Against Queensland —Lost, 39 to 22, Against Toowoomba —Won 35 to 13. Against Queensland —Won 15 to 13. Against Far West—Won-38 to 3. Against N.S.W.—W on 6to 5. Against Central-Western—Won 42-8,

REMAINING FIXTURES.

The remaining fixtures of the Maori team in their Australian tour are as folloAv: —

Saturday, August 3, play Victoria, at Melbourne, and leave lor Sydney Monday/August 5 (bank holiday;, play New South Wales, at Sydney. Saturday, August 10. play New South Wales, at Sydney, and leave for Auckland after the match.