Week-end Football

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 13047, 27 May 1940, Page 1

Week-end Football

Although the matches played on the Domain lacked the vigour and constructive movements of the previous week, play was both keen and pleasing- to watch. The sun was troublesome to players on the right, facing the High School Reserve, and a brisk wind had also to be reckoned with when kicks were being taken. Wairoa Versus Cadets The Wairoa Juniors and Cadets Juniors were the curtain raiser to the senior match on the Domain, the teams lining out as follows: Cadets. —N. Tanner, E. Tanner, W. McMaster, W. Winter, E. Faulkner, R. Stevens. A. Downey. F. Marshall, A. Lloyd, R. Smith. K. Ford, R. Voss, A. Bougen, A. Wooller and J. Thomson. Wairoa. —J. Aorangi, M. Apaapa, D. Tangitu, R. Hikairo, Wade, €. Pihema, A. Brown, E. Ormsby, J. Apaapa, A. Apaapa, W. Morehu, T. Grmsby, W. Aorangi, H. Te Meti, and F. Jack. Referee, Mr Gaulton. Kicking off, Wairoa were quickly on the attack carrying the play well down to the Cadet line. In their eagerness to get the ball away from their stronghold the Cadets allowed W'airoa to take an early lead from an opportunist try. A free kick for an off side infringement was taken by Te Meti, and failing to rise was quickly followed up by the Wairoa forwards, for F. Jack to take the ball over the line. The kick at goal by Te Meti failed. "After their early reverse, Cadets attacked strongly and following one failure in a penalty kick. Smith put Cadets level with a further rule infringement penalty. Both teams were attacking alternately, and it was now Wairoa’s turn to make a move for the Cadet stronghold, resulting in a series of scrums and line outs near the Cadet line. Once again, in their eagerness to relieve pressure, Cadets were penalised and Wairoa took the lead from a penalty kick taken by F. Jack. Wairoa had a further chance to go ahead with a free kick taken by Te Meti, but the ball hit the upright and bounced back into play. The first half concluded with Wairoa 6 points, Cadets 3, and the Maori boys, if anything, showed a decided weight advantage in the scrums.. From the commencement of play, Cadets attacked strongly and took the lead through the Cadets’ captain, Faulkner, following a good run from near the half way line. Faulkner converted his try. The game continued both vigorous and clean, and Cadets lead was quickly turned into an arrears when Hikairo, following a Wairoa attack, took a penalty kick for a scrum infringement by Cadets. -With Wairoa having only a slender margin of one point, both teams attacked strongly, and the backs effected some excellent clearances. Back line movements on both sides were quickly defeated with keen tackling. Players on both sides had to receive attention as an outcome of the vigorous play, and shortly before time Cadets again took the lead with a penalty kick taken by Smith. Time was getting short, and Cadets strongly held on to their slender lead against a spirited Wairoa attack, and the final whistle blew with Cadets 11 and Wairoa 9. Matakana Versus Rangataua Both these senior teams have played good constructive football since the opening of the season, and speculation ran high as to which would take the day’s final honours. At the kick off the teams were: I Matakana. —J. White, M. Tangitu, R. Murray, J. Phipps, C. Motu, W. Teuira, Du Tui, H. Rau, O. Tawhite, M. Murray, P. Murray, T. Kuka, W. Ngahoe, B. Ormsby and N. Ngatai. Rangataua.—McMillan, Brown, J. Faulkner, J. Ririnui, B. Kani, R. Dixon, F. Keno, P. Repia, J. Pio, J. Taikato, T. Kakau, J. Heke, K. Mihaka, D. Kani, H. Jloniana. ‘Emergencies: J. Williams, N. Ngatai, T. Moire. Following the kick off by Matakana, play opened vigorously with an attack by Rangataua, which was spoiled, however, by a knock on, after the back line had initiated a good passing movement. Play centred midfield, while each team tested the strength of the other, and White and McMillan, the opposing backs settled into a kicking duel. With the wind behind, M. Murray tried a long penalty kick at goal for Matakana but this fell short and play once more came back into the Matakana half. Murray had a further kick at gaol following a rush attack by the Matakana forwards but this also failed. Rangataua were seeing much more of the ball than their opponents, who

RANGATAUA DEFEATS MATAKANA

CLEAN COMPETITIVE FOOTBALL

did not appear to have settled down to the game, and a back line passing movement put Rangataua in an early lead, when Ririnui went over to open the scoring. Ririnni’s kick at goal narrowly failed to convert. The Rangataua forwards still continued to harass the Matakana backs and play was kept well down near the Matakana line. Ririnui again went oyer for Rangataua but was called back for a forward pass. B. Kani also instituted a good passing movement, but the keen tackling of the Matakana defence who were now becoming more settled, broke this up. It was now Matakana’s turn to attack but they were quickly repelled by the Rangataua defence who were playing cool, constructive football, and getting their forwards moving in an excellent style. For the majority of the first half, play centred in the Matakana stronghold, but they were unable to increase their slender lead. Just before the whistle blew for the interval, Matakana broke away through Tawhite, but McMillan cleverly intercepted a loose ball and saved what appeared to be a certain score. Half time score, ’'Rangataua 3, Matakana 0. On the resumption of play Rangataua were again on the attack, but a long run by Murray from the Matakana 25 line evened the scoring after he had neatly intercepted a Rangataua kick. His kick at goal, however, failed to put them in the lead. After a desultory first half, play became keen and vigorous as Rangataua once again took the attack down to the Matakana line. If anything, they were using their weight to better advantage than Matakana, and taking the ball from the scriim on the majority of occasions. Rangataua had a further chance to go ahead with an offside infringement kick by Kani, which, however, went wide of the post. Still continuing to keep the play in the Matakana half, R. Dixon advanced their slender lead when he cleverly evaded the Matakana defence to take the ball over the line. The wind was troublesome for both the teams, and the kick by Ririnui failed to convert. For the first time since the resumption of play, Matakana went well down into the Rangataua half and packed heavily near the opposition stronghold. Following a particularly keen tackle, W. Teuira had to leave the field for attention. Play swung back to the centre of the field but a long kick into touch by Murray took the play back again to the Rangataua line. In the closing stages of the game both' teams fought hard for the decisive points and following a scramble near the centre of the field, the referee had to warn two players who, it appeared, were likely to come to blows. Ririnui relieved a Matakana attack with a long kick and sent the Rangataua forwards down to the vMatakaha line. The final whistle blew with Rangataua still pressing har_’„, and the points, Rangataua 6, Matakana 3. Throughout, the game Avas clean and competitive, and Rangataua fully deserA r ed their win for the robust way in which they took the initiative. Cadet Seniors Narrowly Defeat Judea In an uninteresting match from the spectators’ point of view. Cadet Seniors had another win, this time against Judea, narrowly defeating them 5—3. A penalty kick against Cadets, taken by Matthews, gave Judea a three-point lead early in the first half, to which they clung tenaciously through most of a tight forward game, neither side of backs having much chance of getting away. Gilmore was the shining light in the Cadet pack, and thoroughly deserved his, try taken in the last ten minutes, after a dribbling rush to the Judea twenty-five. The kick raised the flags, and Cadets Avon, 5 —3. Mr T. Milne refereed the game.