RUGBY TOPICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 15, 24 May 1939, Page 8

RUGBY TOPICS

WHAKATANE TEAM BETTER GOOD GAME ON DOMAIN The Whakatane team functioned a bit better in its match against Ruatoki at Ruatoki last Saturday. The back line was possibly the best that it has fielded this year, and at times it did brilliant things. At other times they were not so brilliant. The handling was often very bad. but there were moments when the ball went down the line very well. One of the best tries saw the ball go three quarters of the field. The movement was started by Iv. Hollis from the forwards. Hollis ran some distance, before giving it to his backs. Another try came when, a quick throw-in saw G. Jackson run over unopposed. This score illustrated the value of alertness. Oswald was standing on the line ready to throw in. The Ruatoki and "Whakatane foi> wards were straggling up without wasting too much energy over it, and Oswald was trying to attract the attention of a coupL' of his own forwards who were standing infield when •Jackson na,n up fast and took the bail eight or nine yards infield, running over and grounding under* the posts before Ruatoki realised just what wits happening. It is worth while watching for moments like this-; they occur surprisingly often. Whakatane rattled on 11 points ear]y and then relaxed. This almost 'ed to their undoing and fo*- a good while they were defending hard but '.ven so were unable to prevent sev•ra] Ruatoki scores.

TANEATUA GAME. E. Hay ward en me on in the last ten minutes of the drawn game at Taneatua. Hay ward, though limping quite noticeably, made some good dashes. When Ted plays straight football there is no better forward of his weight in these parts. On one occas ion with the ball under his arm he went on hands and knees through and over Poroporo tacklers for about ten yards along the line. McCausland played a good game l'or Paroa against Waimana at Wha. kfitane. He scored two tries and had a hand in a, third. He is a good hard runner. Hohapata at centre runs his wings vei'v well and shows up as well in the middle as he does as a winger. He hung on a little too long on one 1 or two occasions on Saturday but showed little sign of his old hab't of running in circles. Paroa had the backs, and they were far from overmatched in the forwards though "Waimana fielded a bustling pack. JUNIORS BRIGHT. The Star-Old Boys junior game was the best of the lot. It was largelv the O'd Boys forwards against the Star backs with the latter team a little the luckier. Old Boys opened the scoring and led by eight points to nil for a start. However, Star seemed fitter and came back to dominate much of the second spell. The end of the world canve at Mal. ata when the local team was beaten by Te Teko in the first game of the Duff Cun competition. The losers had beaten the winners the week before, and it looked as though the Brethren would do it again. However Tom Whitelv fielded some representative forwards and this stiffened the visiting pack enough to overpower Matata. YEARS OF VICTORY. It was the home team's first defeat for about five seasons. Some say that they have been undefeated since Fred Burt last played for them, but that is perhaps an exaggeration. It was a sporting action of E. How. ell's to allow the new forwards to plav, as the Duff Cup rules provide that only men who have played in the club competition that season shall take the field, unless of course, the captains agree otherwise.