THE SHIELD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 44, 2 August 1939, Page 8

THE SHIELD

WHAKATANE HAS GOOD CHANCE A CRITIC'S OPINION (By Punt for the Beacon) There seems an air of pessimism surrounding Whakatane'is chances of annexing the shield next Saturday and for why I know . not. Regarding the remarks passed by Old Timer anent Tauranga, being able to cope easily with a combined Whakatane. Rangitaiki team. That may or rnajy inot be true, and even if it is that point is no guarantee that the present holders Avill still lie in possession after Saturday. There are instances galore of a combination beating a mixed gathering. Take a case of thf®eo or four years ago. Rangitaiki held the shield but in some games had very close tussles. At the end of the season they played the rest of the Bay at Matata and won by 44 to 3. Old Timer's statement explodes right there. CHANCES ARE BRIGHT. I am one of those who think that if Whaka,tanc plaj r intelligent football their chances are bright. Take performances and that is all we have to go bj r . On June 3rd a team from Rangitaiki with a fair sprinkling ol' npfw-fcomers beat Tauranga by 19 points to a penalty goal. There was tml'y one change in the team that withstood Te Puke's challenge. Later RangJtaiki and Te Puke drew at Tc Puke the visitors not being at strength, but they scored two good tries a.gainst a free kick and a gift try. That does not make Te Puke look so hot, and to be candid th,ey are not a good side. Washing out Whakatane's inglorious showing against Opotiki I gather that the ioc ais were totally disorganised and put. ting the camera on their di'splayii against Rangitaiki they are points better than the three teams Tau, ranga has faced in shield games 'his season. It is admitted that on the day Whakatane will have to plav intelligent football and instil in the players the necessity of going out to make the play Avhercver possible. The local boys are prone to pin their chances of scoring tries off mistakes made by their opponents. This is good, but not good enough for this reason. A draw is as good as r. win to the holders and they are not going to make too many mistakes or take chances that will allow fast raid ing forwards to turn 'to them ac. count. Tauranga have a good pack of forwards.

LINE-OUT WORK. They, I think will beat Wliaaktane in line-out woi*k. They concentrate on the line out bursting 'their way through and this is where the challengers' greatest danger will lie. A burst through fr'om a line out finds every forward free to pour though what £ a PS may be open. Whakatane can nullify this to a certain extent by taking scrums wherever possible, and this whether) they are winning the ball or not. Tries are often scored from line out play, but from a set scrum ha'dly ever. The defending backs are in a set position to mark their oppositcs. Poor tackling will let the others in but from what I have seen of the Whakatane backs their defehee is both fast and sound find as an attacking unit superior to that of the. shield holders. Thus. 1n my modest opinion, Whakatane in the rearguard have a dee'ded edge Now for the forwards as it is common knowledge that Tauranga will pin their chances of success in their vanguard. Well on, paper the talent that the challengers have in this respect should match that cf their opponents in all-round play. Jack Best Hayward and Co have it in them t-j give Tauranga a torrid t'mc and, in tlie return of 13eto the' form that gained him All Black honours would set the defenders an even tougher task. The Whakatnno skipper, in spite of the prominence given (lis local displays, has not lived up to the reputat'on that preced"d him, .:nd if that statement cause.:.- Be<t io turn on the firewo'ks in the shield game it will indeed be a blessing. PLAY FAST FOOTBALL. If the challengers are scrL "Onlv the team should be in the condition necessary for a fast game. Their method of playing out the 80 ' linutes, and one most likely to bring success is to keep the Tauranga heavy men on the move. O.ily where absolutely necessary should Whnka'ane kick for the line having in view the point that line out wo"k will be in favour of Tauranga also McNeile, eighth man for the defenders, will (Continued foot previous column)