POLO

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21745, 30 March 1936, Page 15

POLO

PAREORA WINS THE RHODES CUP

GREAT IMPROVEMENT SHOWN

CHRISTCHURCH TEAM BELOW FORM

Playing with much better combinaation and cohesion than on the previous days of the tournament, and with a vigour not excelled by the Christchurch, team, Pareora A had little difficulty in winning the final of the Rhodes Cup at Hagley Park on Saturday afternoon. The southern team received a handicap of eight goals from the local

side, but they seldom looked as if they would need half of that advantage. The Christchurch team was in poor form altogether, and the Pareora players showed that the previous games had allowed them the practice needed to get the side playing as a team, and not as four men engaged in a ball hunt.

They outrode the Christchurch players, turned faster, and had the advantage of faster ponies on the whole. W. D. Orbell was the best of the visitors, and with the possible exception of D. W. J. Gould, the Christchurch captain, was the outstanding player on the ground. He was well supported by H. H. Ehvorthy and T. Parker. . ’

The Christchurch team did not play up to expectations. The form they showed against Pareora B on Friday gave promise of a brilliant game, but G. H. Grigg and R. M. D. Johnson played much poorer polo than on the previous day. Johnson’s lapse may be partly excused by a nasty fall in

about the first minute of the game, when he received a severe blow on the head; but the fact was that neither he nor Grigg was hitting the shots so cleanly nor were they combining so well. Gould had most of the work to do. and his cool thinking and powerful driving saved his side on many occasions. He was unfortunate on two occasions with his sticks breaking—once it happened when he was well clear of the field and had an open goal in front of him. G. A. Hutton, at No. 1, was apparently under orders to slick to the Pareora back, and did this as well as could be expected from a player who has not been at the game long. He was the first player to score for the local side, making no mistake with an open goal in front of him,

Gymkhana Events

The gymkhana events after the game brought very good entries, and though there was a heavy shower of rain soon after the start there was an excellent turn out. For the mam match the weather was fine and warm, and there were about 1000 spectators watching the play from the stand and from cars parked along the sidelines. The ground was in excellent condition although still rather soft.

After the game the prizes were presented by Mrs G. F. Hutton. Mr George Gould, president of the Christchurch Polo Club, praised the sportsmanship of the Pareora teams in travelling to Christchurch to make competition play possible. No good polo was played without competition games, and it was only by playing and watching such tournaments that the play could be improved. Mr Gould said that the ground in Hagley Park had been placed on for about 44 years, and he mentioned that G. Hutton, who had played for Christchurch A that afternoon was a member of the third generation of one family to play on that ground. The Stead Cup, for the polo championship of the South Island, was presented to D. Gould; the junior cup for play among the B teams to R. B. Johnson, captain of Christchurch B, and the Rhodes Cup for handicap play to Bruce Murray, captain of Pareora A. Murray thanked the Christchurch club for its hospitality, and also all those who had been, associated in the very successful running of the tournament. \

During the morning a practice game was played in four chukkas between the B teams of both clubs. There was a slight alteration in the Pareora team. T. Parker replacing C. A. Parker. The positions then were: Pareora (Green)—B. Murray (captain) (backh T, Parker (No. 3), H, H.Elv/orthy (No. 2), and W. D. Orbell (No. 1).

Christchurch (Blue)—D. W. J. Gould (captain) (back), G. H. Grigg (No. 3), R. M. D. Johnson (No. 2), and G. A. Hutton (No. 1). '

The umpire was Captain G. Hennessy.

The Play

The first chukka opened with Christchurch eager to start to make up the leeway of hafndicap, and Pareora equally keen on adding to their score. The southern team attacked, first, but were sent galloping back to their own end. The ball went out behind, and from the hit in Elworthy and Johnson collided, and both came down. Their ponies were easily caught, but not before Johnson received a nasty biow. He was given medical attention and resumed soon after. Orbell relieved from this crush round the goal twice with good runs upfield, but each time the ball was returned, with the Pareora team hurrying back to guard their own goal. From an infringement Murray took command and sent on to his forwards. They all took turns in the rush* upfield, and Parker scored the first goal. ' The greens pressed hard from the start of the second chukka, and although Christchurch made a temporary attack, it was not long before

Parker and Elworthy drove hard up to Orbell, who scored with a long, raking shot from wide out. Pareora then had a lead of 10 goals. Frofn hard, solid play in midfield the four greens swept away, only to be sent back by Gould, who followed up. He had a clear goal in front of him, but his shot flew wide. A little later the ball was hit up to Hutton, and he tapped it through.'

The Christchurch team had still not settled down to their true form; their positional play was not good and their stroking was not as certain as it had been in the previous games. Pareora had the upper hand; they were marking their men well, and were riding faster and turning quicker. Gould took a hit out, and the ball travelled fast to Orbell, who sent it straight back through the goal with a perfectlytimed shot. Christchurch Scores Twice Christchurch made a determined attack on the Pareora goal, but poor shooting spoiled their efforts for a time, and then Grigg added another point. The blues swept away in a

great rush immediately on resumption, but twice went too tar. Loose play near the goal followed, and Gould, taking care when the Opportunity came, added another goal. When the chukka ended the score was 11-3, and Pareora still held the handicap advantage they had begun the game with. The greens swept away at the opening of the fourth chukka. with Elworthy in charge l He overrode the ball, but Parker was behind him, and carried the ball on in an irresistible rush. He outpaced the field and shot the goal going at full speed. Fortunes changed again, and the Christchurch van broke away for Johnson to sfore.

Jn the next minute the same thing happened, and Johnson scored again, to bring the leeway one less. Elworthy’s turn to break away came again, but he missed a goal when the field was clear. In this spell the Christchurch team looked like coming back into their old form, and Gould was mixing in with the play. He was the only one who was hitting his shots with any degree of accuracy. Gould had some bad luck at the

opening o£ the fifth chukka, as he broke away with a clear field in front of him, but his stick broke,, when a goal seemed certain. He changed quickly and was up with Hutton and Grigg at the goal mouth. His shot, however, hit a post and went behind. From the following scuffle Johnson added another goal. Gould’s „ clear thinking and. great ball control soon added another goal for the home side. He kept possession of the ball for a run from half-way, never hitting it hard enough to give the defenders a chance of spoiling his run, and dribbled it through the goal. Christchurch was still attacking when the chukka ended.

With five goals needed in the last chukka for a tie, the home side’s position seemed desperate. For the first part of the spell they were hemmed In their own half < defending.- Orbell and Parker made some great runs upfield, but Gould was defending very well, and his long drives gave his forwards chances of attacking. Pareora made certain of the game when Elworthy added another goal, and the final score was: Pareora A 13, Christchurch A 7.

Gymkhana Events The following were the results of the gymkhana events held after the main events:Bending competition; round spe pegs six yards apart and back: R. B. Johnson 1, D. W. J. Gould 2. Bending competition for ladies; Miss Annette Orbell 1, Miss Ruth WynnWllliams 2.

Bending competition for .children less than 15 years old; Janet Grigg 1, Elizabeth Hutton 2.

Cigarette race: Miss Annette Orbell 1, Miss Janet Cooke 2. Wheelbarrow, race: Mrs J. Montgomery and R. B. Johnson 1, Miss Bryce and J. McKenzie 2. Gretna Green race: Miss M. Temppieman and B. Wright I. Mrs H. Turner Jennings and D. Livingstone 2.

EXCITING FINAL AT FEILDING

CAMBRIDGE WINS SAVILB CUP

(PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEOBAM.) FEILDING, March 28. In the final of the junior Cup at the polo tourney, Rangitikei A beat Whareama by 10 to 8. In the final of the Savile Cup series Cambridge beat Matangi A by 6 to 5. This was an exciting game, an extra chukka being required, as at the end of the seventh the scores were 5 all. Cambridge showed, greater dash and the better team won.