MAORIS DEFEATED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 109, 4 November 1926, Page 12

MAORIS DEFEATED

DEVONSHIRE PROVE TOO STRONG. (United Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 4th November, noon.) LONDON, 3rd November. The Maori Rugby team was defeated to-day by Devonshire by> 20 points to nil. ' Eleven thousand watched Devon-shire's-surprising triumph. The Devon players were cleverer all round, except in the first quarter of an hour, when Richards, the scrum half, was absent through injuries. After his return, Devon were completely superior. Cook dribbled through for the first try. Hanley kicked a penalty goal, and then Braddon scored an excellent try. In the second half the Home team repeatedly attacked, but failed to increase their lead until the last quarter of an hour when they completely overran the Maoris. Davies beat three men, bluffed Potaka, and scored at the corner post. Hanley rounded off a reverse passing movement with Grainger, and scored a try at the posts, Luddington goaling. Five minutes later, after Richards had pierced the defence, Hanley scored a similar try, which was not converted. The Devon pack dominated the scrums, and the back combined magni-

iieently. The Maoris were clearly surprised by the excellence of their opponents and were disappointing. Their handling was ill-timed and -uncertain. Many blunders were probably due to their opponents' deadly tackling and marking, which was so keen, that the Maoris rarely ran two yards before they were challenged. The Maori team was: Potaka, Falwasser, Phillips, Robinson, Love, M'Donald, Kingi, S. Gommel, J. Stewart, Manning, Haupapa, Eika, Tatana, Manihera, and Dennis.