WELLINGTON'S MATCHES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 42, 18 August 1941, Page 10

WELLINGTON'S MATCHES

BEATEN BY HAWKE'S BAY

EXCITING GAME

(From "The Post's" Special Reporter.)

In a game full of exciting incident Hawke's Bay beat the Wellington Rugby representative A team at McLean Park, Napier, on Saturday, by 16 points to 13. Hawke's Bay were in front at half-time and, when the second spell was well advanced, were leading by 15 to 5. At that stage, however, Wellington threw everything they had into an effort to save the game and. with a shade of luck, would have succeeded. They were well on top in the dosing stages and, with -the deficiency reduced to three points, staged ...a final offensive which failed to bear fruit only by the narrowest of margins.

As has frequently happened in the past the Hawke's Bay forwards pulled their team through. Led in inspiring fashion by Tori Reifl, the home pack played its traditional hard, bustling game, exerting heavy pressure in the tight and harassing the visiting backs in the open. With Callaghan, formerly of New South Wales and Wanganui, giving excellent service as hooker, the scrum had hard grafters in Thompson, Waretini, and HardBrave, while, in the open play/ Brownlie, Dockary, and Reid took a lot of checking. Brownlie has not the weight of his halfbrother, Maurice, but is similar in build and appearance and his play is modelled on the same lines.

Clothier, Hawke's Bay half-back, is no newcomer to big football and is retaining his form remarkably well. He was the outstanding back on the ground and, besides feeding the men outside him, frequently outwitted the Wellington inside backs with dashes round the side of the scrum. The other Bay backs acquitted themselves well and one who was particularly impressive was Moore, captain of the Dannevlrke High School first fifteen, who played a dashing game on the wing.

The overnight train journey did-not improve Wellington's chances and It was not until the game was well advanced that the players settled down to something like their true form. Moreover, Finlay's ankle, which was injured the previous Saturday, was still uncertain and he had to go off when he hurt it again early in the second spell. That was only part of his bad luck, as he seemed to be particularly unfortunate in not being awarded a try when he,crossed the lino at the expense of bis ankle. The best of the Wellington forwards were Todd and Bowman, about the only ones who attempted to meet their opponents on common ground. Jackson was a solid toiler and Kenny also put all he had into the game. Wellington tried to play the open passing game but lack of certainty in handling, combined with the need to do things quickly before the Bay forwards got to work, often made such tactics only a source of trouble. One department in which the visitors did do well, particularly in the first spell, was in the line-outs.

Wellington's star back was Jamieson. The young Athletic winger did not receive the best service from the men inside him, but only the shadow of an opportunity had to present itself and he was right on to it. He figured in some remarkable bursts-which, with a little more luck, would have produced more points than they did. Dance was sound at full-back and his line-kicking was excellent. Johns had a strenuous time behind the scrum and, despite the harassing he was subjected to, did his job creditably. Stott and Pocknall broke through well on occasions but the movements thus initiated seldom went very far. Martin was not impressive.

In the first spell Cooke and Bllgh scored tries for Hawke's Bay, Brady converting one. For Wellington Bowman scored a try which Dance converted. Hawke's Bay's half-time lead of 8-5 was increased early in the second spell when Brownlie and Tori Reid scored tries, one of which was converted by Brady. Late in the game Jackson and Pocknall scored tries for Wellington, Dance converting one.