REEFTON NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1933, Page 3

REEFTON NOTES

[OUB OWN COKBESPONDENT.] REEFTON, July 31. An accident betel Mr. Desmond O’Regan, of Inangahua Landing, early on Saturday morning, when returning home from the Fire Brigade Ball. The motor cycle which he was riding and carrying a pillion rider, Mr. R. Smith, in coming off Waitahu railway and traffic bridge, skidded and ran over the bank, plunging both rider and passenger- heavily to the ground. Mr. O’Regan suffered facial cuts and abrasions and was taken to the Inangahua Hospital suffering from slight concussion. Mr. Smith was little the worse for his experience, beyond a severe bruising and shaking, and some cuts. Mr O’Regan is reported as doing well. On Sunday, a visiting representative Rugby football team, Waimangaroa United, met the Inangahua reps, at Reefton Racecourse. The day was dull and rain commenced to fall at the start of the game, and fell almost without ceasing for the duration. It was bitterly cold and there was only a fair attendance. The ground was greasy from over-night rain, and the ball soon became hard to handle, resulting in a. game which was fought out principally by forward play, and consisted of dribbling and followingup, though there were at times bright flashes of passing, but the leather was difficult to pick up, and worse to hold. The visiting back rankers played fine football, their combination being first class, but their forwards were outclassed by the Inangahua forwards, and good tackling by the local boys frustrated many good efforts by Waimangaroa. For the day, both 'sides treated spectators to a good exhibition. Scores were 18 —8 in favour of the visitors. Points, were notched for the home team bj’ Turner and Allen, and Robertson kicked the goal, while for Waimangaroa, the scoring men were Wills, Fairlie and Neighbours Brs. (2). At half-time scores were 3 all, and the game up to this period was tight, the players early discovering that toe work was more effective with the state of the ball than attempts to handle, except, when a player was not bustled and the leather came well away from the ruck. Some good dribbling work was put in by Iniangahua players. The home team I scored the first points and this was

entirely due to the team work of the forward men, and for quite a. lengthy period the local boys kept Waimangaroa hard pressed. They had the advantage in the first half and for a period after half time. Consistent work by the visiting three-quarter line followed up by team work, notched most of the scores in the latter part of the game. The ground became a mud pool and it was only occasionally that the ball came away from the toes of players. Good, kicking was impossible, the ball being dead and on a few occasions when side line kicks were used by the teams to relieve pressure on their back lines, the leather only travelled a short distance. This was noticeable even in the opening stages of the game, -when both sides frequently put the ball out. Waimangaroa gained most advantage from scrums. Though the play of both halves was bright and nippy, Boiitho the local lad, suffers from

lack of weight, a decided disadvantage on a wet day, when sliding was the order of play. Mr J. Crossman made an impartial referee and his decisions were well received. The game was a clean one, neither side showing any desire to play the man and not the ball. Only once was the game stopped, a local player getting a mouth full of soupy mud. As a curtain raiser, Town v. Country junior players ; met. Mr. Bradley handled the whis- > tic. The game was fast and open, and I the Country lads, who handled freely and combined fairly well, proved the winners, scores being 14 nil. Rain commenced to fall on Saturday night at Reetfton. Sunday mornling again broke fine, but dull. Rain i setting in about three in the afternoon, j and falling almost without cessation j until late at night. This is the longest spell of rain experienced locally for some weeks. A very decided drop in temperature has been noticed.