COAST DEFEATED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22416, 25 August 1947, Page 7

COAST DEFEATED

SPEEDY VANGUARD RELIABLE BACK LINE THREE TRIES REGISTERED In defeating the East Coast team on Saturday, the Poverty Bay Rugby representatives achievqd their fifth successive win and maintained their unbeaten record of the present season. The game was the first of the season’s home and home matches between the unions and also a trial for the selection of the Combined P.8.-E.C. team to meet Otago, holders of the Uanfurly Shield, on Wednesday. Tn a curtain-raiser on the Gis liornc ground an Old Bovs club fifteen defeated a Ngntapa sub-union representative side. At Te Karaka the Gisborne junior reps defeated tbe Waikohu sub-union Colts and the Gisborne third-grade reps, gained a narrow decision over Waikohu juniors. The Gisborne High School first fifteen played a three-all draw with Tauranga College on the Tauranga ground. At Wairoa the home junior reps, defeated Te Aute College and in a cur-tain-raiser the Gisborne H. 5.0.8. thirds took the decision over a Wairoa thirdgrade side.

and Carrington in the second. He was unable to penetrate, but was a constant bidder and was very reliable in defence. B. Brown was an alert first fiveeighth of considerable promise. The half-back, Williams showed dash and ability to throw a good pass, but marred an otherwise good display by breaches of the law when putting the ball in the scrum. The full-back. J. Takarangt, was dependable when he had room to work. Some of his line-kicks were gems and lie showed judgment in, nursing his forwards in the second spell, but in speedy decision and action he lost in comparison with his opposite number. His fine exhibitions of last line-line play on the same ground during the war were recalled and it was unfortunate that he was not given more opportunities to demonstrate his goal-kicking prowess. The tall 17st Jenson stood out in line-out plav among the Coast forwards. McClutchie,' Lincoln and Lambert were particularly good toilers in tight forward play. Mackey was also notable and Forrester was a fast leader in the loose. Early Opening Score The Gisborne Pipe Band led the teams on to the field and the Marisl club candidate in the queen carnival. Miss Natalie Meant. set the ball rolling for the home side. Coast had the advantage of an oblique breeze, but were put on the defensive in the initial stages. McKinlev failed to goal with a penaltv kick from a range of 30 yards, but in a following sortie the Red forwards swarmed on the line and McKinley followed his own kick over to beat the defence for a try seven minutes from the opening of the game From good position he added the goal points against the wind and the score was five nil. Action was fast in ensuing exchanges, linc*out. quickly disposed of being practically the only breaks as scrums numbered only three over the first 15 minutes. Brown, Blane and James were prominent in Coast attacks. Preston, Lee and Barbour were noted in timely clearances of the line, Forrester being narrowly beaten on one occasion to the touch-down. Just inside halfwav the Blue half was penalised, but McKinley's kick into the wind lacked distance. A little later Takarangi saved with a force. Then Preston received applause for clever fielding to avert a likclv try bv Crawford. Though fluctuating fortunes showed a territorial margin in favour of Coast the interval was signalled v'ith the score still five-nil in favour of the home team. Play of Second Spell Opening the second session, the home side again took the initiative, results coming when Barbour raced in to spoil the full-back’s clearance and fellow his own ground kick over far a try near the goal. Again McKinley converted and the score was 10-nil. Two furious assaults by the Blue forwards were stemmed and a little later Clay failed by a small margin to get the elusive four points. Birrell made a useful substitute for McKinley for 3 few moments while the leading middeback received attention on the line. McKinlev was limping when he resumed, but was soon moving sttongly and holding up an East Coast foray.

Takarangi seemed to have a certain three points with a penalty just outside the twenty-five, but a good kick veered just outside the goal. Two minutes later he failed from a corresponding position on the other side of the field. Two determined bids by James drew cheers from the stand as did also an immediate counter in which McKinley. Summersby, Barbour and King handled the ball in a movement which terminated when Barbour, getting a reverse pass, was thrown out in the corner. Results came when the Blue backs were being reorganised owing to the retirement of the centre, Goddard, with a damaged nose. From a scrum in the twenty-five. Lee handed to Clay, who made an opening before transferring to McKinley, whose transfer sent Edwards over for the final try. The kick failed, but the score was 13-nil. The home side, now definitely on top, did not release the pressure and the visiting-pack showed signs of the strain imposed by the gruelling pace. They rallied repeatedly, however and kept the line intact, though lucky in avoiding a penalty try during the concluding five minutes when a knot of players in a loose scrimmage prevented the referee from obtaining a clear view of a piece of obstruction which robbed Barbour of a seemingly certain try. Time came with Coast essaying a determined counter. Mr A. E. Ingram was the referee.