PICK OF 16 SENIOR SIDES IN RUGBY SERIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22669, 21 June 1948, Page 3

PICK OF 16 SENIOR SIDES IN RUGBY SERIES

SPEEDY ACTION

P.B. AREA TALENT

E.C. GOLD CUP CLASH

MATAKAOA HOLD TROPHY The form displayed by (he lop players from the 16 senior teams ot the area of the Poverty Bay union in Saturday’s series of three matches on the Gisborne Oval indicated the availability of Rugby talent of a good standard for the respective Town and Country sides to appear in the union rep. trial game on the Patutahi ground during the coming week end.

Fine, cool, windless weather and a firm turf favoured bright football and the play, w'hile lacking in the kceness developed by the will-to-win spirit usually associated with representative fixtures, featured flashes of fast action which drew impartial applause from an attendance of dimensions attracted customarily only by inter-union contests.

Three teams were drawn from the five Gisborne clubs and one each from the Waikohu, Ngatapa and Motu subunions, whose senior competitions are supported by four, four and three teams respectively. First Game to Motu

In the first encounter a penalty goal decided the issue in favour of Motu against Gisborne (III), each side scoring two tries In the second match, the stronger Gisborne (ID team, who included a Maori All Black thicequarter, took a comfortable _ decision, scoring seven tries to one against Nga tapa, while in the third game Gisborne (I) defeated Waikohu. Regarded as the strongest of the subunions, Waikohu gave a good showing against the formidable Gisborne first team, who included, with reserves, 13 Poverty Bay representatives (one being also a Maori All Black) and an East Coast representative of last season.

Only two of the grade competition names of the P.B. Union were played. They were first-round junior fixtures postponed on May 15 owing to the flood conditions. •

In the East Coast area the competitions of the Tokomaru Bay and Matakaoa sub-unions were deferred owing to the representative games at Te Araroa in which Matakaoa held off the Tokomaru senior challenge for the Pepere Gold Cup and the home juniors lifted the Rose Bowl from Tokomaru Bay.