TARANAKI RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 20 June 1928, Page 10

TARANAKI RUGBY

PLAY IN THE SOUTH. PEREORGMANCES REVIEWED. Though weather conditions were the most unfavourable yet experienced this season, the opening on Saturday of the second round fixtures of the Taranaki Rugby Union’s senior grade competition was marked by interesting exhibitions of the code. By defeating Patoa the Okaiawa combination reversed the decision of the first game of the opening round, when the blues registered the only decision so far recorded against Okaiawa this season. Okaiawa has a two-point lead on the southern championship ladder, though Opunake, with a game in hand, lias the opportunity of drawing level this week. This week’s fixtures will find Okaiawa meeting Hawera at Okaiawa. Pa-tea is to travel to Opunake, and Kaponga is to meet Waimate at Manaia. Athletic has a bye. In the corresponding first-round fixtures Opunake defeated Paten 14—6, and Okaiawa won from Hawera 17—13, while Kaponga notched an 11—0 victory over Waimate.

HAWERA v. WAIMATE. Hawera’s victory over Waimate was expected, but though the Plainsmen had to cede slight superiority in all phases they were not disgraced, and made a plucky showing against astronger combination. * * * * *

The star of the day was the Hawera right-wing, C. Paterson whose dash and determination gave him all of the club’s three tries, and who was also very sound when tlie necessity arose to repel thrusts of the blues. * * * * ' *

J. Cheevers was fully up to standard as full-back, and was the principal unit in keeping the lien intact. A particularly admirable feature of the amber and blacks’ combination was the support given the full-back by the three-quarters, the result being that there was rarely, if ever, a last line. This was a phase which many other teams of all grades would do well to emulate.

G. Stagpcole, a new player on the left wing, did not receive as much of the ball as went to the right, but created a favourable impression with a steady display, which will probably result in his keeping the position. * * * * *

J. Henry was the most versatile of the middle-backs, and was correctly placed at second five-eighths.

'C. Hammond, at centre three-quar-ter, was a solid defensive unit and essayed many startling bids to open attacking movements, hut marred a good display by overworking the four-point kick. 1 With other budding opportunists he should remember that the true object of the game is to score tries, and not to drop goals, and the chance of a dropped goal should always be sacrificed to the chance of a try, with the exception that the endeavour is excusable when a side is a point or two down and attack after attack by the passing bouts has failed to penetrate. if * * * *

P. Riley behind the scrum sent his deliveries hard and swift in the approved fashion, though R. Barron was not always sure in reception.

H. Mills was not so much in the limelight as usual in the rover position, but proved a Tiseiul spoiling agent in the second spell. * « * * *

W. Xiobinson played his usual hard game without let up from start to finish, but each of the seven in the pack, with N, Paterson as the headpiece, contributed a fair share of work.

While all were consistent, A. Henry was again conspicuous as an honest toiler. He is this season showing much improved form. * * * * *

Though reliable, the Waimate fullback, L. Hughes, is another player who should remember the axiom concerning potted goals. * * * « *

O. Fergus was the best of the threequarters tried, while M. Burke, who played centre in the first spell and second live-eighths in the second, was useful with T. Hickey. ? * » * * *

Nursing an injury sustained at practise, J. Paterson was severely handicapped behind the scrum, but battled well till a* succession of knocks on the aliected limb compelled him to retire. * * * * *

J. Christie, who replaced J. Paterson, was solid, though, lacking the cleverness of the latter.

Dashing as the rover in the lirst spell, E. Griffen was then one of the best rovers on the field, and as centre three-quarter in the second was noted for dogged tackling.

W. Sutton,- K. Murray, and E. Long were the most noted of the pack forwards, who at times proved very iormidable in dribbling movements.

OKAIAWA v. PATEA. Despite the wet., greasy conditions of the ground and ball, the second meeting of Okaiawa and Patea for the season was full of interest and was marked by swiftly moving rounds of play. Okaiawa with Davy Johnston to act ns a pivot in attack and to stiffen the deience, appeared to adapt themselves more quickly to the conditions. The forwards played the “kick and follow on” game which as a rule pays best with a greasy ball, while the backs, despite the conditions, were able to handle the ball better than their opponents. Patea forwards made a gallant struggle and generally held their own. In fact at many parts of the match they proved superior on the loose while, by reason of their weight, they were aiso able to get possession of the ball during the major portion of the game. 11l actual scores from attacking movements there was not a great deal between the teams for, without the two penalty goals, the margin was only six points. " Johnston’s kicking foot, however, was in its best form and his two penalties scored within the first few minutes were remarkably fine, long and from difficult angles. In addition he all but converted from the last try. He proved once more the great value of a good place-kicker. , .* «. * * *

Okaiawa full-back, Murdoch, maintained consistently good play and made few mistakes. His dash and speed, perhaps, make him take the risk of running upheld at times; when against a stronger back team the tactic might be dangerous. But he has always good defence behind him On one occasion

he passed in his own twenty-five in' response to a. call from his skipper when it would have been safer to kick. But that was not his fault. It is always wise to have an understanding with the three-quarters for one to drop bade when the keeper goes upheld.. *** * ' * Simons upheld the good impression he has made as a winger, for he moved himself to be possessed of speed and ability to take the ball when going at top. This factor gave him his tries. |He played a capital game. ***** Johnston was reliable and brilliant as over, defended in great style, and made many fine openings. That which gave Simons his first try was a fine effort on Johnston’s part. He handed on the hall just at the right moment to make the try a practical certainty. He made another brilliant run from halfway, and ended near the line when the Patea, full-back cleverly, stopped him. Both the run and the tackle earned well deserved applause. ***- • * * I. Crawford was somewhat patchy an J did not always show his best, but a lot of his work was good and much better than lie lias shown in some matches.

Johnny was in fine form at fiveeighths. Tie fielded well,, made many fine openings, and cut in nicely on occasions. ...... He has plenty of dash and is likely to improve. m * * * *

D. Crawford lias played a good deal on the wing and shown excellent form there. As nrst five-eighth he combined very well with the other backs and proved useful in the position.

M. Clark did not get the ball so often as his vis-a-vis in the opposing team, but when his forwards hooked and sent it back he showed that he knew what to do with it. He also made several nice dashes with tlie rover Lynskey. , x . The latter is a solid player, but he has not enough pace for the position of rover. * * * * *

Tlie forwards generally played well and showed up well in the loose during a portion of tlio play. Patea often beat them in the scrum and line-out. They were generally not as good as in some of their other matches. * * * * * Tippett, McCallum, and Ike were the outstanding members of the pack, and all three were generally in the forefront of most rushes. * * * * Thompson, the Patea full-back, did not kick as well as usual, probably owing to the greasy 7 condition of the ball, hut his work was sound and he made few mistakes. One particularly goed piece of work was liis tackling ot Johnston when a try looked almost certain. * » » * * J. Crawford, always a reliable fiveeighth, stood out for his excellent work and did a « immense amount on deicnee, combining with some dashing runs. .”• * * • The other backs were not up to form and failed to handle the ball, while their kicking on the whole was poor. * •■ “ ’ v * * * The forwards played a great game, and on at least two occasions should have scored, but could not secure the ball. ***** C. Wills, O. Murphy, Baldwin, and Kerrisk were in the thick of the play always and led ceaseless attacks on the opposing goal line.

STRATFORD v. ELTHAM

Although no rain fell during the course of the match between Stratford and Eltham, the prevailing conditions —a sodden heavy ground and slippery ball —were adapted to anything hut a pleasing exposition of the handling code. Packed scrummages, . line work imcl scrambling, disjointed forward rushes were the order of the day, but each team nevertheless managed to repeatedly arouse the enthusiasm of their respective supporters by rapid changes of venure from one end of the field to the other. In these exchanges the visitors (Stratford) reaped the advantage, mainly through their greater ability to finish off an aggressive movement. Indeed, it would be difficult to name any one of the Stratford forwards who is not endowed with the necessary dash and virility to barge his way over the coveted line if given the ball within reasonable scoring distance.

Pitted against snob a vanguard, the absence of Cmdeu and Peppered from the Eltham forward ranks was a distinct loss, for, though their substitutes (Campbell and Slooombe) acquitted themselves very creditably against big odds, the weight and experience ol the absentees was sorely missed.

Being distinctly a forward game, it was only a question of fitness and the exercise of judicious kicking on the part of the visitor’s backs, to run the local forwards off their feet, to ensure an easy win. * * * * * With the exception of Garter’s two opening tries, the whole of Stratford's seven scores resulted from scrambling play. Carter’s tries were clean cut efforts, for which he deserves every credit. ***** As stated, above, conditions were against brilliant, or even commonplace, hand work in the back divisions, but tlie tackling and kicking of Stratford’s rearguard Jel't little to cavil! at. The local backs lost a number of chances to check the scoring by playing the man instead of the ball. * * * * * Garter was easily the best back on the ground, his running, lacking, and backing up constituting to the best exhibition he has given this season. * * * n * Wynyard showed a decided improvement on previous games, playing ■ with commendable dash and initiative. Owen had a lot of heavy work in stopping the Eltham forwards and did it very well. ***** Collins as usual, was very safe as full back; the absence of tries to the credit of Eltham indicate that. Notwithstanding the registration of seven tries against them, the home forwards played a. surprisingly good game at times in both tight and open phases. In many . instances they secured possession in the scrums and though Casey, in the lialf-back position, got the ball away smartly by its passage among his brother backs was usually of short duration. Thomas, Campbell and Slocoinbe were prominent in' forward movements. * * * * *

The Eltham backs were overrun by the opposing forwards, were weak in tackling, and compared unfavourably with the visiting backs in the matter of kicking.