RUGBY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 4 July 1929, Page 8

RUGBY.

<J ——; SOUTH TARANAKI PLAY. SATURDAY'S GAMES. PERFORMANCES REVIEWED. Saturday’s games in tlie southern division of the Taranaki senior Rugby competition brought no alterations in the positions of the teams on the championship ladder. First round history was repeated, Hawera defeating Athletic; Okaiawa. defeating Waimate; Opunako defeating Kaponga and Paten defeating Eltham. Margins were convincing m each instance and, with the exception _of the Hawera-Athletic game, indicated a bigger measure of difference between the respective teams than appeared' from the scores of the corresponding first round games. OPTOAKE v. KAPONGA. The weather was against concerted play, on Saturday, a high wind making kicking very difficult except in the one direction. It is surprising that in view of the circumstances the tries secured in the Opunake-Kaponga match came as the outcome of very neat passing rushes. Two of these were finished off in workmanlike style by Rutherford who cut in prettily and completely heat the opposition and the other was an almost equally good effort by Sinclair. On. the day Rutherford was quite the best of the backs and showed much cleverness and finish in his play generally, taking the ball and running j with determination. He played perhaps better than in any match this season. | McCullum and) Sinclair also did l well and made a strong three-quarter line, ■which was well served by the fiveeighths, C. Hohaia and Robinson. Their passing, however, was not so accurate as could be wished. R. Hohaia, behind the scrum, played a capital game and passed smartly and surely. His potted goal, too, was a pretty piece of work—the pot is one of those moves that, if successful, is lauded 1 to the skies, and, if unsuccessful, lands the “perpetrator’ in disgrace I for not passing out to the other backs. The Opunake pack were well led by O’Rorke, .J. Lusk and Conroy and | were on the ball all the time. Except | for the early portion of the second spell they dominated the play throughout. The Ivaponga backs did not show to] so much Jin advantage as usual and ’ missed McCarthy on the wing. His dash and determination seem to hearten the hack line.

Twist, ms, rover, was as always dashing, hut he did not get so many opportunities as usual. The pack worked hard and had bad luck that in the second spell they could not cross their opponents’ line. -They .however, made a game struggle and deserved better luck. OKAIAWA v. WAIMATE. Time was when South Taranaki’s greatness in n Rugby club sense, centred in the powerful Waimate combination, which for long contributed a large proportion of the province’s foremost players, but as in many other instances the passage of time has wrought drastic changes and the playing strength of the Plains town waned to ,a negligible quantity. During recent ; years, however, the club” has steadily improved and opened the present season under the brightest of prospects winch, unfortunately, have not materialised. With a playing strength little in advance of that of last season the senior team fulfils its weekly engagements in a sporting 1 spirit and smilingly awaits the next! defeat j

Saturday’s match with Okaiawa on the Manaia. domain was generally looked upon as a gift to the visitors, whose combination and individual brilliance has for several seasons been a by-word Nevertheless. Waimate put up a game light and although seven tries went to the winners’ credit, the latter had by no means indisputed territorial rights. For the greater part oi the game the issue was fought out in neutral ground and it was due' mainly to Okaiawa’s spurts of combined hack play and Waimates’ corresponding dearth of the same quality that the final scores of 21 points to 5 were attained. In losoe work and line-out phases the opposing vanguards were about on a par, but the winning teams’ forwards excelled in scrummaging, with the result that Hardier (half hack) was treated to more than his share of the ball, and showing a decided improvement on his early season play, lost no time in setting Lynsky,, Johnston. Simons, McCullum and company on scoring missions.

0. Whalen was the bright star on the Waimate side and was responsible for the greater part of the team’s effectiveness in both attack and defence. It is rather a pity lie is not supported better. Although interesting and full of fluctuating advantages until heavy showers interfered with accuracy in passing movements and made the ground slippery. the game was not remarkable as an exhibition of brilliant Rugby, individually and collectively.

PATEA v. ELTHAM. Although die ball wa s dry and the gonial jp good condition flie high want! that blew rendered •conditions for this ! game at Fa,tea somewhat difficult. The I game was, ot a bright nature, play swinging up and down . field freely. There was little in tne nature of orthodox back movements, but by high kicking and fast following up, both sides created interesting situations. For the first twenty minutes Eltham quite held their own, but the heavier Paten forwards wo,ye them down and towards the end had things much their own way. Casey, the Eltham half, was not up t 0 'his usual fora it-, perhaps because he was given little time and little room | to, manoeuvre in by the bustling Paten pack. In defence, which was mostly I .Eltham\s portion. Altrill and bout'be, the full-back, were conspicuous. Jfoiirke, although .voting t 0 be playing in senior grade, gave a confident diis- ] play, and on many occasions saved awkward situations. Prominent in the Pa tea. forwards were \V. Ba ldwin and C'. Wills, while G. Baldwin was also ill every movement and gave every indication of equalling his brother’s standard. Grant was the keystone of the Pa,lea bucks and at five-eighths he demonstrated what a clever hack earn do. J. Crawford and A. Cooper were also among Patea’.s best, the latter unfortunately having to retire through tin injury. The game hud a peculiar ending, the ball being punctured and unlit for further play, when the referee. Air K. Ale Nae, blew for time. The other hall had been lost in the t trees adjoining the ground, so without a p,roper ball the referee had no other course, but to call time. It was amusing to see Petersen going at full speed, snap the deflated case with one hand and score the final try. His effort to propel the leather over the crossbar created another laugh when the case rolled about five yards.