RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 14 August 1929, Page 8

RUGBY

TARANAKI CHAMPIONSHIP. ! OFUNAKE-STAIv CONTEST. PEIRFORMA N GES REVIEW El). The senior chajuipioiushiip at FJlLliani on Saturday,. when Opunako took tlic .pro v moral title, -marked we season eiosure n-f the prinoi'pall club panics iiL Taranaki, t-liongli I>ho lower grade proinier.sliiiips have yot to be decided' and the list of representative fix-tuve-s- does nob terminate until September 21. In securing the provincial championship for the first time, the Opnnake Club gained a! popular victory. Though •beaten once iby Marvera. and held to a. draw by Okaia.ivui and Pa,tea, the oealstal team .played consistently good Ruigjby througiiouit the season and may fairly be credited with, the distinction of being the best team in the? south division and on its allowing on Saturday with being more than equal of the northern champions. Star. The heavy ground was a. big handicap to both sides, each, having favoured open order rather than close ptlay throng-bout the season. Neither set ol balcik.s could show the pace of which they arc capable, though both made willing endeavours and, under the. adverse conditions, the standard of play wa.s high. The Opunako playcns, however, were less troubled by the handicap than the lighter men from the north and in the pink of condition the former were able to dominate the second; .spell, decidedly. While the superiority rested mainly with the. tireless Opunako forwards, the rear division contributed its quota to the success qf tho day and shaded the Star backs, though the margin was not pronounced. The Opnnake pack held the advantage in tight ipilay and Avon nineteen of the ,38 iscrums formed during the game sus against 1.2 in which the ball Avals received by Star, the remaining seven being indecisive. In loose rushes the Opunako pack also maintained better combination, the Star players being inclined to spread AAiirth. the consequent tendency to get in front of the ball. The Star forwards gained the advantage in. the majority of the line-outs, though this avus the only phase of the Avhotle play in which Opnnake bad to cede the honours.

The Opnnake backs earned Avhatever distinction could ho claimed an rear division pla'y, principally because of their better appreciation of the merits of straight running. Though it could not be. claimed that they Aver© faultless in that respect, the Opunako middle I tacks certainly made better use of opportunities- to gain ground than the northern men Avho, .in comparison, Avere much more inclined to travel across instead of upheld and also to delay transfers, AA'itih the resultant opening f-or spoiling Av-ork. which was eagerly exploited by tho sAvift Opnnake- forwards.

While each side annexed only one try —-.scored as the direct outcome of rugged forward -play by If. F. McLean and •T. Lutsk for Star and Opu-uakc rospect-ive-ly —and the actual winning margin was Iho polled goal secured by the Opunake liil'l-Lack, Opunako merited llm decision on the territorial run of play, hnl though healon, in the general combination Star fielded the best baiek of the day in C. Hunt and also in 11. K. McLean, had the most consistent, if not outstanding forward of the day. But for the sound display given by Hunt at full-back, Opunajkc would have had points to spare and on the ‘day’s exhibition lie merited bis previous selection as Ibe last liner in. the Taranaki B represent ait ive team which is to- meet Ki ngiLikci at Fifth am to-morrow.

The Opona-ke I'uill-lKwk. (I. l-larris<m, also caanod out a great deal of nisei u-l defensive work, hut did not inspire the same. degree of confidence, though Ins snceesisful pot decided the location, of the shield.

Closely following' McLean for prominence in forward play were J. Lusk, R. O’.Rorke, A. Clarke and T. Conroy in the Opunake pack, and, F. Wolfe in the Star vanguard. O’Rorke was particularly notable, as befitted liis position of rover, as a. bard spoiler and was also prominent in clearances from the iino-onl. though in the latter McLean was the outstanding exponent. ( aiumcndation concerning their .success in the -scrums was earned by the Opunako hookers, K. Cruden and M. Sutton, while credit for the manner in which the front row men were held was due to the lock, I. Bishop, who a,lso proved a very valuable forward. The backs in both teams evinced a. pleasing standard in handling the diffi(iillf hall, which early in the game botanic very greasy and elusive. If. Holiaia. was versatile behind the Opuuake .serum and 'l.’. Robinson end C. Hohuia in the fLee.-eii'shth line again proved a. resourceful pair. .At centre, W. Mr.Gidlem was .sound, and particularly reliable in defence.

Neither of the wings. W. Rliitlicrford and A. Sinclair, were given much opportunity in attack. Though willing

tliey found the defence sound on the few occasions on which they respectively got going. Similar -comment applies to the Star outside men, IT. Wolfe. ,T. lvinselllla and the emergency, I\. Mouli, though they Avere afforded oven. fewer clmnocis than, the Olpuna.ke- wings. i.\ I’oppereli. the Star half-balck, appeared a, good connecting link and received! fair support from the first liA'ccightli, K. Ologg, hub the next man in tiie chain, LJ. Billing, Av-a-s below his reputed form and had a. proclivity for running into trouble. Star come to the encounter ■with aJ high reputation gained in the northern competition games and the team's chances of keeping the premiership in the north end. Avhcre it had rested owing to tlio prowess of Stratford! and Tuiknspn sinc-e iliu T.V>2o son-son, were favoured even by a- big percentage ol southern folloAvers ol file game. On the day, h-owo-ver, tho northern iside avoulcl iia-ve been decidedly lucky had it gained the verdict, and on the actual showing Avonld ] H'obafely Itave met defeat at the hands of any of the three leading southern clubs, Opunako, Okain.Ava. and Ha Accra .