SCHOOLS’ RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 19 August 1929, Page 6

SCHOOLS’ RUGBY

NARROW MARGIN VICTORY. NEW PLYMOUTH BEAT TE AUTE PENALTY GOAL, TO NIL.

Secondary school Rugby traditions were upheld worthily at Pnkekura Park, New Plymouth, on Saturday, when on a (sodden field the New Plymouth Boys’ High School and the Te Ante College fifteens presented a fast exhibition of the code, indulging freely in the bright open order play usually associated only with the most, favourable of weather conditions. Intermittent rain during the game allowed the . ground no opportunity of improving ' and made the ball very elusive, but a uniformly good standard of play was shown and thrilled a gathering of between three and four thousand spectators. Superb defence wae sustained by both .sides and.neither line was successfully crossed, it being left to a penalty goal to decide the issue in favour of the homo team. While a slight element of luck could easily have reversed the decision, the New Plymouth boys merited the victory, as t-heir back division appeared the better combination on the dav and the- forwards, though ceding the advantage in weight, held the advantage in the scrums. Territorially the play favoured New Plymouth during the first spell. The second session found the visitors making a better showing, but still left a slight margin in favour of the home side. In defeating Te Ante by a. penalty goal to nil, New Plymouth reversed the decision of the encounter at New Plymouth in 1925, when Te Ante secured the Moascar Cup with the same score. The teams were as follow :

New Plymouth Boys’ High School (Black and White).—Bedford; Snell, Ekdahl, Morris; Gibbons (captain), Pairlces; McLean (half); Andrews (rover); Grieve, Ha r butt; Thomson, Dallison, Wynyarcl; Thomas, .Dickey (hookers). Te Ante College (Bed and Black). J. Thompson; J. Tuhiwai, J. Burn, J. Bei (replaced by N. Kiki); D. Heperi, I). Durri; P. Gemmell (half); W. I’. Tibbie (rover) ; C. White, J. Keretene; H. Karaka, B. Paenga (captain) J. Aupouri; B. Faerata, T. Pohufcura (hokers).

Te Ante set the ball rolling, but were promptly placed on the defensive. With the second of two penalty kicks Gibbons raised the flag of one umpire, but the referee signalled nt> goal and a twenty-five kick out followed. Play had then been going for ten minutes and had been practically confined to the Te Ante half of the field. New Plymouth maintained the advantage for an exciting five minutes, during which the ball swept through the chain in four successive movements, terminating on two occasions with the respective left and right wing three-quarters, Snell and Morris, out each bid was frustrated t>v the steadv tackling of the Bed rear division. Eventually a penalty gave temporary relief, but | within al minute the Black and White forwards were in the To Aute twentyfive again and the backs gave support with well sustained passing bouts. A mark by Heperi in the danger zone and two* successive penalty kicks, permitted Te Ante to take the'initiative and 20 minutes from the commencement of the game Te Aute appeared in the home quarter for the first time'. Taking a leaf from New Plymouth's book, the Te Aute' backs tried the pass and reverse pass tactic. In one bid the right-wing, Tuhiwai, appeared a, likeTy scorer till Bedford upset him and Ekdahl sent the ball clear. The invasion was short, lived, the northern pack forging its way (nto the Te Ante left wing, Bei, received an injury and jhad to retire. He was replaced by Kiki. New Plymouth were ruling the scrums and McLean was feeding his backs well, but bid after bid proved unable to make serious impression o.n Te Ante’s splendid defence. Taking a mark straight out from the goal, Andrews tried a drop kick, which had 35 yards to go, but failed to raise the ball. Following a temporary bold up, owing to a knock received in a iine-out by McLean, a scrum was awarded and crisp transfers sent tbe ball via McLean, Pai-kes, Gibbons and Elkdahl to Snell in one' of the best bouts of the game. Taking the delivery in full career, Snell raced for the corner and drew Thompson. With Ekdahl racing in position to take the return pass a score appeared imminent, but when tackled Snell let the ball forward. New Plymouth still ruled the play, hut could not reach the objective, though points came four minutes from the interval, when Gibbons converted a penalty with a magnificent kick from a range </l nearly forty yards. The hell was about to* sound'when Hepetri gathered a pass dropped by a New Plymouth back at midfield, and raced sensationally to Bedford, but Snell came round to stop Tuhiwai, who was supporting Heperi and half-time found play in the neutral zone, the score showing:

New Plymouth -3 Te Aute 0 Early in the second spell Heperi handed a dummy at midfield and threaded a ’spectacular passage to the home twenty-five to firing Hum into action, and the centre’s run, which drew the defence, left Tuliiwai with an open line, but tho wing was unable to hold the slippery ball and a certain try was forfeited. As New Plymouth had ■clone in the first spell, Te Aute began to take territorial advantage, and New Plymouth were on the defensive till Gibbons went to midfield and Parlies made a pretty cut in, from which the forwards surged under the goal. In the ensuing melee the hefty tied forwards had the superior force and swung to midfield again, with a fine piece of combination in a dribbling rush. Giving the home backs' no opportunity of clearing, they reached the twenty-five where the rear division (nine into the picture in two successive thrusts, each of which would have terminated m tries had the right wing, Tuhiwai, been able to hold the ball. Bedford, and Ekdahl were prominent _ figures m a sturdy defence of the New: Plymouth citadel. Eventually Ekclahl was instrumental with a, run and punt in putting the play into To Auto’s territory, where the* Beds defended doggedly for over ten minutes. New Plymouth hammered persistently, but could' not get the ball across the line, except on two occasions when punts by the White backs compelled Thompson. to force. Checking the vigorous le Aute forwards, McLean, Gibbons, and Ekclahl were each Incapacitated in turn but. were able to resume after short delays. Tho New Plymouth hookers Were still claiming tho majority of scrum balls, but sure marking among the middle hacks prevented the exploitation of opportunities. When serums gave possession to the Bled backs their respective opponents were equally suio in spoiling work, though tho excellent combination .of the Bed. vanguard allowed it to make brief sorties into the

home territory. A heady punt by Heperi found touch deep in the home twenty-five .and from the 'line-out and ensuing loose scrummage the ball travelled) across the Bed backs to the left wing, Iviki, who was almost through in the. corner, when ho fell to Bedford's flying tackle. After being penned in their own twenty-five for several minutes, New Plymouth went to midfield, where three .backs handling in succession ga.vo possession to Snell. Two attempted tackles wore brushed aside iby the determined wing, who finished by side stepping Thompson and diving across the line only to bo recalls ed by the umpire’s flag about fifteen yards down the touch line. In the final .minute the New Plymouth hacks swept into the attack, but a dropped pass interrupted it near the objective-. From an ensuing line-out the White forwards penetrated and Andrews was only just beaten for the touch down by Thompson. Time was called with the score unaltered. Mr J. King was the referee. To Aute concluded with it rousing baka. before leaving the field.