OKAIAWA BEATS HAWERA

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 8 August 1932, Page 6

OKAIAWA BEATS HAWERA

FIFTEEN POINTS TO NIL

LOSERS; PROVIDE GOOD TUSSLE

There was plenty of fast action but few finished movements in the HuweraOkaiawa match at the Hawera showgrounds, Okaiawa winning by 15 points (five unconverted tries) to nil. The score hardly indicates the merits of the teazms, as, particulaul y in the fiirst spell, Hawera at times had Okaiawa fully extended to keep its line intact. On the other hand the winners lacked, a kick to capitalise the tries. In forward work Hawera-, despite tlio generalship of All Black R. Clarke in the Okaiawa pack, had the advantage for the greater part of the game, but the amber and black backs were a disjointed combination, exhibiting very pool- handling. Individually there were glimpses of spectacular play. The Okaiawa backs did not show their usual enterprise, and Johnston's calculating initiative was responsible for at least three of the five scoring movements l . The teams were:

Okaiawa (red a.ml black). —Murdoch; C. Blair, Ngaia, B. McOallum; Johnston, T. Robinson; Edwards; Guy; Awahou, McCall uim, Ike, R. Clarke; Preston, W. Rfobinson, Crawford. Hawera. (amiber and black). —Bishop; .Ekdhhl, Hammond, McCarthy; Bi-own, Huntei-; West; -Gibson ; Holloway, E. Murphy, 8 1 . Murphy, Cameron; Clement, Wills, Beauchamp. ’

The Okaiawa f orwa rds held Hawera momentarily in a rush from the dropout, but Brown scoured to short punt and regain possession. When threatened he endeavoured to kick over Murdodh’s head, but the'fullback took the leather on the full and claimed a mark. Okaiawa. gained nothing from the kick and a combined rush culminated in a. scramble at the red and black corner, from which Okaiawa forced. Faulty handling mulled an attempted clearance bv the' Hawera backs and the speedy Oka iawa backs, cam© through with a burst to carry play deep into Hawera.’s quarter. Hunter cleared and the amber and black shock division regained 40 yards in a dribbling rush. A scrum infringement nullified Hawera’® chances' for the time, hut the forwards again asserted themselves to force Okaiawa

back. Brown’s fumbling almost proved costly as Clarke followed up a short - punt, Elkdahl, however, tackling. weM to pull up the breakaway at midfield. ; Hunter fooled the opposition with a snappy out in from a. scrum, on y oi the opening to Ibe spoilt t>y poor attempts to handle by his backs, bo far Okaiawa had only twice been over half-way and the Hawera forwards were more than holding their own. Johnston gained Okaiawa s hist advantage bv finding touch at Hawera s twenty-five. A scrum followed the line-cut, Okaiawa 'heeling, the ball. The whole of the backs handled in turn to Ngaia, who dashed over five yaies insiide the corner. Crawford failed to convert. Okaiawa 3—Hawera 0. Charging down a clearance kick, the Okaiawa forwards swept in a bunch to the Hawera twenty-five, where touch was found. ' From the throw-in a scrum ensued ten yards out, T. Bomn«m essaying a field goal and just fail i Giving the ball plenty of an, the Okaiawa backs again reached the Hnn ei a territory, but were repulsed for offside play. For the next few minutes Hawera were compelled to adopt a hard defensive game, and from a dubbimg rush headed iby .W. Robinson and Crawford were decidedly lucky to foice when three backs fumbled in. turn. There was no vim in a succession or rushes bv the Okaiawa backs and, individually, the forwards were showing to better advantage. Blair faded to take an easy pass from Ngaia and an almost certain soaring rush was hatted five yards from the Hawera luie. T. Bolbiinson also threw away a chance a minute later in a futile effort to ‘pot.” Hunter made the opening tor a passing rush to give relief fay Hawera and Bishop lined between midfield and the Okaiawa twenty-five, iricking the defence hardly, Hammond made a .spectacular out-in to hand on to Holloway with five yards to go, but the later was grounded. In a melee, however, Okaiawa luckily forced. Ha Hammond been better supported a try would have been assured. Solid tackling held Okaiawa up time and again in attempted breakaways and in tight plav Hawera had the advantage. Oraw--1 ford made a .splelicTd effort to drop i kick a goal from half-way, the nail falling just short. Bishop was slow in clearing and the Okaiawa forwards came up in a bunch to set up a scramble for possession on the line. A line-out followed a scrum a yard out Hawera making a clearance to well past the twenty-five. Tackling cleanly and effectively, Gibson prevented a breakaway by tho OkaixiM a backs and touch was found at half-way ajs the spell ended. , On the resumption Murdoch kicked out at his twenty-five in the face of a combined rush and tight play on the wing culminated in a succession or lino-outs. Hunter made a bid along the line and centred, Johnston taking on the full to line at half-way. Okaiawa gained 1.0 yards in a rush from the throw-in, but Ekdahl cleared to well past half-way. A scrum followed, and another, from which Okaiawa secured the ball. Davy Johnston swerved his way dowlifield in a jinky run and in a loose handling rush McOa-lluni went I over at the corner under Hunter’s tackle. Clrawfard found the angle too difficult. Okaiawa 6 —Hawera, 0. Dr the best passing rush of the match the Okaiawa backs broke away in a sparkling run from tlieir twenty-five to the Hawera' quarter, where Brown brought off two pretty tackles to halt the movement. Touch was found in a scramble, but Okaiawa again gained possession. The ball travelled along the backs to T. Robinson, who again attempted to drop a goal, but without -result. Clement and McCarthy were associated in an' enterprising 50 yards run, and were unlucky with a forward pass with only Murdoch to pass. Play swung to the Hawera territory in a loose rush and Johnston centred. Hammond made a weak attempt to clear and Crawford secured, but was- tackled. Okaiawa secured from the ruck, the ball coming out to T. R.cbinson, who banded on to Blair. The latter had an almost dear run over. The kick failed. Okaiawa 9 —Hawera 0. A spell of desultory play at midfield wa,S) followed by a rush to the Hawera lino and a five yards scrum. Edwards was penalised for picking the ball out and Hawera found temporary safety beyond the twenty-five. Fi'om a lineout the Okaiawa backs opened one of their characteristic passing runs which ended in MoCaHum scoring at the corner. Ngaia failed to convert. Okaiawa 12—Hawera 0. 1 Clarke was found badly offside following a scrum at Okaiawa’« territory, but Bishop could not goal. Again Clarke was offside, Hawera attempting an “up and under” rush from the resultant kick. The Okaiawa forwards, however, smothered the movement only to be repulsed for an infringement. In short bursts Okaiawa gradually gained the positional advantage. The backs again instituted a pretty passing rush which had every prospect of success until Bishop streaked across the field to grass McOallum a yard from the line, touch being found. Hawera secured from the line-out and cleared, but Okaiawa returned to the attack with a succession of' sharp thrusts, which ended in Hawera forcing. Bishop came through t ; o half-way with the ball and handed to Ekdahl, the winger ‘being grounded at the Okaiawa twenty-five. A shocking pass by Hunter cost Hawera. its chance? and Johnston seized the opportunity to return the leather to the neutral area. Again Hunter sent Brown a, hopeless pass as the Hawera backs attempted to swing into action, and Johnston came up to kick well downfielkT. A loose, long range passing bout carried the Okaiawa hacks deep into the Hawera twenty-five, where T. Robinson kicked to the wing. The luck of the bounce favoured Blair and he sectored to evade McOarthy and dash across for his second try. Crawford could nob convert. Okaiawa. 15—Hawera 0. Time was. called almost immediately after with Okaiawa on the attack. Mr L. Clapha.ni refereed.