TARANAKI DEFEATED

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 2 September 1932, Page 6

TARANAKI DEFEATED

WIN TO MANAWHENUA SCORE OF 18 POINTS TO 14 PATCHY RUGBY AT STRATFORD GAME IN| MUD AND SLUSH Staging a sound second spell recovery after being nine points down, the Manawhenua representative Rugby niteen beat Taranaki at Victoria Park, Stratford, yesterday by IS points to 14 in a game in which the high lights were few -and far between. The condition of the ground—there being inches of mud and. slush—gave neither team a chance to show its capabilities, but on the run of play Manawhenua definitely merited the win. Manawhenua scored four tries and converted three, Taranaki securing two tries, converting one, and two penalty goals. The weather was fine, but the heavy rain of the morning undoubtedly affected the attendance, the “gate” being a very poor one. With several players not available, or being held in reserve for the game against Hawke’s Bay on Saturday, the Taranaki team was not at full strength and the side was a very different one from that fielded against Wellington. Taranaki had easily the better of the first spell and seemed to adapt themselves more readily to the conditions of a heavy ball and a sodden, slippery ground, but on the change over Manawhenua gave an exhibition in which the amber and blacks were outplayed, both backs and forwards. The visitors had the heavier pack and used their weight with effect, while the Taranaki hookers were beaten for the ball. In the first half there was comparatively little between the two sets of forwards, the Manawhenua shock division being at its best after the interval. Both teams’ backs handled exceptionally .well under the circumstances, the visitors being the more versatile and at times showing clover initiative, the two factors largely contributing to the team’s success. The teams were:—<

Manawhenua (red, white and blue). — Barrett; Elliott, Johnson, Cooke; Bramwell, Wasiey; Irvine; Ogier, Palmer, Eraser-Smith, McKenzie. Cooper, Ropa.ta, Roddick, McDonald.

Taranaki (amber and black). —Petty; Kinsella, McOaitum, E. Young; Gudgeon, Haughton; Edwards; J. Young, Gargan, Dusk, Clarke, B. Murphy. O’P'owda, Fowler.

Manawhenua kicked off against a stiff wind, two scrums following at midfield. Taranaki were penalised and Roddick lined just outside the amber and black quarter. A Taranaki forward breakaway was countered by a loose dribbling rush to the Taranaki territory, a scrum ensuing on the twenty-five line. Clarke headed a clearance rush to tho neutral area, hut the Manawhenua forwards secured from a line-out to bustle their way deep into Taranaki’s quarter. Young opened a breakaway which resulted in Manawhenua being pressed on their line, and the visitors were penalised for off-side play. Young took the kick and raised the flags.

Taranaki 3—Manawhenua 0,

The Taranaki backs handled well from a line-out at half-way, McCall uni cleverly taking a high transfer to send Young’away. The wing was well blocked and the movement broke down at Manawhenua’s twenty-five. A scrum followed, the ball coming but to MeOallum. The centre cut in to draw the defence and passed to Young for the wing to go over at the corner. ■ Young failed -with the kick. Taranaki 6 —Manawhenua 0.

Manawhenua rallied in a hard forward rush, but Taranaki took advantage of the wind to clear and again reached the visitors’ quarter. Scrambling play in the -vicinity of half-way was relieved 'by a snappy passing rush by the Taranaki backs. Bramwell marked to halt the movement and Manawhenua instituted a dribbling rush to the opposite quarter, only to be penalised when McDonald was found off-side. From the kick Barnett took the ball on the full to line at half-way, and from the line-out Cooper gained 20 yards to the line. A forward pass Spoiled a promising run by the visiting hacks, but Manawhenua heeled the ball from the serum and McKenzie secured from a, melee 20 yards out to burst through and leave Cooper with a clear run across. Barnett converted from a difficult angle. Taranaki 6 —Manawhenua 5.

Hesitancy on the part of the visiting backs almost proved costly in the face of a combined Taranaki rush which carried pllay to the corner, but the defenders- succeeded in finding touch at the twenty-five. Loose passing, in which both backs and forwards combined, had Manawhenua in difficulties, arid from a five yards scramble the visitors forced. The Taranaki backs, throwing the ball about particularly well under the circumstances, again had the defence bustled, and from a loose movement at the twentyfive Haughton seized an opening' to provide K insell a with an opportunity that he capitalised with a. tricky run along the line to score at the corner. Young converted with a sound effort. Taranaki 11 —Manawhenua. 5.

Man aw hen ri a adopted decidedly risky tactics in opening a passing movement on their line, and were lucky to clear when an intercepted pass resulted in a scramble practically under the posts. Fast forward work enabled the colours to gain the territorial advantage time and again, but an inability to find the line resulted in Taranaki clearing from a succession of quick attacks. A long kick gave Taranaki relief and the Manawhenua territory was again invaded. Barnett went down to halt a solid Taranaki forward rush and repulse the amber and blacks to midfield. A Manawhenua forward was found off-side and Petty lined at the visitors’ corner. Manawhenua cleared from the throw-in and play centred at half-way. Gudgeon twice hesitated too long in passing breakaways, but McCallum and Young compensated for lost onportunitios by a

passing sortie which resulted in, a scramble for possession on the visitors’ line. Manawhenua were penalised, and again Young made no mistake with the kick. Taranaki 14—Manawhenua 5. Cooke made spectacular run from half-way to the Taranaki twenty-five, but was too crowded on the wing and bis pass infield went astray. The ball travelled long the chain of Taranaki backs to Ivinsella, who paced his way from half-way to within five yards of his objective before passing infield to Haughton in support. Haughton was ■obstructed before the could accent the nass, but the referee did not observe the offence, and Manawhenua lucl-vly found safety handy to half-way as the spell ended.

Taranaki opened the second spell with a dribbling rush to the Manawhenua twenty-five, the backs then opening out. Kinsella was sound!v tackled after a bright run, but from a scramble a long pass was shot out to Young and he streaked for the line, only to' he hauled down five yards short. Taranaki were penalised and Bramwell lined at halfway. A scrum followed the line-out, Manawhenua heeling the ball to reach Taranaki’s quarter in a nippy passing rush Wasiey endeavoured to short punt through and a scrum took place on the quarter line. Manawhenua again secured the leather, but Johnson failed to take his- pass and Taranaki broke away to midfield. The Taranaki backs handled well in a passing rush which was halted at the twenty-five, Cooper intercepting to make a brilliant solo dribbling run to within ten yards of the line? Johnson was in support and when Cooper was blocked he punted across the line to race oyer and outpace Gudgeon for the touch down Roddick could not convert.

Taranaki 14—Manawhenua 8-.

Taranaki were penned in their twenty-five and m a scramble were penalised. Cooper failed with an attempt to goal and a scrum followed at the quarter line. Taranaki were again penalised, Bramwell adopting up .and under tactics. Wills marked and Taranaki cleared to midway between the twenty-five and halfway. Manawhenua gained the hall from the line-out and Wasiey broke through to pass to McKenzie and came into position to receive a return pass and score as he was tackled. Barrett converted. Taranaki 14—Manawhenua 13,

Betty made a very hesitating at tempt to clear from a long range kick and Palmer came through to beat him for the ball. The latter passed to Cooper who knocked-on when a try seemed almost certain. Fowler headed a typical Taranaki forward rush which carried the amber and blanks to the opposing quarter, only to be, repulsed for offside play, Manawhenua finding the line at Taranaki’s twenty-five. From a scrum Manawhenua opened the prettiest movement of the game to earn_ a well deserved try. Wasiey burst through to within 15 yards and threw a long pass upheld which was cleverly taken by McKenzie. The latter drew his man and passed to Johnson, who in turn transferred to Elliott for him to clash across alongside, the posts. Bassett added the extra points.

Manawhenua IS —Taranaki 14. Manawhenua commenced to show plenty of enterprise and opened a succession of attacks that had Taranaki fully extended. Solid rucking was m favour of the visitors. Taranaki were penalised on the twenty-five, but Barrett gained nothing from the kick. Elliott and Johnson were associated in a dribbling rush to the Taranaki line and, but for obstruction, which the referee apparently did not observe, Johnson would have scored, touch being found at the comer. Taranaki cleared, but from a scrum Wasley cleverly dodged round the pack to kick through and come up to regain possession arid pass to Cooke, who lost the ball the line. Petty carried back in an attempt to clear, although a subsequent clearance was made. The Manawhenua backs were handling cleanly and accurately and in three successive rushes were held up just short. The Taranaki forwards were at last iaffprded an opportunity to clear and, following offside play, Young had‘a shot at goal. The ball went wide, but Manawhenua failed to find the line to clear and a loose Taranaki passing rush saw Lusk knock-on almost on the visitors’ line. Manawhenua gained a temporav relief from the scrum, and play swung to the twenty-five line. Taranaki, both backs and forwards, threw the ball about freely and on several occasions Manawheriua were badly harrassed. Irvine was penalised- for holding on to the ball, bub Clarke failed with a shot at goal and again in an attempted field goal. The Manawhenua forwards broke through to midfield, but from a scrum Edwards kicked the ball out of Irvine’s bands and dribbled through to find touch at the vsitorx’ twenty-five. Petty came round the field in good style to set the- Taranaki backs in action, and a try seemed imminent when Ivinsella missed Ids pass on the line, Johnson forcing. Taranaki made a last, minute rally and had Manawhenua bustled when the game ended with play 10 yards from Manawhenua’s line. Mr. L. Clapham refereed.

TEAM TO PLAY HAWKE’S BAY. PROBABLE TOURING SIDE. The Taranaki team to play Hawke’s Bay at New" Plymouth to-morrow, and 'which will in all probability bo the selection for the northern tour, when matches will bo played with Waikato and Auckland, is as follows: Collins; Ivinsella, Watson, McCallum; Haughton, Gudgeon; Edwards; Fowler, Gargan, .T. Young, Clarke, B. Murphy, Wills, Walter, D. Murphy. Reserves: Petty, Lusk. The Hawek’s Bay team will be chosen from the following: Backs: Varton, C. Smith, Set ford, Howell, Grant, Bradley, Lambic. Forwards: Satherley, Heaney, Rolls, P. Smith, Wilson, Beck, Ho.wca Matatri, Ireland, Drummond and Large.