TWO HAWERA TEAMS MEET

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 17 June 1935, Page 7

TWO HAWERA TEAMS MEET

ATHLETIC BEATEN 25-NIL POOR STANDARD OP RUGBY. GOAL KICKING NON-LNISTLNT.

After piling up 12 points in the first spell, Hawera went on to defeat Athletic, the other Hawera fifteen, by 25 points to nil before a small attendance. The match seldom rose to a very high standard for the simple reason that Hawera were superior all round, and Athletic were “under the weather” for most of both spoils. By no stretch of imagination could the match be called a good one, and once again the goal kicking of Hawera simply did not exist. Seven tries were scored, some in easy positions, and not one was converted. It appeared that Hawera look matters easy, and it was on such occasions as they “letup” that Athletic were able to get beyond the yellows’ twenty-five line. Athletic played a wing-forward, and consequently seven men in the scrum, and although they were able to hold their opponents they hooked the ball only once throughout the game.

The teams were:—

Hawera (amber and black): Nowell; Clapham, McDonald, J. Hunter; Dowdle, Dymond; Guy; Mcßetli, Bute hart, Robinson; Garvey, Thomas, B. Murphy, Holloway, Brown.

Athletic (red, white and blue): Fleet; White, Smith, Herbert; Williams, Bevan; Campbell; Bublitz; Kerrisk, Perrctt, Rangiwahia, Scott, Lee, McDonald, McKay.

Both sets of backs made attempts to open the game up in the early stages, but on the one hand, Athletic’s rushes were broken up by good tackling, and on the other, by dropped passes. Finally, within five minutes of the start of the match, Clapham received at the end of a passing bout and crossed in the corner. Brown’s kick hit the upright. Hawera 3—Athletic 0. Hawera, by means of rearguard movements and stab punts, carried play again into the Athletic twenty-five, first Smith and then Herbert effecting saves to the touch-line. Dvmond was in the van of any rearguard movement, and he was finally able to institute a passing bout which ended in Garvey scoring. Brown’s kick again' missed narrowly. Hawera (i—Athletic 0. Again Hawera swept down the field,

ivith Robinson in the forefront of the

attack, and for a few minutes there was a series of line-outs on Athletic’s line. The blues finallv broke away and

| play transferred to half-way, from where Dymond and Dow die, with Hunter and then with McDonald made ineffectual attempts to cross the line. Robinson was the next to add to Hawera’s total when he scored in the corner from a scramble. Brown’s kick again failed to find the crossbar. Hawera 9—Athletic 0. The Hawera backs then more or less assumed control of the ball and some fine passing rushes were instituted, although none of them was successful as far as a try was concerned. The next try, although it came as the result of a rearguard attack, was scored by the forwards, Holloway touching down. Guy’s kick failed. Hawera 12—Athletic 0.

For the first time during the match Athletic got down to the Hawera twenty-live, where for a moment the yellows were on the defensive. Hunter was responsible for the clearing move when he intercepted a pass to run from his own twenty-five to within a yard of the goal line before he was grassed. Play then returned to Hawera’s twentyfive, the yellows forcing following an Athletic attack. The movement was short-lived, however, for play was quickly transferred to the blues’ twenty-live. Half-time was called with play in midfield and no further addition to the score: Hawera 12 —Athletic 0.

Hawera opened the second spell by a series of attacks on the blues’ line, but a good saving kick by Smith finally turned defence into attack, a movement which culminated on the Hawera line, Guy and Cla.pham relieving. From a line-out at half-way the Hawera backs started a movement, but this was intercepted by an Athletic forward and the game was transferred to the Hawera twenty-live. The Athletic backs' then began to throw the ball about, but altlio ugh they had Hawera a little bustled on more than one occasion, they were not able to finish off any movement, Dymond usually turning up from somewhere to effect a timely save. Athletic, however, were able to keep Hawera hemmed in' their own territory for some time before the yellow forwards again found their feet. Once this'happened, Athletic were soon defending. The lean period for Hawera ended when a forward rush culminated in Robinson beating an Athletic player for the touch down. Guy’s kick hit the uprights. Hawera Iff —Athletic 0. At this stage Dowdle retired, and E. Murphy went on into the forwards, Brown going back to centre threequarter. The newcomer, Murphy, signalised his entry into the team by scoring between the posts. Guy missed an easy one. Hawera IS—Athletic 0.

Hawera attacked again from the drop out. and within a few moments were on Athletic’s goal-line, where Guy received from a scrum to pot a field goal. Hawera 22 —Athletic 0. Then followed a short period when Hawera were called upon for defensive tactics, but although Athletic were given plenty of opportunities they were not able to get near scoring. Scott was given one golden opportunity to goal from a free kick right in front of the posts, but he took it too easily and missed. In the closing stages Hawera

scored again, the movement starting from a scrum in midfield, the ball going out to McDonald, who scored in the corner and failed to convert his own try. Hawera 25 —Athletic 0. Mr A. Harrison was the referee.