RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 239, 27 September 1930, Page 10

RUGBY

(By

Kick-Off”)

THE LAST REP CAME. CLOSE OF SEASON TOPICS. So far as Hawke’s Bay is concerned the football season ended with last Saturday’s fixture with Manawhenua. The latter union has not had a, very successful season judged from the point of victories, therefore their one point lead over the Bay would no doubt afford them great satisfaction. Palmerston North critics say that in this last game Manawhenua gave their best performance of the year, the forwards putting more dash into their play and the tackling of the team as a whole was much improved.

Playing with a breeze at their backs in the first half, Hawke’s Bay lacked the dash of the previous Saturday in Wellington and it was not until the second spell that they put any vim into their work. As in previous fixtures away from home the Bay forwards, conceded a great number of penalties, thus losing big stretches of hardly won territory. In addition, Evans had an off day with his line finding, thus occasioning his forwards much unnecessary running about. Cooko, at half, also suffered unaccountable lapses, his passes generally being of the untakeable variety. Late in tho game, Grensido shifted to first five-eighth, but he was allowed little latitude.

Henderson, who earlier in the season represented Bush am/ also the combined Wairarapa-Bush fifteen against the British team, now resident of Daiuicvirke took Colin Campbell’s place ill the pack and shaped very well. The best of the Bay pack was Walter Wilsou, who played one of his best games.

Out of twelve games played this winter, Hawke’s Bay have had but one win —that against North Auckland. Drawn games were recorded with Poverty Bay and Wellington, and in nine matches losses wore recorded. Followers of tho game in Hawke’s Bay will remember the winter of 1930 as a particularly “block” one, easily the most dismal since the Great War.

With but three provincial home 'games it can be expected that the H.8.8.U. will experience difficulty in balancing the “Budget.” However, with the goodly number of home rep fixtures that are set down for next winter, the loss of this year should bo more than covered. Tbs Dolbel-Currie Cup. The yearly contest to decide the resting place of the Dolbel-Currie Cup is becoming quite a serious affair between the representatives of Taradale and Greenmeadows. Last week’s elash attracted a great crowd and the teams were the best in point of ability that have yet been fielded in the history of this annual fixture. At the commencement of the game one or two players of either side were

inclined to take the game too seriously, but a few penalties and words of advice from the referee had the desired effect, and the second half produced a splendid tussle, mainly between the two vanguards. It would be generally expected that All Black Dick Steere would tower above all in such a game, but such was not the case. Undoubtedly he was responsible for more than his fair share of the heavy work but his colleague Hepburn lent him valuable assistance and in the opposing pack Adams was a great worker.

The main game was preceded by what was termed a junior fixture between the two townships. The point that impressed me was that Taradale district could put only two teams, a junior and fourth grade, in the Rugby competitions, yet on DolbelCurrie Cup day four teams can take the field. Perhaps the H.8.R.U., at their pending general meeting of delegates, will look into this aspect.

Controversial Subjects. The notices of motion that are to be discussed at next week’s general meeting of delegates to the H.B.R.U. have already been discussed by the various clubs in Napier, and it is generally understood that all are in agreement with tho exception of the proposed three mile radius surrounding Taradale and Clive. Two of the town clubs are very much against this proposal, which is a vital one.

Its acceptance wifi probably mean that Tarauale would bo able to enter teams in the senior, junior, third, and fourth grades, and for that reason, if town clubs have the welfare of tho game at heart, tho motion should become law. Doings Elsewhere.

Wellington’s defeat of Wairarapa last baturday marks their first victory over the representatives from across the Rimutakas in five years. Wairarapa’s fifteen contained many unfamiliar names and it was only in the last fifteen minutes of play that Wellington gained the upper hand. It is remarkable that though Fuller has been transferred to the Wellington district and has actually been working there, he saill continues to represent Wairarapa. The law of domicile as applied by the N.Z.R.U. in the famous Barclay case of 1927 was of the steel wire variety—no give—but since then, having served its purpose, has now been fitted with elastic.

When Hawke’s Bay played Canterbury in Christchurch recently, newspaper critics had much to say about the weakness of the tourists in various departments of the game, but it was left to the southern tour of Canterbury to show that they were less impressive than the Bay. Against Southland the Canterbury men were feeble and in the mud at Carisbrook, not much better. One wonders how the Christchurch critics will explain away the shortcomings of their representatives. Should Wellington overcome Taranaki to-day (a stiff hurdle) they will have gone through the season without defeat, a wonderful performance and thus equalling Hawke’s Bay’s record in 1925. In that year Hawke’s Bay had the more arduous task as in the space of eight days Wellington were met at Athletic Park on the Saturday, Otago at Hastings on the following Wednesday and Auckland three days later, this last game being drawn—9 each.