POOR GAME

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 175, 9 July 1932, Page 4 (Supplement)

POOR GAME

PIRATES ’• TAMATEA MAORIS AGAIN BEATEN BLACKS SHOW LITTLE FORM. MATCH DEVOID OF INTEREST.

In what was undoubtedly the poorest game seen in Hastings this season. Flrates defeated Tamatea by 10 points to nil. The visitors were not up to usual strength, but on paper were vastly superior to the fourteen Maoris, several of whom were only third and junior grade players. Tamatea put up a stout defence, and this was the only pleasing feature of what was otherwise a very drab affair. It was not until the last few minutes of the gume that Pirates scored their second try to place the issue beyond doubt. The teams filed out as follows: — Pirates—E. Howell, Farquhar, M. Howell, Callinan, Jones, Broad, Stanford, Mclvor, Newson, Marshall, Hartwell, Coutts, Wyllie, Hall and Heebie. Tamatea.—Harvey, Kuropo, Watene, Banks, Taylor, August, Tomoana, Hipo, Tomoana, Marshall, Hawi, Harrison, Keefe, Skipwith. Tamatea came on under strength, and though they began with only twelve men they soon had Pirates defending, first in their own half-way and then for a minute or so on their goal-line. The defence remained intact, however, and harquhar cleared nicely. A penalty to the Maoris enabled them to stave oft a determined attack by Pirates, and Bennett improved on the position by breaking through with the ball at his feet, but there was no one with him.

At this stage Tamatea’s strength increased to fourteen. From a line-out the Maori backs broke away promisingly to half-way, but a good interception by Marshall enabled Farquhar to sprint down the wing for what looked like a try. He was pushed out however, and from the line-out the Pirate forwards gained further ground. E. Howell made a fruitless attempt at a pot, but Pirates kept up a fairly well sustained attack which ended with Farquhar falling against the corner-flag mid just missing a try. A fantastic and wildly-conceived bout Of passing by Pirates went from wing to wing, but all the energy expended was wasted. The Tamatea forwards battled their way through to beyond half-way, but a stoppage for injury pulled them up

Scraggy play by both teams followed, and neither was able to produce any movement with much promise in it. Kicking deadened the action, and the attempts at passing-rushes were lacking entirely in penetration. There was some show of animation when the Black backs, rallying round the ruck, got clear fifteen yards from the Tamatea goal, but the Tamatea forwards came through with a dribbling rush which Callinan promptly pulled up and sent back to the twenty-live. At last from a scrum ten yards out Pirates hooked the ball nicely, and the whole of the backs handled for Mclvor to

cross unopposed. E. Howell converted, and half-time sounded a minute later with the score: Pirates 5 Tamatea 0 AFTER INTERVAL. Pirates opened the second-spell with a strong attack in which the work ol the backs showed some improvement but the Maori defence was correspondingly better, and accounted for the whole attacking line one by one in a struggle on the goal-line. Tamatea then staged an attack by the forwards, and took play almost to the other end of the field. A scrum close up gave them a chance that they were unable to improve upon, and the game moved back to half-way. Pirates worked back yard by yard into Tamatea’s territory, and a well-placed kick by Callinan took Pirates right into the corner. They were badly beaten in the line-out, and the Maori backs, handling well, came down with a lively spurt into Pirates’ quarter-way, whence they were immediately driven back to half-way. Pirates held the advantage, and Tamatea had to force at the end of a dribbling rush. E. Howell broke loose from the ruck at the twenty-five and passed to Marshall, but good tackling brought the attack to a sudden end right on the goal-line.

The process was repeated a moment later, and Tamatea forced. A well judged kick by Harvey sent the Buccaneers back to the halfway. After a time Tamatea showed a slight improvement, the forwards making a series of brief excursions to the visitors’ twenty-five. They were never in distance of scoring and eventually Pirates took up the attack.

The Black rearguard swept into action, but could make no headway against the tackling of the Maoris. This was the one redeeming feature of the game which otherwise was tho poorest seen for many a day. Pirates persisted and eventually the forwards broke down tho defence. Stamford keeping up with them to be on hand when the bouncing ball crossed the line for him to score in a handy position for B. Howell to convert. A few minutes later time was called with Pirates once more pressing strongly, the score being:— Pirates ............... 10 Tamatea ~ 0 Mr D. Graham was referee.