MANAWHENUA BEATEN BY TARANAKI.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 September 1931, Page 7

MANAWHENUA BEATEN BY TARANAKI.

VISITORS’ SUPERIORITY IN OPENING STAGES THE DECIDING FACTOR. t The representative Rugby match ) between Taranaki and Manawhe- / nua, played at the Showgrounds } yesterday in the presence of a ; fair crowd of spectators, resulted in a win for the visitors by the ( narrow margin of four points, the final scores being: Taranaki 1% Manawhenua 9. There was a steady breeze blowing downfield when the game started and there was rain falling. The teams lined out as follows; Manawhenua. Red, white and blue: Ryder, Fletcher, Broughton, Graham, Johnson, Winiata, Le Quesne (capt.), Hight, Roddick, Miles, Payne, Gordon, Williams and McKenzie. ... Taranaki. Yellow and black: Collins, Sullivan, Watson, Crawford, Kinsella, Peterson, Brown, Guy, O’Ddwd, Murphy, Young, Clarke, Drader, Lusk, Gargan.

Taranaki won the toss and Manawhenua kicked off into the wind. The home side gained the initial advantage, but a penalty sent them back.. Elliott then obtained when a Taranaki passing rush broke down and streaked away down the line with Le Quesne in support. His pass was badly timed and low and Le Quesne failed to gather it in when the way to the line was open. Taranaki rushed the game to the other end, but were penalised twice, once right on thd line, and Manawhenua worked back to neutral ground where a scrum went down. Hight and Roddick hooked the ball which was sent along the back line to Fletcher, who electrified the crowd with a brilliant cut in. He streaked away to the full before passing to Le Quesne, but the Taranaki backs rallied and halted the movement. Manawhenua maintained the pressure for some time but the yellow forwards carried the play back to. half-way, where, however, two more penalties were given against them, the second going into touch at the Ji'aranaki twenty-five. The home side were' then penalised twice in quick succession and it was Taranaki’s turn to attack and Collins took a snap shot at goal, the ball narrowly missing. A few moments later Kinsella broke through and sent a long pass out to the wing. A Manawhenua man joined in off-side and was penalised, Collins kicking a very nice goal, drawing first blood for the visitors:

Taranaki 3, Manawhenua 0. Taranaki were putting great vim into their play and it was not long before they were again hammering at the line. Meta Johnson made a splendid save on one occasion, but when the ball came out to Guy from a scramble in front of the posts, Taranaki penetrated, Guy sending Watson away on a run to the corner. Watson was well tackled by two Manawhenua men, but had too much pace on and he went over for a good try near the flag. Collins converted with a great kick: Taranaki 8, Manawhenua 0. The Taranaki forwards were a very speedy lot and they broke through on to Manawhenua’s inside backs time and time again. Winiata, Graham and Johnson were given very little chance to get, the ball away.' Taranaki had Manawhenua penned down for a long period, but eventually Manawhenua staged one of the prettiest and best movements seen on the ground this season, backs and forwards combining in a brilliant passing rush which resulted in Le Quesne scoring a splendid try. The ball came out to the Taranaki back line from a serum, but Johnson smashed the movement and obtaining possession, broke right away with the Taranaki team in pursuit. Johnson, for some reason or other, decided that he could not make it on his own, though he had a start and only 25 yards to run, and he passed to Graham, the ball then being ■ handled by Fletche”. F‘ liptt and Le Quesne, the last-named going over unoppose.d near the corner. Eoddick’s kifek was a great one against the wind, but dropped just short: Taranaki 8, Manawhenua 3. Some exciting Work followed, both sides making repeated thrusts. The next try came when Sullivan broke away down the line from a melee near the half-way. After a great run he sent the ball infield and the yellow forwards, with short passing, went through to the line, Young completing the movement with a try in a handy position. Collins again found the uprights: - Taranaki 13, Manawhenua 3, The' yellpws were throwing the ball abopt and a few moments later it .went alOiig the line to Cfawford, who made great dash before being upended by ' . # , The plue forwards were beginning to hold the Taranaki pack, however, and kept tfhe gsnxe ,at half-way for some time, put Brdwn then cut through nicely tP send his backs away , but the hall went astray. They tried the movement again a. moment later, but Fletcher smashed it up and with Johnson in support worked the game back into neutral territory Where the home side was again penalised, Collins taking a shot from 45 yards out. Hus kick was a magnificent one, but it just failed to go between the. posts, hitting the lefthand one and rebounding into play, McKenzie promptly gathering it in and sending it out at half-way. The teams were hard at it in mid-field halftime was sounded, Taranaki having a 10-point lead. The Second Spell. The. jjecopd sensationally. The kick was returned deep to Cfawfbrd, who ha‘cf gdhh in from the wing to second live-eighth. Crawford changed direction and streaked right O'

through. tne opposing, pack and must oi tuo tju civs, ucxug upenued xxom oejujiiu jasc u xow yards irum me line.

muiiciu iienua uansx.erxed me scene ui anti nu Quesne made a gouu urrort lu send iMiioxt away on Hie wing, iuu pass weiu astray, nowever, ana the yexiow forwards rusned tne game ro uie line, almost going over in a loose rush. A penally urougnt relief to iviauawnenua. Play liung at naif way tor some time, the home backs malting several inelfectual efforts to break through. The forwards were working hard but were finding it difiicuit to open up; the game for tne Tara naki pack was keeping it close. Payne, however, gathered another three points in for Manawhenua when he broke away on his own from a melee near the half-way and streaked through to the line. Gollins tackled him but Payne made no mistake, grounding the bail a few yards in from the corner. Roddick's kick failed to rise: Taranaki 13, Manawhenua 6. The Manawhenua team was going great guns now and Le Quesne gathered in a Taranaki pass which had gone astray and raced round to send Elliott away. The wing failed to get the pass, but Fletcher dashed up and kicked the ball infield, where Gordon, when only a couple of yards short of the line, just missed gathering it in, the ball going over the line to be forced. Another Great Try. Another great try came a few moments later. Manawhenua had worked down to the twenty-five, when Le Quesne gathered the ball in in midfield, firing, a long pass to Broughton on the wing. Broughton made a dash for it before passing infield again to Fletcher, to Hight, who-raced over in a handy position. Johnson missed with the kick:

Taranaki 13, Manawhenua 9. Taranaki tken took a hand and a try very nearly resulted from a passmg rush by Watson, Crawford and Kinsella, the wing just .failing to &et clear. The Taranaki forwards then carried all before them in a loose rush to the line, but Manawhenua rallied in time and worked the ball back to neutral ground where Fletcher broke through .and started a wonderful rush. The ball was handled by Gordon, Payne and Broughton, who sent it back to Payne, who was halted by Collins a few yards from his objective. Taranaki worlced clear and Watson then sprinted through to the full-back who stopped him just in time. , Taranaki tried to keep the ball in motion, but failed and a free kick sent them back past half-way. Eoddiek then had a shot from the half-way line, the ball dropping by the posts. Another shot, following a penalty against Taranaki for putting the ball wrongly into the serum, dropped in the same place. There was not much time left and Manawhenua worked desperately to pull the game out of the fire. - Despite the fact that the wind had dropped considerably, Taranaki could not get them back past the half-way line until Young found the line with a long kick. The home side attacked again immediately and the ball was in Taranaki territory when “no side” was sounded, Taranaki taking the honours ,of the match by four points. Mr. Mulcahy was the referee. Manawhenua Rugby Union . Meets Mr. J. A. Colquhoun presided at the meeting of the Manawhenua Eugby Union held last evening. There were also present: Messrs. T. McHerron, A. Richards, J. McGill, G. Mitchell, H. Crawford, J. E. Hardie, F. Eobinson and K. Eglinton. Apologies were received from Messrs. Pagan and Casey. Mr. Eobinson was appointed manager of the Manawhenua teams to meet Wellington at Wellington and Wairarapa at Palmerston North/ The team to meet Wellington will travel by Field's express both ways, going down and returning the same day. , ' Mr, Crawford introduced the qiiestion of players’ expenses suggesting that there would always be trouble in this connection until some hard and fast rule was drawn up. *■ Mr Eobinson and other members agreed that something should be done in the matter, though it was pointed out that the union had no intention of casting any reflection on the players. Mr. Eglinton moved and Mr. Eobinson seconded: “That travelling expenses be first-class rail fares from the centre ifi which they play their club football, plus meal allowance of 2s 6d per meal. ” The motion was carried, the matter of making adjustments in recent overcharges feeing referred to the president, Mr. Eobinson, and the secretary. Utanawhemm , Team to Meet Wellington Tfee following team hasfeeen selected to represent Manawhenua in the game, against Wellington, to be played at Athletic Park ..next Saturday: Ryder, Elliott, Fletcher, Rroughten, Graham, Johnsop, Wini'ata., Le Quesne ('captain), Eight, Roddick, Miles. Payne, Gordon, McKenzie, Williams. Emergencies: Forward) Satherley; back, Eobb.