RUGBY

Hutt News, Volume XXI, Issue 50, 9 June 1948, Page 14

RUGBY

HUTT BEATS PONEKE Hutt defeated Poneke decisively on Saturday by 16 points to nil. Had the best use been made of all the chances offering the score would have been considerably larger. The handling throughout was very patchy. The number of dropped passes must have added up to a large total. Haigh gave his side another feast of the ball, but the backs could not get going smoothly, mainly due to indifferent passing and handling. The forwards, too, seemed to be affected in like manner when they joined in passing rushes, pass after pass being dropped or knocked on. After making due allowance for Poneke’s defence Hutt should have scored several more tries. While the forwards did not show up to the same extent as they have done in previous games they were the dominating factor in the game. Their line-out work was good and the scrummaging too effective for their opponents. In the loose they showed up strongly, while they backed up well on attack, but are inclined to bunch too much for effective handling. The best attacking backs were Burt, Potter and Purdue. Boyce was sound at full-back, as also was Berg at half. Marshall kept Poneke’s rugged centre, Hayes, well in check. Notes Lewton’s kicking was worth ten points to Hutt on Saturday. He also did useful work otherwise. Another hard game lies ahead of Hutt this week against Wellington. The visitors will field a very solid pack and a reasonably capable set of backs. Good scrummaging and hard rucking will be necessary on Hutt's part to obtain possession of the ball. It is to be hoped that Delamore will take the field for the home team, thus giving the attack a bit of sting. Fourth Grade A very good match was witnessed between Hutt and Woburn on Saturday. Woburn, who are leading in the competition, won 16 points to 12. The result might easily have gone the other way. A couple of injuries to Hutt backs during the game was an upsetting factor to the losers. The Hutt forwards played a fine game and kept Woburn defending hard throughout the second half. Had they concentrated on securing possession from the rucks the Hutt Inside backs might have been able to turn the scale. Hutt were superior here, while Woburn were clearly superior further out. In the Hutt forwards Williams, a much-improved player, Coulston, Partridge and Fairbrother were the spearhead of a good pack. In the backs Webster gave a game display behind the scrum until compelled to retire. Brosnan and Mcßobbie were sound at five-eighths and Burridge, when shifted to centre, allowed his opposite number little latitude. Darkins had the job of bottling up Woburn’s flying winger, Jarden, who could not make much headway •against him. When Darkins was shifted to centre Jarden scored a fine try on that wing. l

Third Fourth Division

Hutt resisted a strong challenge from Wainui, who fielded a heavier and more experienced team led by Barry Turnbull* last year’s “rake” for the Hutt seniors. The lighter and more active Hutt team won by 12 points to nil, thus taking their tally of points to 208 to 6 against in six matches. WOBURN BEATS RONGOTAI The Woburn senior team again wen its match on Saturday, defeating Rongotai by 19 points to 12. The forwards combined well, and, obtaining more than their share of the ball, gave the backs plenty of opportunities. In the first spell play was not very spectacular, but in the second half the ball was tossed about amongst forwards and backs and some good movements were seen. For Woburn tries were scored by McLoughlin and Keen (2). Win for Juniors The Woburn juniors have been consistently playing good football for several weeks and registered another win to their credit, defeating W.C.0.8. 19-C. This team is doing very well in the competition and the forwards have been more than holding their own against heavier packs. The team has a good backline, but there is a slight tendency for the inside backs to kick too much. Dudding, at full-back, is very safe and some of his goals this season have been excellent. Third Division The Third I. Division had a good win, defeating Oriental 25-0, while the Third 11. lost. Unbeaten Record The fourth grade again maintained Its unbeaten record, defeating Hutt 16-12. The team did not play with the same vigour as in the previous week, and at times it was only good cover defence that prevented Hutt from scoring. Infringements in the lines-out cost Woburn many penalties. The backs again did not function as smoothly as they should, the

centre often receiving the ball flatfooted, with the result that the wings did not receive many opportunities. The inside backs must speed up their attack and feed the ball quicker to the wings. However, Jardine’s last try, although an individual effort, was brilliant. TAITa AND PETONE DRAW The two undefeated senior second division teams attracted a good crowd when they met at Petone on Saturday. A fast and exciting game kept the spectators on their toes and on numerous occasions when play was on the eastern side of the field the referee had to stop the* game until .he had cleared the spectators who had encroached to the sideline. Both teams gave of their best, the Petone backs shooting the ball along to the three-quarters, but sound tackilng prevented them from penetrating. On the few occasions one did break through he ran into the Taita forwards, who were covering up in grand style. The Taita backs were not getting the flying start that Petone were from the scrums, but what they lacked in attack they made up in defence. Good solid rucking by the Taita forwards kept play in Petone territory for most of the match and at the close of the game Taita were desperately trying to score but to no avail. Each of the thirty players deserves mention, but space does not permit. Bouquets go to Robertson, Taita’s full-back, for the best display of tackling seen for many years. One spectator summed up Robertson’s performance when he said he had not seen such tackling since the days of George Nepia. Smith, behind the Petone pack, is praised for long and well-directed passes in spite of the attention paid him by the Taita side-row men. Petone was the first to score when Cleland kicked an easy penalty. A foot rush started by McLennan, carried on by Wyatt to the Petone line, culminated in Sage diving over for the only try of the match. The final score, three-all, was a fair indication of the strength of these teams. HUTT VALLEY SCHOOLBOYS The draw for Saturday is as follows: Senior.—Woburn v. Hutt, at Strand Parle No. 1, 10.30 a.m.; Petone v. Taita, Strand Park No. 2. Junior.—Hutt A ! v. Hutt B, Strand f’ai’k No.' 3, 10.30; Eastbourne A v.' Eastbourne B, Eastbourne; Petone . A v. Petone B, Petone No. 2; Taita A v. Taita B, Taita; Belmont v. Woburn, Strand Park No. 4; Upper Hutt, a bye.

Midget. I. Division.—Woburn v. Taita B, Strand Park No. 1, 9.45; Eastbourne Av. Taita A, Strand Park No. 3, 9.4 5; Hutt A v. Upper Hutt, Maidstone No. 1; Petone Av. Petone B, Petone No. 1. Midget 11. Division. —Eastbourne B v. Taita C, Strand Park No. 5;.j Hutt B v. Upper Hutt, Maidstone No. 2; Petone C v. Eastbourne C, Strand a Park No. C. |)

All games commence at -10 a.m./j unless otherwise indicated. [