PEACE CUP

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4167, 1 August 1949, Page 5

PEACE CUP

CHALLENGE BY TE AROHA GOOD PLAY BY FORWARDS MATCH AT WAITAKARURU The Hauraki Plains Rugby Union’s senior representative team successfully defended the Peace Memorial Cup against a challenge from Te Aroha in a match played at the Waitakaruru domain on Saturday, the holders winning the game by the comfortable margin of 12 points to 0. The match on Saturday was the second challenge of the present season, Plains holding the trophy against a Waiuku challenge played «n July 16 when the holders were successful by 12 points to 6. The , weather was fine on Saturday following heavy rain, with a cross wind blowing. The attendance was not as large as that for the Waiuku game. Although Plains ran out comfortable winners, the match was not onetided and Te Aroha at times had the "holders worried. The Plains team did pot give as good an exhibition as in the match against Waiuku, the backs appearing to be disorganised, which wae not improved when the captain, S. Fisher, received a head injury which troubled him until the closing stages of the game. B. Tatton was the star back of the Plains team, and he gave an excellent account of himself,, specially on defence, his tackling being pretty to watch. B. Clark, the halfback, played well and although possibly not as good as his opposite number R. Hayward, there was not a great deal to criticise in his performance. R. Laurence, the Plains fullback, was not up to his usual standard, due to a leg injury which caused him to retire before the close of the game.

The Plains forwards gave a splen- , did exhibition and as a pack were definitely responsible for the superiority displayed by the holders over the challengers. Wood, Millington and .Duffin were possibly the most - outatanding men of a good pack of forwards. The best back on the field was uni dpubtedly the Te Aroha half, R. Haywasd, while .the fullback, R. Stabler, got through the day with credit to himself. The Te Aroha forwards, although outplayed by the fitter Plains pack, strove hard throughout the game to obtain mastery of the play. Te Aroha won the toss and elected to face the sun for the first spell, hoping that later in the afternoon the . sinking sun might brove a handicap to the Plains. Plains kicked off and • immediately rushed play into Te Aroha territory and then staged a nice passing rush which was spoilt by a wild pass by Tatton. Play gradually worked back to midfield and then Te Aroha went on attack and had the home team somewhat worried until Laurence fielded a long kick right under his own goal posts to find the line with a pretty left foot kick. * Plains forwards were shortly after caught offside and Hayward took the kick from a handy position somtf 10 yards outside the Plains twentyfive yard line. Although Hayward made a nice attempt, the ball fell short. Millington, with a nice dribbling rush, penetrated to the Te Aroha line, and the Plains team launched a series of attacks in an endeavour to score. Eventually a scrum infringement on the twentyfive yard line, wide out, allowed Fisher to attempt a kick which was not successful.' Slattery collected a long kick which followed a Plains back line attack, and raced through to kick, the ball crossing the Plains line, Laurence just forcing in time. A useful forward passing rush put Plains on attack, the crowd being excited at the repeated attempts by the home team but eventually a penalty gave tile defenders-relief. Plains backs got away again in a useful movement but Cossey failed to take a long pass when a score seemed possible, Slattery collecting to force tack mid-field. Led by Rodgers the Te Aroha forwards carried play to the Plains line and a scramble ensued under the defenders goal post, Millington showing up to advantage by securing the ball and kicking to the line. For a period Te Aroha had the Plains team worried and the challenging backs were not giving the home team any opportunities whatsoever. Eventually S. Fisher secured and with a long kick sent the Plains forwards deep into Te Aroha territory. Laurence attempted a penalty frem a

handy position, although a little wide out, but did no good. Cossey made a nice opening to beat Slattery, but was grassed when almost clear and only a few' yards from the Te Arciha goal line.

Shortly after Tatton opened the scoring when he cut through a scramble on the Te Aroha twentyfive, to score near the corner flag. Fisher did no good with the kick. Plains 3, Te Aroha 0.

Half-time w r as called shortly after with the score unaltered. After the interval Plains had to face the sun, which was shining rather brightly in their eyes by this time, but the challengers failed to make use of this advantage. When Stabler failed to field a long kick the Plains forwards rushed play to the Te Aroha goal line where a scrum was ordered. Plains secured and the ball went out to Tatton who tried to force his way over but was soundly tackled and Te Aroha farced. Shortly after Duffin made a nice opening with a good dribbling rush, T. Fisher followiing up fast to beat Stabler and score in a handy .position. Laurence was not able to add the major points. Plains 6, Te Aroha 0.

The next points came when Slattery failed to field a kick and Plains forwards rushed play to the Te Aroha line for Cossey to score in the scramble. The kick was not allowed. Plains 9, Te Aroha 0.

Laurence retired hurt at this stage, T. Fisher going back into his position, and B. Paton going on as halfback, Clark taking Fisher’s position. Up until this stage although Plains was well ahead in points, the match had been more even than the score indicated, but now the fitness of the home team began ,to tell and Plains was able to pin the visitors in their own territory. Plains launched attack after attack, but were not able to finish off the movements. Eventually Te Aroha was able to drive Plains back and during play near the home team’s twenty-five, a penalty gave Rodgers a chance but he was unable to do anything with the kick. A. Fisher made a nice opening for the Plains and then sent the ball on to Cossey, who returned it to Fisher, the movement gaining some twentyfive yards before it was stopped. Hayward was penalised for coming round the scrum and tackling Paton before he had the ball, but Cossey did no good with the kick. Smardon retired from the Te Aroha team and was replaced by R. McCabe. The final points of the game came from an excellent forward passing rush, started by Duffin, several forwards handling in turn for Millington eventually to score wide out. Clark missed with the kick and the whistle blew for time with the score Plains 12, Te Aroha 0. Mr C. G. Wallace of Cambridge was the referee. The teams were as under:— Te Aroha: R. Stabler, C. Savage, G. Collins, R. Slattery, B. Gibson, M. Beere, R. Hayward, W. Graham, V. Stuck, R. Osborne, J. McCabe, M. Smardon, N. Rodgers, J. Thornton and J. Patten.

Hauraki Plains: R. Laurence, S. Cossey, B. Tatton, P. Mataroa, T. Fisher, S. Fisher, B. Clark, K. Millington, A. Fisher, G. Clark, O. Wood, 0. Laurence, G. Alach, R. Duffin and D. Coxhead.

PLAINS MAORIS WIN MATCH AT COROMANDEL In a Rugby match played at Coromandel on Saturday the Hauraki Plains Maoris defeated the Coromandel Maoris by 12 points to 9. Mr A. Rivers was the referee.