FOOTBALL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 1948, 8 April 1924, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

LOCAL SEASON OPENED. SATURDAY’S MATCHES. The Maniapoto Rugby Union opened its 1924 season on Saturday. Though the rain undoubtedly affected the attendance, it held off during the match, and with the coolness which it brought, proved to the players a blessing in disguise. There were one or two puddles about, but the ground was much dryer than was expected. TE KUITI V. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES Te Kuiti kicked off. The Friendly forwards gathered in the ball, and a kick and rush carried them to the 25. Riley marked from the ensuing line out. Bryce accepted a pass and found the Friendlies’ weak spot. They forced, and after an exciting bit of close work, launched another assault. Riley took another timely mark, and cleared. Friendlies kept at it, but the over-eager forwards spoilt their chances with off-side play. After the change, Te Kuiti bored in, but found themselves up against a pretty stiff defence. Buckeridge found the line close up with a long kick. Riley secured from the line-out, but a puddle slipped him up, and after a scrum the ball went across field again. Te Kuiti tried to keep it up, but their backs were being starved, and could not get going. Play swung up and down for a While, with little doing. Bryce made a good solo effort, but was pushed out at the corner. Low secured on the other side, and looked dangerous, but a throw forward pulled him up. Gilmour got home, and a scrum on the line followed. Friendlies cleared. Bryce had a good chance soon after, but mulled it. Neither side could handle the greasy ball, and there was little spectacular work. Friendlies were given a free kick, but Haines made nothing of it, and the half-time whistle went without a score.

After the resumption, Latta picked up, and made a smart sprint before being grassed. Darrington followed, and got to within 10 yards. From the scrum the leather went out to Low, who made a game dash, and toppled over in the arms of two tacklers. Surgenor added the major points. Te Kuiti 5, Friendly Societies 0. After the kick off the Societies attempted a bout of passing, but could not keep hold of the ball. Orr kicked to the line, but Te Kuiti’s full-back was safe. However, the Whites kept at it, and then made things warm in Te Kuiti’s territory until Gifford gathered up the leather and carried it down to a handy position. Through a scrambling attempt at passing it travelled to Low, who disappeared in a fierce mix-up on the line. Whites forced. After the change over, Te Kuiti kept on the offensive, and looked like bringing something off in the corner. Darrington relieved the pressure with a timely mark. Gilmour got over, but Haines forced. Up-and-down play followed, with Friendlies struggling gamely to turn the tables.. When they tried kick and a rush-and-rush, Gilmour was watching his chance again, and tucking the leather under his wing, went over the top. Surgenor’s kick failed. Te Kuiti 8, Friendly Societies 0. Buckeridge made a promising dash soon after, but was pushed out by the flag, and the game ended with the scores unaltered. Mr Neilson refereed. NEHENEHE V. HUIA. Huia came in from Otorohanga, and met Nehenehe at the Domain. Huia won the toss, and from a scrum on the line gave a pretty exhibition of passing under difficulties. The ensuing rush down field was pulled up by a well-taken mark. In the willing play which followed, Yellows had much the best of it. Wallace made a great run across, and got close down before being dumped. Groube secured, and made a worthy attempt at a pot, the ball going just under the bar. Nehe started away again with a characteristic rush which Jeffcott headed, ball at toe. Huia’s fullback was as safe as a house, and saved tie situation with a timely tackle when a score seemed certain. After a lot of indecisive scrambling,. Nikora started Nehe going again, and with the ball under his wing, looked like bringing it off, when Box got in the way. Nikora made another dash soon after. From him the leather travelled down to Puku Wi, who was tackled by Puru Wallace, but tumbled over. Groube’s kick failed. Nehenehe 3, Huia 0. Huia gingered up a bit, and led by Box and Walker, made mighty efforts to break through. A free kick to them was made the most of by Bremner, and Walker carried it well on before he was tackled. Half-time found play at half-way. On the resumption, Huia made the pace, and got across. Groube forced. The attack was short-lived, however, and the Yellows soon had Huia penned in their own territory again. They pushed their passing rushes for all they were worth till the visitors seemed fairly bewildered. If Yellows could have kept on side they would

certainly have scored. When they did get over Huia collected their wits, and succeeded in forcing. They pushed Yellows back for a while, and kept them off till Groube secured, and with a capital solo effort got across. The kick was not taken. Nehenehe 6, Huia 0. By this time both sides were well puffed, and the game degenerated into a scramble. Huia made ponderous rushes, and the play became, to say the least of it, exceedingly willing. Nothing came of it, though, and the final whistle went with the score unaltered. Mr Hamilton Wilson refereed. , NOTES. (By “Drop-Kick.”) Considering that it was the opening day of the season the two senior matches at the Domain on Saturday provided fairly satisfactory football. There was, of course, very little team work, but flashes of bright individual play gave promise of better things to come as the season progresses. Taking it all round, Nehenehe played the best game of the day. Their match with Huia was pretty fast, and in the first half the ball was thrown about briskly. Had they kept their heads cool and their feet on side they would have had a much bigger score to their credit. When Saturday came, Friendly Societies found that several men they had counted on had “ratted” to another club. As a consequence, they had to call in several emergencies, and this may account for their comparatively disappointing showing. Te Kuiti’s tactics were poor. Their backs seldom got the ball, and did nothing much with it when they did. In the early stages, of course, the ball was too greasy to be handled with certainty, but in the latter half the ground was drying up fast, and if given a chance they could have thrown it about to good purpose. A more enterprising policy throughout would have done the team’s score a lot of good. Sibley, Te Kuiti’s crack forward of last season, was very much missed in the line-outs. The doctors have pronounced his ankle unfit for footer, and it is feared that his Rugby days may be over.

Towards the end of the Nehe and Huia match the heavy packs got well played out, and on one occasion the whole 28 men stood to watch two light fellows chasing each other to the goal.