SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4396, 23 May 1933, Page 5

SATURDAY'S FOOTBALL

PIO PIO AND TE KUITI DRAW.

HANGATIKI DEFEATS NEHE.

RESULTS

Seniors: Hangatiki 8, v. Nehe 3. Te Kuiti 3, v. Pio Pio 3. Juniors: Waitete 12, v. Pio Pio 7. Te Kuiti 19, v. Hangatiki 10. Mangaotaki 14, v. Nehe 6.

SENIOR GAMES.

TE KUITI v. PIO PIO.

The game between Pio Pio and Te Kuiti seniors, which resulted in a draw, was witnessed by the largest attendance of spectators at Pio Pio for a long time. Pio Pio won the toss and defended the western goal. The Te Kuiti forwards rushed play into Pio Pio territory, where a knock on by Meredith resulted in a scrum. Te Kuiti hooked the ball, but it got no further than Corin, who could not stand up to the fast-breaking Pio Pio pack. Barlow, Evans, Gilbert and Irving carried play close to Pio Pio's line, and on Irving being tackled he passed to Andrews, but the latter was soon surrounded. The Pio Pio forwards then dominated play and .had the Te Kuiti backs defending desperately. After some up and down play, Flavell gathered in and shook off a very feeble tackle by Johnstone to score well out. The kick by Weo went very wide. Pio Pio 3; Te Kuiti 0.

Pio Pio were soon back on attack, and with Trust, the big Pio Pio forward, getting all the ball in the lineouts, had Te Kuiti in serious difficulties, but the tackling and smothering of Te Kuiti's backs were too effective to .let Pio Pio score again.

After half time Te Kuiti settled down, and although they repeatedly failed to hook the ball in scrums they fed the half-back liberally from the lineouts. An infringement by Boddy gave McLeod an easy chance to goal, but the ball hit the upright. Soon after McLeod had another attempt, the ball again striking the post and bouncing back into play. Te Kuiti now pressed furiously and the game was getting harder and faster. After Te Kuiti had kept Pio Pio hemmed in their 25 for ten minutes, B. Barlow crossed well out after a hard forward struggle. McLeod's kick failed by inches. Pio Pio 3 ;■ Te Kuiti 3.

Te Kuiti were soon back on attack and effectively spoilt every attempt by Pio Pio to clear their goal line, and Te Kuiti were very unlucky on several occasions not to score again. The whistle sounded a few minutes later and the game 'ended with the score 3 all.

Mr. Dudson was in control of the whistle.

HANGATIKI v. NEHE NEHE.

Willing play characterised the match between Hangatiki and Nehe Nehe on Rugby Park last Saturday, when the former team won by 8 points to 3. The game was largely forward work, with the scoring left to the backs.

This is Nehe's first game this season, and this may partly account for Hangatiki's win, but the latter team put up a stout, if occasionally a somewhat ragged fight, and deserved their win. What was particularly pleasing was the way they were getting the ball out to their backs. Last year Hangatiki was purely a forward side, but if this year they are going to develop a rear and scoring division, they should gain a far greater success. With the wing, Nikora, and Kite, and one or two other promising players this could surely be done. Brownie Nikora was on the field to tell them, and sometimes the referee, what to do. Nehe went hard into it, although there was some evidence that this was their first game. Morgan, a King Country rep., was included in their team and gave a very good account of himself, while also prominent were Roberts, Kawe and Dowie. There was much favourable comment on the fact that both teams were ready and did start on time. The following were the teams: — Hangatiki.—Joe Kite, B. Nikora, G. Koroheke, J. Nikora, P. Nikora, Armstrong, Kite, Joe Nikora, Davis, Stokes, Gault, J. Davis, Wiske, Tohara.

Nehe. Dowie, Rees, Reardon, Jones, Hetet, Huist, Kawe, Harpur, Larkin, James, Bell, Roberts, Pittams, Anderson* Morgan. Mr. E. Walker was in charge of the whistle. There was a good deal of fast, loose work at the beginning of the game. Nehe had a chance when Morgan came right up and through, but Kawe knocked on. However, the ground was not lost, for Hetet, on his forwards heeling, sent out to Kawe to Morgan, who crossed with no difficulty. Nehe 3; Hangatiki 0.

Hangatiki began to press hard. Kite broke through but the pass failed "Brownie" Nikora sent the backs away, and Armstrong was tipped over almost on the line. J. Nikora missed with a dropkick. Then from a scrum the Hangatiki halfback fed his backs; the ball went to Nikora, on the wing, and he wriggled a way over. His kick was unsuccessful.

Nehe 3; Hangatiki 3

Two breakaways, one for each side, Nikora and Roberts, caused great excitement, though nothing more resulted than the gain in territory. Then an assault, began by Brownie Nikora, was halted; the ball came back to Davis, and he sent it through the

backs to the left wing, who made no mistake about claiming his second score. Kite converted from the sideline with a beautiful kick.

Hangatiki 8; Nehe 3. After half time numerous penalties, the greater number being against the visitors, tended to make the game broken and uninteresting. Both sides were kicking to touch extensively. There came a time when Kite picked up after a dribbling rush, but the was collared and a force-down resulted. Kawe nearly got through when a Hangatiki player missed the ball when essaying a defensive kick. Thus it went on, first one side pressing and then the other, Hangatiki probably holding the advantage, but losing opportunities through being penalised. The game closed with a furious burst of energy on both sides.

JUNIOR CONTESTS.

WAITETE v. PIO PIO.

There was a great deal of interest attached to the first meeting of the Waitete and Pio Pio juniors at Pio Pio on Saturday, these being the first two teams on the ladder, and in spite of the fact that three of their best men were unable to play, Waitete gained the victory by 12 points to 7: Pio Pio started right from the jump, and within the first minute or two of the beginning of the game they had sent a dropkick between the posts. However, Waitete retaliated, and before the spell was finished they were in the lead with 9 points to 7 Pio Pio had added an unconverted try, while Waitete gained 9 points.

In the second half there came another score for Waitete, the game closing with the scores 12—7. The scorers for Waitete were. L. Cotter, Willison and T. Nealon, while a penalty goal accounted for the other three points. The game was a keen one throughout.

TE KUITI v. HANGATIKI.

The match between Te Kuiti and Hangatiki, played on the Hangatiki grounds, proved an interesting contest, Te Kuiti being victorious by 19 points to 10. Up until half time the game was very evenly contested, and no score resulted. For Te Kuiti, Rule, Archer and Dean played sterling games, Dean scoring 3 tries, Cato 2, and Rule converting 2. Te Kanawa and the fullback performed great work for Hangatiki.

Seniors. Points Ch'p P. W. L. D. For Ag. Pts. Te Kuiti 3 2 0 1 68 3 5 Pio Pio 2 10 1 11 9 3 Hangatiki 3 1.2 —. 14 37 2 Nehe 1 — 1 __ 3 8 0 M'gapehi 1 — 1 — Juniors. 0 39 0 Waitete 3 2 0 1 67 7 5 Pio Pio 3 2 10 37 20 4 M'gaotaki 2 2 20 6 4 Te Kuiti 3 111 22 20 3 Hangatiki 2 — 11 19 28 1 M'gapehi 2 — 11 9 15 1 Nehe 3 — 3 — 11 91 —