REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4431, 15 August 1933, Page 5

REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY

KING COUNTRY TEAM DEFEATED. WAIKATO WINS BY ONE POINT. (Taumaninui Press.) The people of the King Country turned out in full force on Saturday in anticipation of seeing a fine display of football between Waikato and King Country at Taumarunui, and they were sadly disappointed. Conditions were ideal and the ground was fast. There was nothing between the teams. King Country did most of the attacking in the first spell, but the Waikato forwards used their weight to advantage in the second spell and kept the King Country men on defence. Waikato’s hooking was good and they had the ball from most of the scrums, but their backs were a poor lot, the inside men running across all the time and cramping their wings. Davies, the fullback, was the only classy back on the side and he was head and shoulders ahead of McLeod, the local full-back, who was slow and almost invariably out of position. He stood too deep and time and again had to wait for the bounce of the ball. Ensor, Hedley and Leeson were the best of the visiting forwards, but Fletcher, Trust and Margan were the three best forwards on the field. Conway saw little of the ball from the scrums until the end of the game, but he played much below his usual form. Barlow was the thorn in the side of the local backs. He was as slow as an elephant off the mark, uncertain in his handling, and he gave shocking passes. He stood too close up to Conway and the opposing fiveeighths, and breakaways were on to him every time before he could move. The result was that Galbraith only once had depth to work in and he used it to advantage to seld Gilbert over. Gilbert was patchy, but his try was a gem. His defence was always sound and he would have flown in for a try had he been given the chance Clemett had on one occasion when he kicked in-field with only the full-back ahead of him. The crowd waited all day for Lawler to be given a chance for a run, but his inside men never gave him one break during the match. He showed speed and determination on one occasion when he bowled three Waikato backs over one after the other and thus saved what seemed to be a certain trv. The teams were as follows: Waikato (yellow, red and black): M. Davies, J. Wilson, A. J. Aitken, Hartnett, W. Carroll, Cameron, L. Denz, I. Lewer, A. Storey, J. Hedley, T. Thompson, A. Cameron, D. Bourke, H. Ensor, J. Leeson. King Country (blue and green).— H. McLeod, E. Lawler, E. Gilbert, J. Clemett, J. Galbraith, J. Barlow, T. Conway, J. Armstrong, N. Margan, L. Browne, J. Fletcher, A. Trust, J. Riddle, P. Watson, E. Bradshaw. King Country won the toss and Waikato kicked off with a strong sun behind them, the ball going into touch in King Country’s 25. Margan was offside and from the kick three Waikato forwards followed up and bad fielding by the King Country backs almost let them over under the posts, Conway forcing. Riddle led the King Country forwards in a relieving rush but Davies sent King Country back into the corner. From the line out the Waikato forwards attacked in formation and Leeson went over in the corner. The kick was disallowed.

Waikato 3, King Country 0

' The play gradually worked to the Waikato 25, McLeod having two shots at the goal, the second slewing off his boot for the Waikatos to force.

At half way Watson kicked through and Aitken marked, but Waikato gained no ground from the kick. Lawler at this stage did some fine defensive work. From a ruck Trust broke clean and raced to Davies, but could find no one handy to pass to and Denz came round to clear. Waikato hooked and kicked through, Lawler again saving- brilliantly with a kick to touch. From a scrum King Country hooked and Conway sent it out, but Barlow gave Galbraith a bad pass. Fletcher, Margan and Trust with Bradshaw handy led the Blue pack to Waikato’s 25. Here Bourke was offside and McLeod had a shot from the side-line, the ball just going wide of the far post. From a scrum King Country hooked and Conway sent it out. Galbraith was blocked but attempted a cut-in and missed. From his own 25 McLeod put in a great run to kick to the open where Davies was caught in possession. Aitken was offside and McLeod just failed to make the distance with his shot at goal. From the loose Margan sent on to Galbraith, to Gilbert, to Lawler, who made a great effort to go over in the corner and just missed. Following a high kick the Waikato forwards, led by Ensor, Leeson and Hedley, looked dangerous but McLeod saved brilliantly. The Blues hooked and the backs swung away and Gilbert kicked. Davies had the pack on him but he cleared superbly. Lawler had a shot from half way from a penalty and missed. Trust followed up and caught Davies, but he got his kick into touch. Following a speculator Conway raced for the ball, but Aitken saved the situation with a high kick. The Yellow forwards came away and Lawler went down and was obstructed by Aitken, a penalty giving the Blues relief. Then Galbraith came aw?" to make a fine opening. Margan was handy and passed to Watson, but a knockon held them up. Then Galbraith cut in and passed to Lawler who raced down the line. Conway came up on the inside but missed the pass and a sure try. The King Country forwards were going great guns in the open now and Davies did some inspired work to hold them up. Conway, in the loose, shot a pass to Gilbert, who kicked through and the forwai’ds were on to Davies, but he was as safe as the Bank of N.Z. From a scrum Conway shot a lovely pass to Barlow, to Galbraith, who cut out Gilbert to send a long one on to Clemett, but he failed to get it. The teams were battling on even terms at half time. Carroll took his pass nicely but Galbraith got him and the ball with a lovely tackle. Then, from midfield, the ball bounced nicely for Clemett who snapped it up and went to Davies and then centred, the bounce beating Galbraith when he had a clear run in. Waikato for-

wards, led by Bourke and Lewer, were back in King Country’s 25, but Fletcher and Trust came away with Watson and Armstrong to find Davies safe again. Then Conway sent his backs way and Lawler had a long run on the wing, but could not get through. King Country were penalised on their line, Davies having a shot from an angle but it went wide and King Country cleared. s A high kick by Clemett saw Davies mark brilliantly with the sun in his face to miss the line with his kick and McLeod cleared to touch. From a scrum Denz sent Cameron away and he sent on to Carroll, who beat Galbraith badly and gave Wilson a good break, but he had Lawler to beat off and was solidly grassed in cooee of the line. The Waikato pack were using their weight well in the scrums now and were hooking cleanly every time. Waikato pinned King Country on their line until Fletcher led them away in another of his terrific rushes. Waikato came back and King Country were pinned on their line, an infringement by the Yellows in a line-out saving them. Then Trust came out of a line-out and sent the backs away but they ran across and Lawler was blocked and kicked to touch at half way. Then at midfield bad handling by the King Country backs gave Wilson an opening and he tacked in-field to pass to Storey, who raced round McLeod to score a lovely try under the posts. Davies incredibly missed with the kick.

Waikato 6, King Country 0.

A high kick by Galbraith saw Margan follow fast but Davies saved. Then McLeod let his side down badly, being too slow with his kick, and five Waikato backs had a clear field head. Lawler tackled three of them in turn to save his side with superb defensive work, a knock-on holding the Yellows up. King Country hooked for once and Conway sent Galbraith away, the five-eighth short punting to touch. Then taking a kick by Lawler, Davies found touch with a beauty in King Country’s corner from half way. Waikato hooked but the backs ran across. Fletcher came away again and Barlow was with him to go on and kick, but the ball went into touch. Gilbert kicked high from the open and Hartnett marked but his kick was a poor one. A scrum went down and King Country hooked. Barlow took Conway’s pass flatfooted and was as slow as a funeral with his pass. Then Conway kicked through a scrum and almost beat Davies. Conway sent it out again nicely from a ruck, but there was poor understanding between Barlow and Galbraith and a good chance went begging. Here Trust and Fletcher came through and Davies forced. Leeson did good work in a ruck to clear for Waikato. From a lineout Conway passed to Lawler, the ball going too far and Davies forced. Bradshaw used his head to kick high and find touch in the corner. Then from a line-out Conway shot a beauty to Barlow, to Galbraith, who cut through three men to give Gilbert a great break and he went like an arrow for the line to score a great try. McLeod made no mistake with the kick. -

Waikato 6, King Country 5

McLeod found touch at half way from the kick-off. Waikato attacked and frightful passing by Barlow nearly let the Yellows in twice. Denz sent the Blues into the far corner with a heady kick, where Clemett forced to save. Again bad handling by the Blue backs almost let Waikato over, a penalty giving King Country relief. Margan led the Blues back to half way with good footwork, and the game ended with the scoi-e:— Waikato 6, King Country 5. Mr. J. Sheppard refereed. KING COUNTRY v. MAORIS. MATCH ON WEDNESDAY. The following players were selected by J. McLeod and Mr. A. E. Rice on Saturday evening to play for King Country against the North Auckland representative Maori team on the Taumarunui Domain on Wednesday next:— Full-back: H. McLeod. Three-quarters: E. Lawler, E. Galfa ert, J. Clemett. Five-eighths: J. Galbraith (captain) , J. Barlow. Half-back: Friedlander. Forwards: J. Armstrong, N. Margan, L. Browne, J. Fletcher, A. Trust, J. Riddle, P. Watson, E. Bradshaw. Reserves: T. Conway, A. Nelson. TAINUI v. MANIAPOTO. DRAWN GAME RESULTS. RATA STRIKES FORM. Last Saturday the Maniapoto reps., minus, of course, those who had been blessed with King Country honours, journeyed to the coast to play the Tainui representative team. At the beginning of the game Tainui had the better of the game, and despite several efforts on the part of the Greens, held the visitors in their own 25 until C. Coffin with a beautiful kick found the line at the halfway flag. Penalties against both teams was the main feature of the midfield play which followed. The Tainui backs were combining better than the Maniapotos, Hepburn, Whitehead and White being worthy of note. The Greens were by no means impressive in this department of the game. After about 30 minutes’ _ play, however, Maniapoto were beginning to get the better of the exchanges, but the solid tackling of the Tainui team kept them in check. Armstrong, the Maniapoto winger, cut in beautifully about this stage of the game and swept play right down to. the Tainui line. However, an infringement held up the chance of a score. On the play returning to the 25, Coffin essayed a kick at goal, but the ball flew wild. There was very little difference between the teams during the second spell. From an infringement by Toss a penalty was awarded to Maniapoto, and Rata, taking the kick from the sideline, potted a beautiful goal. 3 —o. Play kept on going from one end of the field to the other, with neither side getting near enough to cross. Tainui’s points also resulted from a penalty, Whitehead sending the ball between the posts right on tlie nick of time.

Tainui 3, Maniapoto 3.

Of the Maniapoto backs Rees was inclined to cut in too soon, while Barlow and Evans played with their usual dash. It was Rata, however, who struck the highest form. He played a game that should result in the King Country selector looking at him when he plays again. Among the most effective forwards were Gault, Koroheke, Hare and Andrews. Mr. Webb gave a fine exhibition as referee.