Football

Matamata Record, Volume XIX, Issue 1742, 25 June 1936, Page 1

Football

SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES MATAMATA 20, TE AROHA 8 ■■J Standing up to a hot pace better than their opposition, Matamata’s senior respresentative team swept to victory by 20 points to 8 in the season’s first representative game, played against Te Aroha, at Te Aro- : V ha,/on Tuesday. Fighting a gruelling battle in the first half, in which the home forwards, flashing into action from the scrums and spoiling opposition back movements by fast following up, gave their side slightly the better of the game, the Matamata -fifteen, handling with surety, came to light in the second half with a brilliance/ that left no room for doubt as to the issue of the game. In. movement after electrifying movement the Matamata backs made thrust after’ thrust into Te Aroha territory, dominating, with the help of fit and hard-toiling forwards, the whole of the second half. Hardly a fair idea of the run of play territorially is given by the margin of the score. Near the end, the home team (backs especially) began to peter out, but at many stages Te Aroha was capable of turning defence into sudden attack, and with greater fitness would have run the game to a close finish The teams were:— mk- Matamata. Saxon;. Germann,, ■rLowry, , Hughes; Hawke, Settle; Brown; Simpson, McLeay, Blackett, . Warrender, Litchwark, Mun'V right. Te Aroha. Jackson; Martelli, Mortimer, Pilkington; Burgess, Williams; Barnes; Edmonds, Palmer, Riddell, Haddon, King, Tucker, Barbarich, Rowe. r • ' Matamata broke through- likelightning from the kick-off, Te Aroha forcing. Action was fast and machine-like. Burgess led a Te Aroha rush into Matamata 25, and although a ftee kick relieved the visitors were defending on the 25 line for three or four minutes. Te Aroha forced the defenders back. until a penalty got them out of their 25 with a line kick. A return kick from Te Aroha saw a lineout on the viators’ 25, and from a scrum in midfield Mortimer took a fast pass from the scrum and twisted through the defence, but lost his footing when he lopked like scoring, and a long kick by Saxon took play almost on to the home line. Keeping play in Te-Aroha territory Matamata thrust hard at the scoring line, kicks relieving. From a set scrum Rowe broke through over the halfway line, and from a penalty for offside Bur- „ gess’ kick fell short for Settle to put Matamata on attack with a long ' kick. From a scrum on the home 25 line the ball went to Hawke to McLeay to Madill. A scrum was awarded on the line, and Brown secured and slipped arond the pack and over. Settle’s kick failed to score, and Matamata were three points up. From loose play Settle sent out high to Lowry on the wing, who juggled the ball to within five yards of the Te Aroha line. Play swung up and down in sudden flashes between the 25’s, Te Aroha looking dangerous several times, and having for a time a slight territorial ad- - vantage. From a set scrum Palmer flashed into stride, sending on to Burgess, who transferred for Rowe to score. Burgess converted. Te Aroha 5, Matamata 3. '

Twice in rapid succession Te Aroha made electrifying dashes to within an ace of scoring, a penalty finally giving relief. A penalty to Te Aroha just outside Matamata’s 25 failed, and Settle found the halfway line with a beautiful line kick. Te Aroha brought play back with a fast rush over the Matamata line, and Riddell pounced on the ball, Burgess failing to raise the flags. Te Aroha 8, Matamata 3. . Half-time came with Matamata, attacking. > Matamata swung straight into attack on the resumption, and from a loose mill in front of the goal Litchwark dived over, Hawke converting. Matamata 8, Te Aroha 8. Waking up with a vengeance, Matamata rushed the home team into defence from the kick-off. Pressing stubbornly on Te Aroha’s 25, they kept the opposition defending hard, Jackson marking and relieving the pressure. Matamata rushed again into a dangerous position, but a kick from Lowry was smothered and Te Aroha broke free. A long kick by Settle put them on defence. Brown secured and sent to Hawke to Germann, who went over but was ruled out. A scrum on the line followed the lineout, Matamata getting the ball, but a faulty pass broke down a promising movement, allowing the home team to find the line near halfway. A penalty came to Matamata 15 yards outside the home 25, and Hawke raised >. the flags to give Mamata the lead, ll—Bv ’ •/ ' ■ Te Aroha forwards, with split-sec-ond breaking from scrums and fast following up, put Matamata on defence, but they turneu on a loose rush that carried them on to the Te Aroha goal line,' Where a penalty lor a / scrum infringement gave Hawke another successful kick at goal. Matamata 14, Te Aroha 8. From, a scrum,, near halfway,: shortly after the kick, Brown sent a fast pass that went through all hands to Germann, who twisted back across the field and sent across to the opposite wing, who was caught in possession, and Te Aroha broke through to halfway. With startling suddenness Settle snapped from defence to attack, sending on to Hawke to Hughes to Germann, who raced down the wing but was stopped by Jackson on the 25 level. A kick well down the field put Te Aroha on a brief attack, but forceful forward work again gave the visitors the domination of the game. Hawke took an unsuccessful penalty shot. Play returned to halfway, where Matamata hooked cleanly from a scrum and the ball again went far downfield from the half to Germann, who reverse passed, a Te Aroha man securing and sending play past the halfway line. Matamata came back with a rush that could not be stemmed, McLeay securing and sending out to Warrender, who went over wide out. Hawke’s kick failed, the score standing at 20—8 in favour of Matamata. The hard pace was telling its tale. Matamata continued to dominate the game, Te Aroha’s backs showing signs of weariness. With Matamata attacking the final whistle came with the score still 20—8 to Matamata. , Mr. H. Hieatt was referee.

JUNIORS MATAMATA G, TE AROHA 3 Matamata’s slight superiority in weight gave them an advantage in scrum work and the loose play. The teams were: — Matamata. McLean; Herini, Ryan, Teri; Connell, Scott; Welsh; Robson, Foggo, Todd, Jones, Scott, Moon, Dobson, Aoake. Te Aroha.—Hill; Raeburn, Robertson, Hines; Trebilco, Sheehan; Vernan; Douglas, Strange, Kelly, Rowland, Phillips, Nicholson, Hughes,’ Bryant. A quiet start worked up to hard, fairly even battling, a slight territorial advantage going to Te Aroha in the first half. The opening try for Matamata came from Herini, the kick failing. Both teams were taking turns on attack and hard-fought defence, Te Aroha at this stage holding their own, with a shade to spare; against a weight concession. Shortly before the interval Mick Roberts slid into action, getting possession near halfway, and selling a beautiful dummy to cross the line for the winning points. The kick again failed. At half-time the score was: Matamata 6, Te Aroha 3. Rugged give-and-take play marked the opening of the second half, and with players teaming together for the first time neither side showed , much combination. The final whistle brought a gruelling game to a close with the score unaltered in the second half, Matamata winning 6—3. Ui . i : THIRD GRADE MATAMATA 11, TE,AROHA 8 Fielding the heavier team, Matamata third grade representatives upheld their reputation by winning the home union’s third victory, defeating Te Aroha thirds by 11 to 8 in a. hard-fought game in which 1 they held the ascendancy in most of the play. The teams were:-^ Matamata.—Ryan; Dobson, Corn-er'a-Wilcox; G. McHardy,, R. Me Hardy; Lewis; Walker, Waterson,McHardy, Price, Woodroofe, Gill, McHardy. , Te Aroha.. — Carmichael; Comes, Whight, Widmer; McLeod, Borrie; Sheat; Wild, Hannah, Maddren, Syms, Waddell, Lowry, Frith, Trebilco. The game opened quietly, play swinging from 25 to 25, an early kick by McLeod from just inside the halfway line falling short. From the 25 kick Matamata forced hard but missed several chances through low passing and mishandling, but finally went over in a rush led by Corner, Dobson diving to force. Gill’s j kick failed. |l From the kick Widmer broke away dangerously down the line, and Carmichael just failed with a penalty; but succeeded a minute later in raising the flags to even the score at 3-all. Matamata’s weight advantage told its tale in scrums and loose play, almost letting them over again. Te Aroha broke through but Matamata surged back, and from a lineout Matamata fed the ball out for Dobson to go through an opening between the posts, B. McHardy converting. Forcing hard and starting to throw the ball about, Matamata kept play in Te Aroha ground until McHardy raised the flags from another penalty, the score of 11 —3 in Matamata’s favour standing until halftime. , s Starting the second half with a rush, Te Aroha forwards rushed the ball to Matamata’s line and the defenders were lucky to force down. Matamata took a turn on attack and tight forward play kept Te Aroha right on their line for 10 minutes. They broke past the halfway line, but the visitors dominated play, Corner making a penetrating run down the line into Te Aroha’s territory. Several determined rushes by the home team were beaten back by Matamata, but Te Aroha forced a hot counter attack, keeping the visitors working hard for a spell on defence. From a penalty against Matamata (Carmichael’s kick hit the crossbar and bounced back. A rekick ord-

e’.’ed by the referee fell short for Matamuta to relieve. Three McHardys joined in a determined passing bout that almost reached the line. Play swung from side to side of the field 15 yards from the home line, but Te Aroha’s defence held solidly against scoring, and full time found the score still at 11—3 in favour of Matamata. i Notes and Comments The Hinuera club gave a. sparkling exhibition against Wardville on Saturday, when they ran up the record score of 52 points to nil. The

team showed itself to be a clever combination in most phases of Rugby, and one which could turn attack into defence in a most praiseworthy manner. In spite of the heavy score the Wardville players battled away in great fashion right to the final whistle, and never at any time let up. However, they were badly overshadowed in the backs, where practically man for man the Hinuera team appeared to be yards faster. Hinuera owed its victory chiefly to the fine work of Brown, Settle and Hawke, the inside backs. ■ Even when Wardville got the ball these three were always on the job, end

alert to snap up a lobbed or dropped pass and immediately make away in a manner calculated to run the. rest of the back line into position. The feature of play was that of Phil Hawke, the Hinuera second fiveeighths, who scored no less than 25 points, including three tries, yet who was always a link in the chain. The game revealed much hope for the representative fixtures, but defects which will have to be remedied are a disposition among the forwards to break before the ball is out, lack of covering in defence, and support in attack and weak tackling.