RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 196, 18 July 1928, Page 11

RUGBY FOOTBALL

IMPORTANT MATCH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) RONGOTEA, July 17. An important match in the To Kawau senior competitions was decided on Saturday when the Rongotea senior team journeyed to Oroua Downs to play the third game against that team. Great interest was taken in the game, the outcome of which was to have an important bearing on the result of the competition. There were three games to bo played and Oroua Downs were one point behind Rongotea. Had the yellows (Oroua Downs) won, they would have led by one point. The largo crowd which gathered was well satisfied with tho fast and exciting play which characterised _ the game. Right until the last minute the issue was in doubt as no points had been scored by either side until Arnadio piloted the leather between the posts with but one minute to play. Both teams played a hard, solid game and though not very spectacular, it was keenly contested throughout and the spectators were kept at a high pitch of enthusiasm. Forward play predominated, and in that department both teams showed to advantage, while back play suffered through lack of the ball, though most movements in the rear divisions were soon checked by good tackling. A featuro of tho game was the very poor exhibition of kicking by the Oroua Downs team. No fewer than seven penalty kicks from easy distance were badly missed, one being right in front of tho posts. The skipper of the team made a mistako in changing the kickers too much. Hud lie persisted with one man, he must have found tho range. After considerable delay, the teams took the field about a quarter of an hour late. From the kick-off Rongotea, though facing a bright sun, assumed the offensive, the ball passing from Fuller, Goldfinch, Algar and Scott to Arnadio who set sail, but was well tackled by W. Scott, a promoted junior. Yellows now broke away and carried play to blacks’ twenty-five where a penalty gave R. Scott a chance which he missed from a fairly easy range. Yellows continued to press, and two more easy penalties were missed by R. and W. Scott. Blacks now broke away and for some time attacked strongly, but could not penetrate the yellows’ defence. Well placed punts by the yellows soon put the blacks on the defensive, but Gust saved. Back swept the yellows, and from a penalty in front of tho posts about ten yards out McKolvie missed a simple kick. The blacks cleared again and j>l ay swept upheld, but Cameron proved equal to the occasion. Several penalties to blacks put them in an attacking position and tho spell ended with no score. On resumption the yellows faced the setting sun and the blacks made use of the advantage. Play swept into yellows’ territory, but blacks were unable to score though tho forwards got very close on several occasions. A yellow infringement gave Arnadio a slender chance from the side-line. Plis kick was very close. From tho kick-out the blacks again attacked, but Goldfinch’s pot was a failure. Shortly afterwards another shot by Arnadio proved unsuccessful. Although tho teams had had a gruelling time, the pace did not slacken. Several attempts to open up by both teams fizzled out. The blacks looked dangerous on two occasions, but Goldfinch attempted another fruitless pot and Scott dropped a bad pass. From just on halfway another penalty by Arnadio dropped short. Time was now getting short and both teams renewed their onslaughts, but without result. Two more penalties to’yellows were not productive of points and play swept to the other end, from good work by E. Algar. For picking out of the scrum yellows were penalised and this gave Arnadio a fairly easy chance. Dead silence reigned as he took the kick. The ball struck an upright and passed over tho bar amid great enthusiasm from tho blacks’ supporters. Rongotea 3, Oroua Downs nil. The yellows immediately attacked, but the ball went out and time was called with Rongotea victorious by three points to nil. It would be difficult to singlo out individual players as all the forwards played a good solid game and did not slacken up from start to finish, Tho backs had few chunccs to do anything but defend, and this work was of a high order, the lino kicking being fairly accurate in all cases.

This victory for Rongotea places them well in the lead with 15 points. _ Oroua Downs arc second with 12 points, with Sundon 11 points and Awahuri 2. If RongxDtea win their next game against Awahuri at Rongotea next Saturday, they will be in an impregnable position for the shield. Both the juniors and thirds were defeated on Saturday by Oroua Downs and Hui Alai respectively. Nevertheless, there is some good material in their ranks, which only needs proper coaching to bring it out. The local school seven played in the Primary Schools’ Association Contest for tho Pirani Shield on Saturday, but were eliminated in tho first round by College Street A by 11 points to five. J. Broad scored the only try from a clever cut in near halfway and W. Gjoyn converted. A. Freeklington saved a certain try when he chased and caught a College Street player after a fifty yards sprint. Though beaten, the local boys were by no means disgraced, being much smaller than their opponents.