RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 175, 24 June 1935, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

FIRST REPRESENTATIVE GAME. MANAWATU’S POOR SHOWING. Making their first appearance for the current season on Saturday, the Manawatu representative Rugby team made an indifferent showing against Southern Hawke’s Bay and were beaten by a margin of seven points—a deficit which might well have been greater. Both sides lost many opportunities, but it was a weakness in defence that cost Manawatu so dearly. Conditions were almost ideal for the match and there were moments when the ball was thrown about in attractive style, but there were too many errors for representative football. The teams were:—

Southern Hawke’s Bay (yellow and black). Grant, Watene, Brogan, Ayers, Rodgers; Setford, Russell, Merrylees, Sewell, Hunt, Monteith, Wagge, R. Russell, Christison, Clarke. Manawatu (green and white). — Brown, Findlay. Waugh, Bradley, Pawson, Braimvcll (captain), Irvine, Powell, K. Beard, Kerrigan, Waters, Ward, Yortt, Ewart, flight. Manawatu kicked off towards the southern goal to lodge the initial assault, but the visitors, operating their backs, invaded and Grant had a long shot at goal from a penalty, the 'leather dropping dangerously close. The greens were sadly at sea when essaying to open up the play, and faulty handling got them into difficulties and the yellows worked across the goal front where Setford secured to dash over. The kick failed.

The greens sparkled when Irvine set his line racing, Bramwell cutting through to go deep prior to sending on to Waugh, but the centre was too square and the pass was taken in front. Exchange. kicking saw Grant take Braimvell’s clearance to dash across the field, but Yortt grassed him. Both sets of forwards were showing a tendency to get offside, and a line-finder from a breach by Monteith enabled Bramwell to set the greens down in the corner. Irvine whipped tile leather out to Pawson, who cut out his vis-a-vis prior to sending on a low pass to Waugh, who dashed off on the angle to. cross wide out. Beard made a good attempt to find the uprights. After failing to get Pawson away on the blind side, Irvine opened up from a succeeding scrum on the open side, Bramwell cutting through prettily, but his lob pass to Findlay saw the winger promptly smothered, and O. Bussell cleared. Setford broke away to catch the opposition sadly out of position, but his supports failed to accept the leather cleanly. However, a rallying defender came into play offside, giving Grant a comparatively easy shot, but the hall held low. A free kick to the visitors was returned by Ward, the ball finding touch at the corner. A moment later Irvine secured from a scrum to jink his way round and go over. Beard failed to convert, but the greens led. A quick reply came when a low pass from Pawson was dropped by Braniwell and in a flash Rodgers had snapped it up to go through the gap, and then hand on to Setford for his fellow five-eighth to complete under the posts. The scorer goaled and the yellows had taken the lead. Stung by the reverse, the greens returned to the attack, Yortt and Beard being prominent,- but a break through by the visiting forwards left Sewell in possession with only a few yards to go. Powell dropped him just short of the line, but as lie fell the forward whipped the ball out for Setford to come up and complete . unopposed. The. scorer goaled and at the interval the score’was: ;• .v r '. ; ;

Southern Hawke’s Bay 13, Manawatu 3

On the resumption after the interval it was found that Findlay had replaced Powell who had suffered a facia] abrasion. The greens entered upon the second half with dash, hut a promising opening was spoiled by Pawson sending on a bad pass. However, a later effort brought success when Waugh [■aced ovei wide out. The range proved to be too great for Beard. The yellows worked back, but Ward raced across the field to hand to Bfamwell to Findlay, but the winger just failed to get clear. Weak tackling let the yellows away and, although narrowly held out, O. Bussell worked the blind side to Wateno, only for the winger to be held up. Out came the ball and Setford went through with great dash to ground close to the posts. He made a poor effort to goal. Good work by Pawson left the defences astray and he sent infield to Beard, to Yortt, but the final receiver dropped the leather when he was only a yard from the line. Poor bids to get down on the ball by the green inner men let the visitors away, and Watene was en route for a try when he was tackled from the rear. Working back to the centre, Ward was given a . long shot at goal, a great effort narrowly failing. The Manawatu rearguard had slumped badly, and Watene badly fooled the opposition when he danced through a ruck to sell the dummy and turn inwards to race over behind the posts. Setford goalcd. A cross kick by Findlay was accepted by Ewart, the Feilding Old Boys’ forward, who dashed through and when down to Grant he sent on to Hight, who completed. Ward’s kick struck the flag to rebound on to the bar and over. In the closing stages Manawatu made some bids to make up the leeway, but the movements were never really dangerous, and the visitors ran out char-cut winners. Southern Hawke’s Bay 21, Manawatu 14. Mr G. Cooksley was the referee.