THRILLING RUGBY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 166, 13 June 1940, Page 5

THRILLING RUGBY

JE AUTE BEAT HIGH SCHOOL. HIGH SCORING MATCH. In a magnificent match at the Winter Show yesterday afternoon, before a large crowd, the Te Aute Boys’ College first fifteen beat the Palmerston Nortli Boys’ High School first fifteen by two points in a total of 30, the final score being: Te Aute 16, High School 14. At one period the visitors were down 11 points, but they fought their way to victory with thrilling passing ana very fa6t, nippy running. The teams were : Te Aute.—Watene Rota, Wirenm Moana, AViremu Mataira, Hemi Haora, Puke,. Te Amo, -Taiki Maki Maki, Rawiri Tureia. R. Te Paa, M. Aniliana, H. Ankafia, W. Keepa, T. Parata, A. llima, P. Waerea, M. Mahiti. High School. —V. Brooker, B. Poananga, C. Hardie, A. Mason, A. Yeale, M. Moyniltah, Y. Pegden, L. Smith, K. Smith, M. Miller, J. Gledhill, B. Donald, C. Robbie, lv. Campbell, E. Lampp. In the first half High School ran up 11 points and ju6t 'at its close the visitors scored a try and converted it. The Te Aute boys then set about retrieving the position and did so, to regain the Moascar Cup. High School got the ball from the set scrums in the first half, but it hung in the rear of the scrum and this became all the more in the second half. In this term, also, the Maori team 6aw -more of the ball and every time their backs secured it the home side had to step lively to prevent big breaches being made. In addition, the whole of the To Ante team passed freely and they exxiloited the cross kick and the long pc 3S with telling effect. In the first hair they did not have the same penetration in the backs, although their adept xiassing counteracted this. In the second spell, however, their attack was more incisive and on numbers of occasions the High School players hunted in x>airs to be 6urc of smothering the agile Maori players. Te Aute were unlucky half-way through, the second half when their wing three-quarter, Moana, had three desperate attempts to score, but on each occasion he just missed. Twice he was put out of play at the corner flag, a line-out on the goal-line resulting, and on the other occasion a forward pass stopped his da6h, this also, incidentally, ending just as the whistle went, at the corner flag again. The match was interesting throughout and was ui> to the best in the annals of the meetings of these two popular teams. > SPECTACULAR PLAY.

Manawatu kicked off with the sun just slightly behind them and Pegden lined out as the Tc Aute forwards pressed. Clever passing and reverse liassing between Mataira and Moana had the High School team in trouble, but the latter fought their way out and a long kick through made Te Aute force down. A little later, from a ruck, Gledhill shot.over tlie line for,the first try and Donald converted. Tureia opened the xilay out again with a kick from a scrum, this being well fielded |by Brooker, who returned play to the Te Aute half. A x>enalty kick to High School resulted in a line-out near the Te Aute line. A scrum followed and the ball went through the High School back-line, Hardie cutting in and leading the way for a try well out by Mason. The kick was too long for Donald. The Te Aute forwards set about a swarming rush and at the twenty-five Te Aute were awarded a penalty kick. Haora’s kick did not

find the ijosts. Haora suffered an injury in tackling Poananga when the latter was kicking for the line and was replaced by T. Panare. Veale kicked heavily from one side of the field to the opposite on the Te Aute line. The advantage, however, was lost when the Te Aute backs crowded the High School backs. The ball, came out of the ruck and Pegden shot it to Veale, who ran across the back of the scrum to transfer to Poananga. The latter raced for the, corner and reached it for- a try. Donald’s kick was not straight. Again the visitors pressed and Brooker found the line after he had the ball’ bumped from his hands.

Te Aute took their first score, under the goal posts, in a fast open dash, a kick to the centre finding an open space which was quickly filled with their forwards ten yards from the line. In a wild scramble Waerea scored and Mataira added the two points for the conversion. Half-time followed. Soon after the opening of the second spell Te Aute rushed the play to the High School line and Parata scored for, Mataira to convert. The High School forwards set the Te Aute boys on the defensive and from the tight the hall went out to Veale, who cut out the opposing second five-eighths and gave a clear run in to Hardie for a try. Hardie could not convert. Twice Te Aute hurled the High School defence into a corner and from the second attempt by Moana High School had to force. A second time the Te Ante men attackeu nard for High School to force. Yet again Moana was in full flight. for the corner, only to fail by reason of a forward, pass. The Te Ante team fought valiantly in the High School twenty-five and two scrums at the line were fraught with excitement as the forwards and inside backs made hard dashes for the line, only low tackling stopping the attacks. An offside infringement by Te Aute gave High School a respite, but Moana was soon racing for the line again and after eluding Brooker he was held up by Mason and thrown across the side-line. It was only a minute later when the Te Aute boys were on ’the attack again and Maki scored. Mataira’s kick missed narrowly. Two kicks by High School put them on the attack, but a fine display of passing took the Maori boys three-quarters of the length of the 'field, desperate defence eventually holding up the dash. Right on time Te Aute characteristically swung the play right across the fieid and had twice as many men on hand as the defenders. A score was inevitable and Kepa got- it. Mataira’s kick did not rise. The final score was thus: — ' Te Aute 16, High School 14. Mr C. Eglinton was the referee.