RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 217, 12 August 1940, Page 10

RUGBY FOOTBALL

REPRESENTATIVES MATCHES. TARANAKI BEAT MANAWATU. Bright football was seen when Taranaki beat Manawatu by 19 points to 16 at New Plymouth on Saturday. The Taranaki forwards were stronger, but the Manawatu backs shaded the home rearguard. For Taranaki Richards and J. Sullivan scored tries. Johns converted one and kicked three penalties. For Manawatu, Spence and Sargisson scored tries. Clark converted one and kicked two penalties. Manawatu took every opportunity of opening up the game, and the spectators showed their appreciation of their ej£prts in this respect. The game was even throughout. Till well on in the second half it seemed that Manawatu would win easily, but a change of fortune occurred which resulted in Taranaki managing to secure the upper hand.

The Manawatu backs had the advantage throughout, and performed much better than the Taranaki backs, their open tactics being particularly effective. The Manawatu forwards, however, did not give an exhibition up to their usual standard, and this to a certain extent was caused by the fact that two of the forwards were just recovering from the effects of influenza. A feature of the forward play was the appearance of Manawatu’s new hooker, Rutherford. His work in this department was excellent, and he was well up with the opposing Taranaki man. Dustin was one of the hardest working forwards, and was always in the thick of tight play. Spence similarly excelled in the loose, and did much useful work when play opened up. Powell was another good, hardworking forward. Edlin played a wonderful game at half-back, and his efforts to keep the movements open were fully appreciated. Dermer, first five-eighths, showed up particularly well on defence. Stewart played a good game on the wing. Sargisson, second five-eighths, was probably the best back on the field. He cut through and left the opposition standing time and time again. His try was an excellent effort. Clarke, for Manawatu, and Johns, for Taranaki, both gave excellent exhibitions in the full-back positions. Their line kicking was a feature, and their goal-kicking added materially to their sides’ points. Johns is a former All Black trial player. The tries iti the match were all scored from good, open movements. The number of scores resulting from penalties was unusually large, Taranaki kicking three goals and Manawatu two WIN TO HOROWHENUA. MANAWATU B DEFEATED. Playing a more agile and determined type of game, the Horowhenua Rugby representative team on Saturday beat the Manawatu B team at Levin by 11 points to 6. Horowhenua scored three tries and converted one and Manawatu’s points came from two penalty goals. For three-quarters of the game the honours were about equal, though Manawatu led on points for a large part of this period. Fearn, hooker in the Manawatu scrum, did very- well and McLaren and Fell were most useful in the line-outs. Manawatu showed that they could throw the ball about and frequently in the earlier phase of the match they swept into attacks with passing rushes that promised well, but more than once these were stopped only a few yards from the goal-line. Scott, the Manawatu half-back, gave good passes from the scrum and was also active in other directions. Lang, playing at first five-eighths, was fast but in attack he required room to move round in.

Stenberg put in sonic useful runs on one wing, but suffered a knock quite early in the game, which steadied him down a lot and eventually led to his retirement from the field in the second half. McNeile went on in his place. Buick was in his usual good form where defence was concerned on the other wing and he was also determined in his running. Yule, playing between the wingers, did some bright individual work in the first half and was unlucky on one occasion not to go on to score when he went through a group of the opposition. Two players caught the eye in the home side—T. Te liana and A. Hakaraia. Both are short in stature, good at handling the ball and play with the typical Maori nippiness when faced with the necessity of making an opening in a loosely knit opposition. In the second half Te Hana had to retire from the field hurt, and his place was taken by Perawhiti. Te Hana was responsible for the _ try which changed the score from 6—3 in Manawatu’s favour to B—6 in favour of Horowhenua, and the success electrified the play of his team. It was in the face of this vigorous dash that the Manawatu defence was pushed back for a time. Then the defenders opened up the play in their own style and the ball was carried swiftly into the Horowhenua twentyfive with a strong possibility of a score. When the final whistle went Manawatu were attacking strongly. Horowhenua showed one outstanding fault which cost them not only the six points against them but also a lot of ground—offside play. SCORING MOVEMENTS. Soon after the opening of the match Fletcher, one of the Horowhenua wringers, scored from a loose attack. O’Donnell’s kick failed to convert. Manawatu took play to the other end and McLaren kicked his first three points from a penalty for off-side. Half-time came with the scores at 3-all.

Early in the second half McLaren took another penalty goal for offside play. With about a quarter of an hour to go Te Hana danced his way through the opposition for a try and O’Donnell converted it. A little later, in their period of sustained attack, the ball went through the hands of several Horowhenua players for T. George to score a try which O’Donnell could not convert. There was ( no further score, the final figures being thus: Horowhenua 11, Manawatu 6. The teams went on the field as follow : Manawatu. —Mabey, Stenberg, Yule, Buick, Lang, Land, Scott, Greene, Fearn, Fell, Annear, Robertshawe, McLaren, Arnot-t, Pye. Horowhenua. —Aitcliison, Fletcher, Cairncross, Seymour, Te Hana, A. Hakaraia, Beard, Winiata. George, Winterburn, Tatana, Wood, O’Donnell, McCashin, Fea. The referee was Mr J. A. Zuppicich. MATCHES iN CITY. RAETIHI TEAM’S VISIT. Ho senior competition games were played by the Manawatu Rugby Union on Saturday, and the main attraction at the Showgrounds was a friendly encounter between United and Raetihi. Lower grade games were played as usual. The grounds were hard, and

as a result several players liad to leave the field with minor injuries. The weather was fine and dull. THE SCORE BOARD. SENIOR. United 19 v. Raetilii 9. JUNIOR. Old Boys 10 v. Halcombe 6. United*l2iV. Bunnythorpe 11. Eeilding 0.8. 28 v. St. Patrick’s 0. Kia Toa beat Air Force by default. LOWER GRADES. Thirds A.—Old Boys 12 v. United 6; High School 6 v. Feilding 3; Kia Toa 43 v. Feilding 0.8. B 6, Feilding High School a bye. Thirds B.—Kia Toa 3 v. University 0. UNITED’S SUCCESS. United beat the Raetilii team, which has acquitted itself well this season. The issue was never in doubt. The United back line functioned with great success on several occasions. Although the visitors had some good individual backs, the line did not combine very effectively. The Raetihi .team were without their regular half-back, and the appearance of the veteran Bell, who is more than 40 years old, in this position, created considerable interest. He acquitted himself well. United ran up a commanding lead in a short time in the first half, and at no stage after that was their supremacy threatened. The foams were :

Raetihi. —Cunningham, Hakairaia. .T. Haitana. W. Haitana, H. Haitana, McDonald. Bell, Neill. Wardle, Whiteman, Jamieson, McNiell, Ashwood, Bylord, Koliilca. United. —Hill;-. Temperton, Campbell, P. Fitzpatrick, Sellars, Bvder. Bradlev, Brickell, Ward, Adamson, L. Findlay, Pyke, Luxmoore, Rowlands, Robertson. United ran up a good lead of 13 points to 0, tries being gained by P. Fitzpatrick, Luxmoore and Robertson. Rvder converting two. Hakaraia then gained a try for the visitors. Early in the second half Ward kicked a penalty for United and McDonald gained one for Raetihi. An unconverted try bv Tvohika saw the score at 16 —9. P. Fitzpatrick then got across for United. The referee was Mr B. Trow. The visiting team were managed by Rev. W. Trnstrum. well-known as a former All Black trial player. PRIMARY SCHOOL MATCH. WANGANUI BEAT MANAWATU. As a preliminary to a visit to Wellington to take part in an annual tournament, the Wanganui primary schools’ Rugby team played Manawatu primary schools’ representatives at Wanganui on Saturday. Wanganui won by 32 points to nil. The winning team had an enterprising half-back and second five-eighths. The Manawatu team comprised: P. Hood; L. Wallace, J Chan, J. Hang; E. McQueen, K. Connolly; N. Horgan; B. Weston, B. Woodmore, B. Kaye, A. Kaye, R. Macdonald, T. Devine, N. Doolan, C. Pullyn. Two reserves were used in the second spell, P. O’Grady and J. O’Donnell. RESULTS IN OTHER CENTRES. Wanganui.—Wanganui and Old Boys 21 v. Kaierau 0; Pirates 15 v. Marist 5. Hawke’s Bay.—Senior: Hastings 6 v. lU.A.C. 3; Technical High School 5 v. Havelock North 0; Celtic 19 v. Pirates 8; Hastings 11.5.0.8. 10 v. M. 8.0.8. 9. Hamilton. —Auckland 8 v. Waikato 3. Wellington.—All matches postponed because of bad weather. Dunedin. —Pirates 18 v. Taieri 10; University A 15 v. Zingari 13; Southern 13 v. Kaikorai 0; Dunedin 18 v. Union 4; Alhambra 19 v. University 83. Christchurch. —Sunnyside 21 v. Southern 9; Athletic 11 v. Old Boys 10; ’Varsity 19 v. Albion 6; Army 15 v. Merivale 3; Linwood 36 v. Christchurch 12; Air Force 12 v. Technical 6; Territorials 21 v. New Brighton 6. Masterton.—Trentham Army team 8 r. Wairarapa 5. Auckland.—Ponsonby 6 v. Crafton 3; Suburbs 17 v. Otuhuhu 6.