Represeniative Football

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7165, 25 May 1933, Page 8

Represenia tive Football

Talhape 11 Defeat Rangitikei 3 INDIFFERENT DISPLAY ON GREASY GROUND (Times Special.) MARTON, Last Night.’ The first representative fixture in Rangitikei was played at Marton today, when Rangitikei met and were do. feated by Taihapo by 11 points to 3. The game was not very interesting, and was played on a greasy field. The teams were: Rangitikei (green): Harre, Down, McPkce, Anderson, Pawson, Reilly, Hartley, M. Taiuru, Preston, Waters, Walker, Mclntyre, J. Taiuru, Pitzgerald and Calkin. Taihapo (maroon) : D. Thompson, Smith, McKay, Chase, Condor, Gibbs, Brogdcn, Collier, Beilis, Hall, Gabolinsky, W. Thompson. Lisscn, Kilkolly and Murphy. Rangitikei opened with a great dasii, but lack of combination in the fiveeighths line saw their efforts come to nought. Taihapo forwards worked play into Rangitikei’s 25, where the defenders were penalised, and D. Thompson kicked a goal, the ball hitting tho bar and bouncing over. Taikape 3, Rangitikei nil.

Taihapo were soon back on the attack again, and Brogdcn slipped round the scrum for a simple try, which Thompson failed to convert. Taikape 6, Rangitikei nil. Beilis and Collier tried to breakthrough the green forwards, but the latter was dumped heavily and had to retire with an injured shoulder. Both sides incurred penalties for scrum infringements, and Rangitikei forwards, led by M. Tairuru and Calkin, made their first raid into Taihapo’s 25, D. Thompson finding touch near the corner. Rangitikei continued to press, but Taihapo forwards rallied round, and returned play to the green 25, where the maroons rvere penalised twice. The visitors kept up their bustling tactics, and, save for a momentary green forward invasion, had the upper hand until the end of the spell, w'hicli saw Taihapo six points up. The second spell opened with promise of an improvement in the game, and both packs put in some solid scrummaging. Beilis made several attempts to exploit some of his scrum tricks, but he failed to get away with them, and each time Rangitikei found relief with penalty kicks. The first time Rangitikei invaded the Taihapo 25 they were awarded a penalty, and from the ensuing return Anderson made a good sprint but lost possession at the corner. Another penalty came to Rangitikei, and again Hartley missed the kick, Taihape securing a 25 kick. The green forwards combined in a hot sally on the maroon line, and Taihape were lucky to get out with a force. Lis,sen led a slashing Taihape forward rush from the maroon 25 and Harre was hard pressed to stop four onrushing forwards, Chase losing the ball on the line. A scrum was ordered, and Brogdcn whipped the ball out to Conder, who cut across and beat his men, transferring to Gibbs and McKay, the lastnamed handing on for Smith to race over near the corner. D. Thompson converted. Taihape 11, Rangitikei nil. Rangitikei had their turn in the next minutes, Waters, Pitzgerald and McIntyre overwhelming Thompson as the latter endeavoured to take in a high kick from Anderson. Mclntyre was quick to retrieve the ball as Thompson was brought down, and he touched down near tho corner. The kick failed. Taihape 11, Rangitikei 3. Waters was injured at this stage and retired in favour of Bridge. The greens endeavoured to work their backs, and although Down charged places with Reilly, the five-eighths line fared no Letter, and the Taihape forwards broke up every attack. Timo was called without further score. Mr. J. Dashwood refereed. The two full-backs handled the greasy ball exceptionally well, and Thompson gave a brilliant exhibition of line-kicking, Harre being weak in this respect. G. Hartley, the Rangitikei half-back, played the worst game in all his representative career. Ho ran too often from the base of the scrum and his passes lacked direction. Both fiveeighths, Pawson and Reilly, were hampered through Hartley’s mistakes, but they were too greedy with the ball. All the Rangitikei backs stood too faraway from one another. The Taihape rearguard were not very striking, but on the whole were streets ahead of Rangitikei. Rangitikei’s forwards showed good condition at the finish of the game.