STICKY OPENING FOR 1935 RUGBY SEASON

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 98, 29 April 1935, Page 8

STICKY OPENING FOR 1935 RUGBY SEASON

Four Ssnior Gashes Decided on Saturday

PAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS’ END-OF-GAME VICTORY

The Rugby season opened officially m Palmerston North on Saturday, when grade competitions were inaugurated. The weather did not fulfil its early kindly promise for considerable rain fell in the city during the afternoon, so that the field and the ball were distinctly sticky before the conclusion of With Massey College on vacation, four senior matches were decidedtwo on the Showgrounds, one at Feeding and one at Woodville. Oroua Downs went down by a four-point margin to Kia Toa; United were overwhelmed by Feilding Old Boys; Woodvine, on their own ground, put it over St. Pat.’s; while Old Boys, last years champions, were hard put to it to vanquish Feilding. Thero was a fair attendance on most grounds to view the trials of strength. RESULTS AT A GLANCE Senior Kia Toa 12, Oroua Downs 8. Feilding 0.8. 22, United 3. Old Boys 6, Feilding 3. Woodville S, St. Pat.’s 6. Eongotea beat 31asscy College by default. Junior High School 11, Springboks 0. Old Boys 19, Feilding 3. St. Pat.’s 3, Bunnythorpe 3. Ivia Toa 17, United 0. To Arakura beat Massey College by default. OROUA DOWNS SHAPE WELL

Although they went down to a Kia Toa team that was nowhere so strong as tho Double Blues of last season, Oroua Downs made a good impression when they appeared on tho oval. The three-quarter line shaped particularly well. The teams were:—

Oroua Downs (black and white): Nicholl, L. Moffatt, M. Moffatt, Hancox, Howard, Johnson, Jarvis, J. Scott, E. Algar, R. Ai'gar, L. Scott, L. Beard, Millard, Davy, K. Beard. Kia Toa (blue): Carr, O’Donnell, Bentley, Barnao, Riley, O’Keefe, Simpson, I. Crawford, H. Crawford, Srecdy, McKenzie, Kerrigan, Farmer, Williams, Clarke. The Blues were the early invaders, but were disappointed when a penalty kick ended up on the upright. Thing* improved, however, a moment later, when Simpson, the, new half, sent tho ball away smartly to O’Keefe, whose neat transfer to O'Donnell allowed the latter to pile over in the corner. Carr's kick missed the mark.

Retaliation soon followed in a pretty movement. L. Moffatt was choked off in the corner, but a rush soon set in on the other quarter when M. Moffatt picked up cleanly and made good ground before handing on to Hancox, who completed in a good position. Beard’3 kick missed —3-all. Hancox figured in another pretty Tush in quick time, but was hauled down before he could effect a transfer. The Whites swept the feather at their feet almost to the line,- but lost possession and Kia Toa saved with a force-down. A Blue rush was rather flattered when, after the rcaguard had been well smothered, the forwards were given a chance, and captain McKenzie grabbed the leather to force his way over for a try. Blues maintained the territorial advantage and were close enough for O'Keefe to essay a dropped goal, but he failed to steer it home. There was a bright patch when the Oroua centre (M. Moffatt) grabbed up the ball inside halfway and burst away on a great solo dash that looked like bearing fruit. He thrust off Carr's clutches, only to be downed by I. Crawford, who came back smartly to effect a great save. The game continued epen until half-time, when a threepoint advantage still separated the Blues from their rivals. There had been numerous attempts to handle by both sides. The Second Half

The Blues hammered persistently lifter the resumption, but several incipient thrusts did not get beyond the inside men. There was a better effort when McKenzie, securing possession near the Whites' twenty-five, set the Kia Toa line racing nicely. The ball travelled as far as Barnao on the wing, who registered a good crossing ing to make the score 9-3. The kick was a long way short. The Whites' three-quarter fine was going well, but the Moffatt brothers, despite repeated turns of speed, were unable to convert the game into anything like a concerted attack by Oroua. They were finally rewarded when, after a pacy rush by the forwards had been stemmed, M. Moffatt secured in a goal-front melee, and divd across for a well-deserved try. , K. Beard’s kick from wide out was a great effort, leaving only one point between the teams. However, Oroua were soon well in arrears again, for O’Donnell, receiving from Bentley in a likely position, sped across in the extreme corner for his second try. McKenzie’s kick was misdirected.

In the dying stages Oroua tried hard to redeem their fortunes, and L. Moffatt went racing away in a fast invasion before passing on to Hancox, who was pushed out in the corner. The game ended: Kia Toa 13, Oroua Downs S. Mr B, Iloldsworth refereed. BUILDING OLD BOYS TRIUMPHANT. After battling during the first spell for a mere three points advantage, HciMing Old Boys ran up the score after the interval against United, whose chief fault was lack of condition. The team's were:— FflitcdT'TwSlteli _ Turner, .CuJpan,

Moxon, Penman, Apatari, Bourke, Nosbit, Glastonbury, Devonshire, Birchal), Collis, Ramsay, Findlay, R. Ward, Hodge.

Feilding Old Boys (black and white): ttloyn, T. Amadio, Braiuwell, Waugh, Pawson, Thurston, Irvine, Fin* lay, Ewart, Wilson, Whisker, Harris, Penney, Knyvctt, Dcwe. Tho visitors, with a radically altered vanguard from that which represented them last season, made a good showing in tho early stages and a concerted rush by the forwards bad swept in front of the United posts before an infringement spoilt the attack and allowed the city team to remove to safer territory. Finlay tried to hoist the flags with a penalty kick from 40 yards out, but a well-directed ball fell short of the crossbar. Old Boys twice threatened with a forward rush, but wore stemmed without any serious endeavour being made to pick up the leather and go over. Another chance was lost when a loose pass upset a likely thrust by the backs, and United seized tho opportunity to break away from their own twenty-five, harrying their opponents with a forward scramble. A persistent drizzle served to make the ball greasy, and tho handling of both sides suffered as a result. A collision while racing for possession gave Moxon a nasty bump on the head, and ho retired in favour of Greatorex. Penman made a good attempt down tho line when he received from a throw-in, but was hopelessly crowded, and his infield pass failed to find a billet. The Feilding men, headed by Amadio, carne away in a fast rush with the ball at their feet, but Culpan saved with a lucky speculator that sent the ball into touch in goal. Amadio got his chance shortly before the interval, when an infringement by United allowed him to land home a good penalty goal. "Ward narrowly failed to retaliate in like fashion just before the division bell sounded. It had been dogged football, neither side showing a great deal of enterprise. Second Half Was Wet.

The rain was falling steadily when tho gamo resumed, precluding really accurato handling. Irvino showed clever tactics when, the ball reaching his hands right in front, ho sold a neat one to the opposition and danced through by himself. Amadio converted.—S—nil. The magpies came back a moment later, and fast following up had tho defenders thoroughly disconcerted, so that Dewe got there first in a chaso for a rolling ball. Amadio again converted. A series of driboling rushes ensued, Finlay in particular, making a long sortie beforo ho was robbed of the ball. Ward eventually opened United’s account, lixting a heavy ball home from well out when a magpie came into play off-side. Feilding Old Boys 13, United 3. Old Boys now had the game well in hand, and Ewart was the next to add points. Knyvctt busted up and hauled Birchall off the ball, which Ewart promptly seized and carried across wide out. The kick missed. Waugh was lucky with tho next try, wheu, receiving the ball in a crowded position, he just succeeded in crossing inside the flag. 19—3. Almost immediately tho winger was back again, Finlay making an opening which Bramwell followed up before allowing Waugh to complete the movement. Tho gamo closed without further score. U>. G. Cookslcy refereed.

GAME AT WOODVILLE The game between' Woodville and St. Patrick's was played at Woodville. The ground was in -excellent order, but, a slight drizzle of rain fell at intervals, making the ball extremely hard for the backs to handle. There was a fair attendance of the public and they were treated to an interesting if not spectacular exhibition, which was almost entirely of a forward nature. The Woodville forwards played with great dash, being ably led by A. Flowers and Tier. The backs showed promise on the few occasions they handled the ball and proved to be sound on defence. The St. Pat.’s backs showed glimpses of good football, while the forwards worked hard against a slightly superior pack. The teams lined out as follow: —

Woodville (black and blue): Reynolds, Hutchinson, Hayes, A. Burlace, Davies, Booth, B. Brandon, Walker, Tier, Flowers, B. Hutchinson, W. McKinlay, J. Burlace, Dunn and Kcnncrley. St. Patrick’s (green and white): Stevenson, Dawick, M. Gillespie, Findlay, Ilallamorc, R. Gillespie, Edlin, Powell, Ross, Smith, Fitzpatrick, Madgwiclc, Sears, Ncsbit, Ferguson. St. Pat.’s kicked off with a slight wind at their backs, Woodville at that time fielding only ten men. The Woodvillc forwards immediately rushed play to the St. Pat.’s 25, but the Greens worked play back dowa the Held, and kicking through hard, the Woodville fullback misfielded the ball, and Nesbit, coming up fast, fell on the ball to score the first try. Edlin’s kick failed. —St. Pat.'s 3, Woodville 0. Woodville had not made up their full team and for a long time play hung between the two twenty-fives. Several loose rushes by the Woodville pack looked dangerous, but St. Pat.'s rallied in time and stopped each one right on their own line, and either cleared or forced. Some strenuous play in midfield resulted in a member of the St. Pat.’s team leaving the field. Half-time sounded with the score unaltered.

The second spell started at a much brisker pace and Woodville set up a hot attack, being again held upon the St. Pat.’s line. The Greens cleared, but Woodville were not to be denied, and from a scrum on the Green line Booth obtained the ball from the half and dashed over to score. A. Burlace’s kick missed.—Woodville 3, St. Pat.’s o. From the kick-out Woodville returned to the attack, but the Green defence held. Play become much faster and th’3 ball travelled up and down the field at a rapid pace. Following on a Blue forward rush a scrum was ordered on the St. Pat.’s 25. St. Pat.’s hooked nicely and Edlin in endeavouring to clear, kicked into the arms of Tier, who ran across for a good try near the posts. A. Burlace converted with a good kick—Woodville 8, St. Patrick’s 3. __ Jiflie .was now, dnwin£ close ao4

both sides were exerting themselves. St. Pat. ’s opened np the play and their backs executed the best movement of tho day, resulting in Dawick going over in the corner for a splendid try. Powell’s kick missed. —Woodville 8, St. Patrick’s (3.

Despite strenuous efforts on both sides no further scores wera niado before tho final' whistle blew. Mr J. Fulton capably controlled tho game.

WITH THE JUNIORS HIGH SCHOOL v. SPRINGBOKS Springboks in their initial game of the season at tho Showgrounds in the junior scries went down to High School by 11 points to nil. Ilearsey opened up the account fOr the winners with a bright try. Miller kicked over the head of tho opposing full-back and Hearsey followed up to finish off the effort, the kick by Stuckey being useless. After the lemons, with the score unaltered, Miller crossed tho line following a passing rush by School. Again the kick missed, and the tally was 6-0. It was Miller again, however, who gave Stuckey his chance to convert a try. The former secured from a passing rush in his own 25 area and ran through the opposition to score in a handy position. Mr A. Weston, sounded time with the result:

High School 11, Springboks 0,

BEILDING v. OLD BOYS Old Boys’ juniors revealed on Saturday the makings of a fine team, and spectators at the Showgrounds were delighted at their display. Playing Feilding, the Blacks ran up 19 points to threo in bright style for an opening performance. Hadlield scored four tries. From a passing rusk Iladfield drew blood, but Robertson could not add the extra points. The scorer repeated his performance shortly afterwards, and a kick about 10. yards from the corner, was piloted over the bar by Robertson. Half-time arrived with 8-nii in the home side’s favour.

From a passing back movement Iladfield secured his third try, which was not converted, and liis fourth came when Payne cut through and passed to him near the posts. Robertson put a nice kick over. Then Payne, in a solo effort, ran through all to score wide out. The attempt at converting was unavailing. Close on time the Yellow and Blacks rallied and Southerland dribbled through to register an unconverted try. Referee F. Petrc sounded time with th-e tally Old Boys 19, Feilding 3.

Playing at Park road grounds, St. Pat.’s and Bunnythorpc drew 3-all. Bunnythorpe had the better of the game in the first half when L. Dutliie sent over a penalty goal. St. Pat.’s turned the tables in the second half, R. Mannin scoring ail unconverted try. Kia Toa overran United by 17 points to nil. The Whites put up a stubborn defence but were ragged in tlieir attacks. Tries were scored by Judd, who also converted one, Shailer, Young (2) and Thorne.

WELLINGTON RESULTS Senior A —First Division Marist 14, Poneko 18. Petone 9, Wellington College 0.8. 9. Hutt 0, Wellington 0. Athletic 14, Eastbourne 6. Senior A —Second Division Johnsonville 8, St. Pat.’s Col. 0.8. 0. Petone S, University 8. Melrose-Selwyn 12, Berhampore 0. Miramar 9, Oriental 12. Senior B Hutt A. 22, Eastbourne 5. Pon-ske 16, Porirua 8. Wellington Co. 0.8. 6, Ilutt B- 5. Marist 14, Athletic 3. Wellington 17, Onslow 3. HOROWHENUA RESULTS Shannon Fire Brigade 11 3 Opiki 3, -