Whangarei In Harding Shield Final

Northern Advocate, 12 August 1935, Page 3

Whangarei In Harding Shield Final

bright win over otamatea

PICKERING AND ROBBINS THE STARS

SCORED 25 POINTS BETWEEN THEM

CAPTAIN’S FIVE GREAT KICKS

Whangarei, on Saturday, advanced into the final of the Harding Shield contest by defeating Otamatea by 25 points to 3 in a game of sparkling Rugby football. Whangarei were a 100 per cent improved side on the previous Saturday’s showing and played delightfully from start to finish. The heroes of the game were Robbins and Pickering, who scored the points between them.. Pickering scored two anti Robbins three tries, while ’ i r- converted the lot. Otamatea lost three of their menPohe with a sprained ankle, A. Fergus with a nasty shin injury, and R. Bull, with a cut nose. Teams:— Whangarei. Rarity Taylor, Pickering (captain), R. White Robbins, Roos Weir , Mclnnes, Herbert, Clotworthy Finlayson, J. Alison, Godfrey, McKenzie C. White j Otamatea. T. Skelton C. Wintle, T. Homan, J. Sundberg A. Fergus, H. Edwards Pohe D. Neil, E. Drower, W. Herman R. Bull, L. Cowan, N. Fergus, D. Muloney L. Snelling A Quick Start. Whangarei did not waste much time about putting on the points. Bad work between Pohe and Edwards left the blues in a handy position. There were a couple of loose scrums. Then came the points. When the ball came back Roos cut through beautifully, drew the full-back and left Robbins a clear run to score under the bar within the first minute. Pickering goaled.—Whangarei 5, Otamatea 0. Helped by a free kick, Otamatea commenced a hot raid, but they met a stubborn defence. The Whangarei forwards, who were packing well, did not let Otamatea dominate them for long, and rucked out of danger. A powerful liner from a free kick by Pickering again put Whangarei well in Otamatea territory. Then they scored again. The ball came back from the lineout sweetly and the blue backs sailed into action again with much better understanding than in last Saturday’s game. Robbins was the man who notched the points. He cut through, sold the dummy and set off hard for the line. He was upset a foot short but got up and went over. Pickering made it a fiver again.—Whangarei 10, Otamatea 0.

In a movement which everyone thought had got him his fourth try, Robbins ran through the backs; had a pacing duel with several others; sold them a dummy en route; crashed over; but was recalled for a scrum on the line. Otamatea cleared. The effort deserved a better fate. Otamatea suffered further misfortune when R. Bull was invalided to the side-line with a cut nose. R. Cullen took his place and immediately made himself useful by clearing away a terrific Whangarei attack. It was Roos who had opened it up. R. White made a flashing run; Pickering sent a drop-kick just outside the posts; and, had the bounce favoured Taylor, he would certainly have been ever. Visitors Take Hand. The visitors now took a hand, and Sutherland and Neil travelled close to Whangarei’s line, where Taylor held them up. R. White was instrumental in carrying play past half-way. but Fergus soon sent it back again. Running from his own twenty-five, White outwitted all but the full-back and was brought down 20 yards from the line. Now, however, Whangarei were not having it all their own way, and after the Otamatea forwards had regained the lost ground, Sundberg paced down the line to be held up right at the corner. They made no use of a free kick. For the next ten 'minutes, Whangarei were strictly on the defensive, but kept their line intact in the face of forwards, who were going well in the loose. Third Man Injured. At this stage Otamatea lost their third man, A. Fergus receiving a severe shin injury to be replaced by Rasleigh. The pressure on Whangarei’s line ended when Skelton missed a pot and the ball went into touch-in-goal. When Homan missed a long-range penalty, he gave Whangarei opportunity to set an audaciously brilliant move afoot. With the whole fifteen joining in the fun, they romped down field handling, which was flawless, until Roos sent out a grubber 10 yards from Otamatea’s posts. Weir noW began to take a big part in things, and, in a couple of runs, went near scoring. Otamatea made a closing bid and were almost over when Edwards was robbed of a try. Whangarei again went to the attack and the game finished: WHANGAREI ... . 25 OTAMATEA 3 Mr Sutherland was referee.

With forwards and backs combining in smooth passing runs, the blues were playing bright, dashing football and were over-running the visitors. Another three points looked certain as Weir slipped round the blind side and sent in to Herbert. The forward’s pass was incorrect and a certain try ) went begging. The Master Brain. Robbins was revealing himself as the master brain of the Whangarei rearguard. With . Otamatea attacking solidly and in the blue twenty-five, the forwards got to work and broke the backs up. Robbins was there to snatch up the ball, sell the dummy and run a good 50 yards, before his pass to R. White was smothered. Things were dangerous for the blues for a minute and C. Wintle dashed down the line, but Rarity was certain. Then, attacking on the other flank, the blues, backs and forwards combining, went deep into the visitors’ country. The Otamatea backs were, now standing right up, and went round the ankles to break up a couple of Whangarei back movements. Pickering Scores. For a time the Otamatea forwards held the upper hand, but could not break through a solid defence. Then the blue backs fanned out again, all handling to let Taylor away. The winger was jammed, but when the ball came back from the line-out, Roos placed a short punt so cleverly that Pickering was able to get up, fool Skelton and Wintle and go over between the sticks. He kicked his third goal.—Whangarei 15, Otamatea 0. Following a hold-up while Pohe was receiving attention for a sprained ankle, Homan tried conclusions with a .penalty but shot wide, and Whangarei, with one less man to trouble them, sailed away again. C. White put in a great run, but his brother overran the pass. With Whangarei in the corner, Roos tried to squeeze across, but lost the ball as he was about to fall over. Otamatea found the line at half-way. Otamatea’s Three Points. Sutherland came out to replace Pohe just after the visitors had recovered from another burst by Pickering. Thrills came for the Otamatea supporters as Homan drew the defence for Sundberg to try and hurdle the full-back. He fell a bit short. The visitors were left with a free kick in the handiest of positions, but Homan missed a gift three points. They were not disappointed for long. A couple of forward rushes were stopped just short, but the blues failed to get to the ball at the end of the third, and, Cowan leapt there to open Otamatea’s account. Homan missed. — Whangarei 15, Otamatea 3. Within a minute Whangarei had their revenge, again due to Robbins’ scheming. He stood still, threw off a tackier and left an opening, through which Pickering shot to score his second try and kick his fourth goal, making the interval score: Whangarei 20. Otamatea 3. Another Quick Start.

Whangarei again got under way and Roos sent Pickering away for an in-and-out run, which caused the full-back some anxiety. He cleared, however, and. a moment later, fielding a long kick beautifully, ran from his own quarter to past halfway. R. White’s strong running and a nicely-planted kick by Robbins ate into the Otarnatea territory and when the ball flashed out to the fast Whangarei back line Robbins changed direction cleverly and ran through for a try which- was all the more brilliant for its simplicity. Pickering raised the flags with his fifth effort.— Whangarei 25, Otarnatea 3.