SOUTHERN HOKIANGA’S WIN

Northern Advocate, 13 July 1936, Page 3

SOUTHERN HOKIANGA’S WIN

[Special to “Northern Advocate KAIKOHE, This Day. Seldom have both the weather and public support been as good as for the representative match at Ohaeawai on Saturday. Although South Hokianga were victorious, there' was not a great deal of difference in the standard of play of both teams. The teams were:

South Hokianga: C, Paine, Hamehona, R. Chesterman, Buckley, M. Boyd, Ngakura, Holt, Rodgers, Clarke, Baker, N. Boyd, McDonald,' Ngakura. McGowan, Morunga. Bay of Islands: T. Skelton, Wi Te Hira, Webster, Frank Hulme, Wharerau, Eru Wara, Edmonds, Oututonga, Sullivan, Cherrington, R. Young, T. Young, H. Whiu, Clarke, Davaid.

Bay of Islands won the toss, and Hokianga, playing against a glaring sun, made the pressure for the first ten minutes in grand fashion. Skelton succeeded in extricating Bay from a very touchy situation, just in front of their goal line. Hughie Whiu, the Maori All Black, was caught nicely picking the ball out of the scrum. The resulting free kick improved Hokianga’s position. Cherrington attempted a very ambitious free kick from halfway, but missed the objective badly. Hokianga’s forwards were working very hard and had Bay worried until Hulme seized the ball, punted, followed up and looked as if he would succeed in reaching the Hokianga line. With not a man to stop him, the ball beat him on the bounce and went out.

The play continued with both teams very even in the scrums, both halves doing their job well. Skelton fumbled the ball badly from a Hokianga kick, and just managed to save. The Bay forwards next made a great sally, and, with Hokianga properly flurried, Oututonga snapped up the ball and dashed over for Bay’s first try. Cherrington’s kick was unsuccessful. Bay nearly got away again, but offside play spoilt the offensive. Holt, the diminutive Hokianga half, saw his opportunity. Snapping up the ball he was over before Bay knew it. When Ron Chesterman brought off a nice interception from a Bay passing rush, he engineered one of the cleverest incidents in the match, but there was no further score at interval.

Bay started to make the pace in the

second half. Tom Webster slipped on a "»pass which might have got Bay somewhere; he then tried a drop kick, but slipped on this also. Hokianga now decided on a revival and Murray Boyd, who was doing good work all the way, got away again. He made the line after a struggle with some of the Bay men, and the referee awarded him a try. The kick missed.

Soon after, the Hokianga pack went away, and when Baker secured the leather, N. Boyd was there, and had no one to slop him. The score was then—South Hokianga 9, Bay of Islands 3, and there is remained until the end.