Rain Prevents Good Football

Northern Advocate, 31 August 1938, Page 3

Rain Prevents Good Football

It would be practically impossible, and certainly very unfair, to be too critical of the play witnessed on Saturday. when conditions were more acceptable to water polo exponents than to All Black aspirants. No. L ground at Kensington was a sheet of water in parts, and, by the time the main senior game was in its stride, there were one or two portions that were real quagmires. Acrobatics and speculative slithers rather than tactical manoeuvres were the feature of all games.

Perhaps the best display under the conditions was that of Suburbs? junior backs. Playing on No. 2 ground, there men completely outclassed Whangarei light juniors in the back line, although the local boys were more than a match in the forwards. Suburbs’ backs made good use of the ball when ever it came their way, and many eyes were diverted from the mud scramble on No. 1 to the good combination of the visitors on the far ground. It was a lesson to Whangarei that even rain will not prevent some players playing well.

Boyd was the leading light in Whangarei's Brake Shield forward pack. He played a sterling game throughout. being always on the ball. Whangarei’s backs were standing too far apart and it was necessary for the forwards to cover up rapidly, Boyd realising this position and acting on it to his credit.

There was no singular display among the Whangarei junior backs. Barber, on the wing, showed contempt for tiie sodden state of the ground and his bursts of speed down the line, particularly in the fust spell, were very commendable. Apart from the opportunities that came his way, however. there was nothing outstanding in the back tactics. The same can be said of Otamatea. The latter fielded a well-balanced team, with backs easily equal to Whangarei. It was the local forwards, however, who set the pace to give Whangarei the victory.

Clotworthy, veteran packman,' made a great showing for himself on Saturday against Old Boys. He was the most energetic forward on the ground and was always in the thick of the fray.

Green, City’s half-back, made the best of the ground and put up a really good performance. Masters, Old Boys’ full-back, was very handicapped on such a ground, but, nevertheless, was up to his usual standard of sure defence.

City fielded a splendid pack against Old Boys, and it was no fault of the forwards that the game was lost. Old Boys’ backs, however, had superior mastery of the difficult ground, and it was this that enabled them to maintain the narrow three-point lead established in the first spell. A draw would have been a very good indication of the run c:f plaja

Sullivan, Whangarei juniors’ halfback, played well in the Brake Shield contest. His job was an unenviable one, but he shouldered the' responsibility admirably and came off with credit.

A feature of the Kensington Park games was the manner in which the Maoris made themselves at home on the slippery ground. In the senior match there were a number of Maori players, and they all seemed to delight in the muddy conditions. Perhaps Northland farming activities in the winter time have developed a liking for sports under the same conditions!

When the juniors’ manager, Mr M. Snow, wandered tc the far line armed

with a half-gallon tin billy, speculation was rife. One wit propounded a theory dial he was going in “bail the water- off Ihe paddock." but the consensus of opinion was that a firebrigade pump would be needed for such an operation. As the game progressed. however, il was revealed that the billy contained nothing mere harmful than good, healthy walcr, with which players could wash mud from their eyes.