‘Flu Major Opponent Of League Teams

Northern Advocate, 30 June 1947, Page 2

‘Flu Major Opponent Of League Teams

Influenza was the toughest opponent Northland League teams faced on Saturday at Kamo. Nearly a third of the teams’ regular players were either going down with, or recuperating from, ’flu.

In the senior match between City and Kamo, both teams had suffered heavy losses—several junior players substituting and men being rearranged to fill vacancies.

However, despite the absence of their valuable five-eighths, R. Hollows, City scored a decisive win of 21—0. Kicking off into a troublesome wind, City soon showed 'Kamo that they had a handy pack and the first try came from a scrimmage on the Kamo line, when Stringfellow burst through to score cleanly between the posts. L. Donaldson converted.

i For the next few minutes play moved about the half-way mark,’ until a strong kick from a Kamo forward sent the ball to L. Donaldson, the City fullback, on his 25 line. Tucking the bail under his arm, Donaldson made a clever run through until downed by the Kamo fullback, Moses, a few feet from the line.

Until half-time Kamo pressed the attack without result, and on*ends being changed City led s—o.5 —0. With the wind behind them, City launched an offensive in the second half which resulted in a try by J. Rice following Stringfellow making a good opening. EIGHT MEN HANDLED Fighting hard, Kamo looked close to scoring. However, the retirement of their hooker, Hooper, through an ankle injury, spelt finish to their chances. They were unable to hold the City forwards, who gained the ball from nearly all scrums and passed it smartly to their backs. L. Donaldson received the ball after it had passed through the hands of seven of his City teammates and scored in the corner. He-succeeded with the rather difficult shot. W. Cottrell added two more tries, both of which were converted by L. Donaldson. Mischewski, for Kamo, played a useful game, but frequently infringed. Another forward who did yeoman service was McLaughlin, and Moses, a junior who had played in an earlier match, as fullback, saved Kamo from a heavier defeat. City made a very creditable showing considering the absence of some of its key men. WIN FOR CITY JUNIORS In a keenly-lought match. City juniors defeated Portland Rovers by 21 to 6, at Kamo. The City team contained more polished players, but the Portland boys made a creditable showing. Tries were scored for City by Hancock, Cottrell, Gibbons, Nordstraum (2). One try was converted by Pearce, who kicked a, penalty, as did Gibbons. Portland’s scorers were Hooper and Edmonds.