MANGONUI GOT BALL. BUT BAY GOT SCORES

Northern Advocate, 1 September 1947, Page 6

MANGONUI GOT BALL. BUT BAY GOT SCORES

(Special) KAIKOHE, This Day. BY a 20-point margin and the brilliance of its back line, the Bay of Islands rep. XV. withstood its third 1947 Harding Shield challenge when it defeated Mangonui 28—8 on Saturday. The gate balanced at .£lO7, which was between the figures for the games against South and North Hokianga. It was a magnificent spectators’, game, with the. forwards battling out a royal tussle the honours in which went consistently to the Far Northerners, and with the Bay backs showing plenty of their accustomed dash and combination.

Throughout the game play swung from end to end. Mangonui standing up on the Bay line more often, if anything, than not. It was a splendid game, well worthy of the expectations that had been held generally in the Bay beforehand —that Mangonui would be the toughest challengers. Whangarei’s challenge will be met ac Moerewa next Saturday.

Later, from a scramble, Cherrington collected nicely from Paewai and scored well out. Clarke kicked a beautiful conversion.

Young’s backing up was twice seen to advantage. First he saved a likely try on a wide-open paddock; next he nearly went through from a position outside the wing, but he held on too long. THOSE SMITH RUNS J. Smith went through the whole works shortly after, from a back-line passing movement, scoring well out. Clarke's kick missed. From midfield, Cherrington sprinted between McCann and Reid, with hardly an inch to spare on either hand, and put in down under the posts. Clarke’s work was easy.

If the Bay still holds the shield, Northern Wairoa will play at Kaikohe after that. Then, last of the season now that Otamatea has withdrawn, Rodney will be seen in action at Moerewa.

The Mangonui forwards were a treat to watch. Although they were seemingly a stone heavier and two inches taller on the average, they were pushed about by the energetic Bay pack. For all that, they had 95 per,cent, of scrum balls and GO to 70 per cent, from line-outs. WHY DID JOE MURRAY KICK? With all that leather, they should have done wonders, even against such a back-line as is represented in the Paewai-Smith-Cherrington combination. Obviously on orders, but just as obviously overdoing the thing, skipper Joe Murray seldom allowed the ball to get out to his second five-eighths, H. Jamieson, centre Lloyd McCann, and wingers J. Reid and J. Pene. Only if they gathered the ball up in the loose or during some of their smart defensive work could they have a go. Murray would get the ball from halfback Bill Hemi, who was beating the Bay breakaways and the nippy Paewai often enough, and would proceed to boot for the line. More than that, he would boot infield, straight for the Bay fullback (Sappy Clarke) or those deep-standing outside backs.

Following yet another Stan Young effort, when lie weaved 30 yards through plenty of opposition, but again failed to dispose of the ball until just too late. J. Smith took it through in typical style and went over near the peg, but ran round under the posts. Clarke put it over again. Next “out" was half-time.

Perhaps the most exciting movement of the day came when Cherrington picked up the ball a few yards from the Bay’s last defence line, passed behind him to J. Smith, who ran to half-way, punted up beside fullback Henare, pelted on, and gathered it on the first bounce to run away and score near the posts. Again Clarke converted. , ,

Another Bay disappointment was speedily rectified. Peter Smith had made an excellent run but came down right on the line to a beautiful long dive tackle from McCann. He threw the ball and a scrum on the line followed, from which Tom Keogh snapped it up and burst across smartly. The kicking of Clarke, who converted, was a feature of the game, as it was against North Hokianga. He landed five goals from six attempts. FIRST AND LAST POINTS Last points, went to the visitors. J. Smith had made his usual once-per-game attempt at a pot, having distance but lacking direction. Then McCann, from his own line, intercepted Paewai’s pass and rushed strongly through, kicking and following up. Young was there again but Reid brought him down in possession, Pene coming from nowhere at half-way to carry the ball over.

It was only in the final quarters that McCann began to see much of the ball, and then, while he made good use ol' several opportunities, he was not spectacular. In fact, friends and foes alike were wondering all through the piece what he had done with his speed. He was not seen in one really first-class dash, either with the ball or without it. Johnny Smith, who is no 10-second man, waltzed away from him in a clear 40-yard run for the posts. Having much more work to do than his Bay opposite number, Mangonui's neo-schoolboy fullback, T. Henare, showed distinct promise, handling, kicking and anticipating splendidly. STAN YOUNG A WORKER The übiquitous Charles Stirling was well up to scratch in the pack and line-out, with Urlich, White and the two Reids also well in the picture. Apart from having the lion’s share of possession from scrums and line-outs, they were shaded as a unit by the Bay forwards. Nary a loafer was to be found in the

J. Smith made two determined efforts before he separated him from the leather, but Pene was able to score in a roll well out. McCann kicked a magnificent goal. In defence and attack, one of the hardest workers on the paddock was the tow-headed G. Smith, from Kawakawa, the Bay’s first five-eighths. Declared by some to be North Auckland material, his handling and mis-timing are strongly reprehended by others. Whatever his faults, he is a magnificent spectator’s footballer and seems to be there, like Young, to save a dangerous situation time and time again.

Nary a loafer was to be found in the Bay forwards. When needed Stan Young pushed with great effect. He stopped heaving the moment the ball was hooked and was away like a young gale to keep up with play.

Capable catering and traffic control arrangements, plus the amenity of a loud-speaker made the day something of a picnic for spectators. Mr R. Morrison refereed.

Sid Pausina, fit as ever, was in the thick of the fray all the time. He was the unluckiest man on the field when he knocked on over the goal-line and went on to touch the ball down.

MANGONUI SPRINGS SURPRISE The first try was a surprise, within a few minutes of Mangonui’s kick-off with the sun in their eyes. ‘Gut from a scrum to Joe Murray, who punted towards J. Smith, who slipped before he touched the ball, allowing Johnson Pene to run over and touch it down ahead of two Bay men. McCann missed an easy kick. That looked like being Mangonui’s only points. Half-time came with the score 18—3 to the Bay, although the visitors had been forcing the pace most of the way and getting virtually all of the ball. Hemi was working far harder than Paewai. J. Smith slipped once more after a beautiful run through half the opposing team, with only one man to beat.