Ohaeawai Beats Kaikohe 15-5

Northern Advocate, 30 May 1949, Page 6

Ohaeawai Beats Kaikohe 15-5

KAIKOHE, Mon. (Sp.).— Ohaeawai is now the only unbeaten club in the western zone of the Bay of Islands Rugby series. On Saturday, this hardfigliting team succeeded in taking a well-deserved win from Kaikohe, its likeliest rival, by the convincing margin of 15—5. In the eastern zone, all games were cancelled due to the excessive rain of early Saturday morning. Otiria remains unbeaten in that area. Ohaeawai, playing on Kaikohe’s field, set out from the jump to take a win from Kaikohe but it was in the final quarter that things really began to move—that is, so far as the scoreboard was concerned. The game was not four minutes old when Vic Pearson took an offside penalty from a wide angle and opened the day’s tally. A quarter of an hour later, the promising forward McHugh was rewarded for his bustling tactics, going over in a scramble. Pearson missed a hard one. Soon afterwards, J. B. Smith took over from his left wing when the latter had done some good boot-and-follow-up work. Smith followed similar tactics and was able to get there for the touchdown, which C. Dickeson converted. ANYBODY’S AT HALF-TIME The margin was only one point and the game was young, but thereafter Kaikohe had only two real periods of pressing near the opposing goal-line. The rest of the game was essentially Ohaeawai’s. Half-time came with the score unaltered. Ohaeawai appeared to score, but a five-yard scrum was ruled. J. B. Smith essayed a speculator which looked to be safe enough until Vic Pearson gathered it on the full and ran across field to score in the corner. Reuben Clarke and Peter Ludbrook scored the remaining tries, one conversion missing through striking the far post. The other never looked like it. The better handling of the Kaikohe backs, especially in the second spell, availed them little in the face of Ohaeawai’s unrelenting barrage of defensive attack. The visitors’ backs and speedier packmen were always there and invariably managed to smash up dangerous movements. In this respect Ohaeawai were definitely on top and, because they used the advantage so consistently, the victory was deserved. Kaikohe defence was once more left to four or five hard workers. The fullback, Tomuri, did well and showed initiative time after time. One winger was speedy but both were unsure with their hands, although the ball was very slippery. SPOILING TACTICS Dickeson and Smith did not get all the opportunities they would have liked. Among the forwards, Don Hammond again shone like a brilliant star in his ability always to be with the play, dumping opponents twice his own size with a satisfying thump. Ohaeawai’s forwards did not keep together in their spoiling tactics, but there were enough of them always close to play to ensure a continual menace to J.B.S. and Co. Ohaeawai’s halfback, Ashby, particularly in the first spell, was getting his ball away cleanly with monotonous regularity. He will be hard to leave out of the Bay reps in July. Terry McHugh was the pick of the heavier men in the winners’ pack. Always a grafter, he appears a natural leader.

Reuben'Clark, at second five-eighths, and Peter Ludbrook at centre, were seldom found wanting. REHAB BEATS MATARAUA Mataraua, playing on Rehab’s field at Kaikohe, went down 17—3 in a game that was always strenuous. The losers, without four good men, did well not to suffer a bigger margin. W. Kept, second five-eighths, scored their only try after a fine 25yd dash through plentiful opposition. Rehab proved strongest in the backs but also had a slight edge in the forwards. It was their backs who, playing consistent football, made the day for them.