Mangonui Footballers Have Comfortable Win

Northland Age, Volume XVIII, Issue 78, 12 July 1949, Page 1

Mangonui Footballers Have Comfortable Win

Among the Sports

On Saturday when Mangonui met Whangaroa in ihe second game in the Northern Zone series for the Harding Shield, the ground was in a terrible state after a week of heavy rain, and having had played on it a Third Grade rep. v. Awnui Juniors game as a cur-tain-raiser. Nevertheless, the 800 spectators had their share of thrills and very good football under the conditions prevailing, and it can be assumed that the condition of the field favoured the visitors to the degree that made foi a more spectacular game than would have been had the ground been dry, for there was every indication that Mangonui’s win would then have been of the runaway variety. Mangonui lost the toss and playeo against the sun which on occasions broke through the clouds and shone watery with devastating effect to those attempting to gather the ball from a high kick. It yeas soon obvious that Mangonui was out to throw the ball about, and within a few minutes the side was attacking strongly with back movements that were hard to break. From a ruck the ball came cleanly to Waipouri at half who sent out to Murray, from Murray to Smith who sent on to Pene, the latter making a determined bid for the line with Smith and Murray backing up to make an overlap. Pene, when within a few yards of the line was in a bad position, and he sent in nicely to Murray who went across after a jinky run. White’s attempt at goal failed owing to the very high wind. Mangonui 3, Whangaroa 0. From the drop-out, Mangonui forwards .came into operation and a forward rush led by Dawson, took the ball close to Whangaroa’s line, and hard rucking resulted in an infringement by Mangonui, and the clearing kick from the penalty perhaps saved another score at the moment by Mangonui. It was now Whangaroa’s turn to press. Their forwards led by the Rudolph brothers, took the ball well down into Mangonui ground, where hard rucking kept interest, all this resulting in a set scrum at about the halfway mark. From this scrum the ball came out to Waipouri, who with a fast service sent his backs working their way through the opposition and with the inside backs beating their opposite numbers, the ball reached McCann who crossed near the corner. His own kick failed. Play for a while then swung from end to end of the field, and Whangaroa were pressing hard when a nice pick-up and kick by Henare at fullback, eased the tension for his side. From a scrum in Whangaroa’s quarter, Waipouri worked the blind to send Pen e racing across for another try to Mangonui. though the attempt to convert by Smith missed. Mangonui 9, Whangaroa 0. Soon after this, Josephs, hooker for Mangonui, came off with a knee injury and was replaced by Ford. For a while Whangaroa forwards were on top, and carried play into Mangonui’s twenty-five, where solid rucking ensued which was only stopped when Waipouri served to Murray from a ruck, the latter making a nice run through the opposition before being pulled down. Mangonui then went again to the attack, and wer e pressing heavily when the call came for half-time, with the score unchanged. Resumption of play showed that Mangonui were out to add to theii score, and the forwards pressed witt this objective in mind. Only eagerness which brought about infringe ments by Mangonui saved Whangaroa when they were able to clear frorr penalty kicks awarded. Play verged to the centre, when al most from nowhere Trevor Smitl picked up and made a good rur through the opposition, putting mar after man of his team on side, anc when nearing the goal line let the bal go to the toe, where Ted Smith whe had replaced Robson at the interval carried on to take the ball over the line to what seemed' a certain score only to be robbed of this by Allen the Whangaroa fullback, who diver in and forced to save. The drop-out was fielded by Ma ngonui forwards and play immediat ely carried baolc into Whangaroa ter ritory, and when about twenty yard

Whangaroa Met bn Quagmire Ground

from their line, Whangaroa infringed having a penalty kick awarded against them. White took the kick and was successful, bringing the score to Mangonui 12, Whangaroa 0. Whangaroa appeared to rally from this and carried play by determined forward effort into Mangonui ground, where Trevor Smith fielding brilliantly, cleared only for the ball to come back again in forceful manner by the opposing forwards, where Smith again gathered, and with a fin e long line kick sent play to a line-out near the Whangaroa twenty-five. An infringement in the line-out caused a scrum from which the ball came cleanly to Mangonui, and Waipouri snapped it out smartly to Murray who made a delightful solo run to within yards of the Whangaroa line, where he was brought down by McManus, the Whangaroa centre. Further hard work in Whangaroa territory saw a gradual approach to their line by Mangonui, where Pene picked up smartly and dived over. McCann’s kick faded, making the score Mangonui 15, Whangaroa 0. Whangai-oa from the drop-out, again pressed by forward play, taking play into the Mangonui twentyfive, where an infringement in front of Mangonui’s goal about 12 yards out gave Whangaroa its only score of the game when from a penalty, a goal was kicked. Jamieson had replaced Walters, and with McCann on the wing, things looked bad for Whangaroa. Inside back movements were coming fast and furious to the degree that the spectators could almost foresee another try by the home side, but the final whistle came with the score aschanged : Mangonui 15, Whangaroa 3. - Teams were : Mangonui—T. Henare, J. Walters, L. McCann, J. Pene, T. Smith, J. Murray, B. Waipouri, E. Ray, J. Josephs, G. Dawson, S. Urlich, J. Robson. J. Diamond, T. Reid, S. White. Whangaroa—-J. Allen, D. K. Martin, M. McManus, P. Puki, W. Rudolph, L. Downey, C. Bruce, T. Rudolph, P. Heta, J, Rudolph, R. Rahipa, H. Hokepa, T. Hayes, J. Harris, J. Whiu. Mr. J. E. Wilkinson was referee.