RUGBY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12455, 25 May 1926, Page 11

RUGBY

IN THE WAIRARAPA ‘ Flaws, the gamesfc back in Wairarapa, and who over a long perie-l of years has played for the Red Star seniors and the Wairarapa representatives, has joined the married brigade and retired from the game. His absence behind the Star scrum is a serious loss to last year's premiers. Johnny Pinhey, for many years a delegate on the Wairarapa Rugby Union s management committee, has taken up his residence in Auckland. Johnny was for several years club captain of the Red Stars, and often filled a gap in the ranks of the seniors when there was a shortage of players. He lias of lato years carried tlie referee's whistle. He was for a terra chairman of tlie Rugby Union, and a delegate to the New Zealand Rugby Union. * * « * Tom Vangioni, in his younger days a well-known Canterbury half-back, but of late years an official of tho Red Siar Club, has left Masterton for the Wanganui district, where, it is reported, he may blossom forth as a "mine host.” Tom for years was a great battler for the Stars, and his persuasive eloquence gained many good players for the black and whites. Tom s son, Terry, plays hve-eighth for the Star seniors. Jack Nyhane, who years ago played for the Petone seniors, is tlie sole selector for the Wairarapa junior representatives this season. Jack was a serviceable, speedy buck in his palmy days, and was sixteenth man in tho Wellington representative team one season. He is now doing good work boosting the game along in the Wairarapa, and is keenly interested in assisting tho lower grades, who have in him a staunch champion. * « * • DEARTH OF YOUNGSTERS In pre-war days the Red Star juniors won the junior championship of the Wairarapa with almost monotonous regularity, but of late years the lower grades of this club have fallen on evil days. The club is without a junior team again this season, but two keen enthusiasts in Jack Wing and Don Beere have taken in hand the fourth and fifth grade teams, respectively, and are making a success of their jobs. Jack , Wing was captain of the Red Star junior team in pre-war day 6 when it accounted for the junior championship on two or three occasions; was himself a iuniov representative, and later played for the Red tSar seniors, while he was also a particularly good senior hockey player. Don Beere has been associated with the club as an official over a long period of years, and has given valuable service in its interests. MUD AND RAIN The Masterton-Featherston match was a contest in the mud and rain. Masterton forwards swamped the Featherston pack. lan Harvey was the best forward on the ground, and was ably assisted by McKenzue, Willoughby, and Sutherland. Ronaldson and Mulcahy were tho pick of the Featherston forwards. Back play was out of the question, the game being a forward one and nothing very brilliant at that, Johnston, the Auckland Marist senior bacK, has thrown in his lot with Red Star, and will probably be seen out on Saturday. * * * • Whereas the game between the Red Star seniors and Martinborough on the previous Saturday was the worst exhibition seen this year in the senior section, that between Red Star and Gladstone last Saturday was the best. Gladstone had not been beaten this season and the odds were easily that Stars would be defeated, especially as regular players, such as Sewell, Poole. Stunnell and Garland, were absent from various causes. But the Stars shaped more like they did last season and on the day’s play they were undoubtedly tho better team. » * • • TWO FINDS The game produced two "finds” in new players tried out by the Stars. One of them, Miller, a. sturdy Old Boys, Wellington, senior, is a valuable acquisition to the pack. He played a great game from start to finish, using his head in a manner that repeatedly gained much ground for liis team. His short, tricky punts had Gladstone thinking hard, and they gave the Star pack an opportunity to bunch when the ball came down. Ho was the king-pin round which the Star forwards worked, and that accounted largely for the splendid display given by the Star pack. The other "find" was Hickey, who hails from Mauriceville, and whose clean and sure defensive plav in the second spell had much to do with rendering the repeated tigerish attacks of Gladstone ineffective. Hickey is an ex-Wellington player. * * * * ■ Neighbours played a splendid defensive game for Stars and on a number of occasions came away to the attack with great dash. He received a nasty kick on the head in one of the "hotpoints" when Stars were attacking the Gladstone goal and was temporarily laid out. Wyber and Miller wero tho two best forwards on the ground. « « • • Reside did about two men's work in tlie Gladstone pack and where the battle raged the fiercest there was lie to be found. • • • * Norm Hood gave another sound display for Stars, while Vangioni was particularly good in attack and Carson showed much of his old-time form, though he is still nursing a knee which is liable to cause him to retire at any time. BOOTH QUARTETTE* The Booth quartette, which generally give such a good back display for Gladstone, were much below form. The vigorous onslaughts of the Star forwards and the solid defence put up may have accounted for this. Their passing movements rarely carried them far. Henderson gave a very sound exhibition at full-back for Gladstone. He took the ball cleanly and kicked with judgment. The try that he scored shows tho wisdom of following up. Randal Booth smothered N. Hood’s kick and Henderson was presented with a try. The Stars try was a most sensational one. A dangerous Gladstone rush saw Lawson intercept, and the big Star wingforward clapped on speed and dashed right through the opposition for over 30 yards, followed by Vangioni. With only one player to pass Lawson swung a low pass to Vangioni, but the ex-Sacred Heart College hoy cleverly took it and outstripping the field touched down behind the posts. S, “Willoughby and Henson played particularly well against, Gladstone and repeatedly got down on to the Gladstone backs, smothering them. » « • • Some of the Gladstone forward rushes were exceptionally fine efforts, and the concerted work at times wdb worthy of tho best traditions of this popular club, * * • McGregor is a splendid Gladstone forward, and bis work on Saturday was 1 xery high grade. His tricky work in

the loose was very valuable to Gladstone in their attacks on the Star line. • • * * The Masterton-Featherston game was a good forward clash. Once more a "pot” produced a victory. Yates dropped a goal for Masterton and this accounted for the latter team’s one-point win.