Over the Rimutaka.

NZ Truth, Issue 151, 9 May 1908, Page 3

Over the Rimutaka.

(By "Dicky n "•>

The Masterton and Red Star seniors met at Masterton on Saturday. The game was a very poor one— in fact, the play at times would have disgraced a junior team. Red Star had a weak team m the field, and nothing startling was expected from them, but Masterton with their full strength were expected to do great things and to paralyse their opponents. Certainly they beat the Stars— and easily at that—: but they owe their victory ' more to their good luck than their good play. Had the Stars had a couple of good backs to assist Adams and Andrew, Masterton would have found themselves m "Queer-street." None of the backs used their pace to advantage, • and they dog-trot-ted along with- the hall as if waiting for _>ome one to direct them what to do next. Invariably the Black backs ran almost straight across the field , and never attempted to cut m. Had they utilised only half their opportunities m the first spell they would probably have put up about forty points. Not one of the backs gave their supporters anything.- to crow, about. Thompson at full-back was safe and Winter gave promise of makipg a good player with a .bit of coaching. Darvili played better than he did against Grey town and the try he scored m the second spell was well deserved and clever. This player was m the second spell subject to a hostile demonstration by a section of the spectators. I saw the incident myself, and had I been referee, I should certainly have put him off the field. Hand ley, the man who. came from Otago with a . big reputation, hasn't shown it m the Wairarapa yet. The Masterton forwards grafted with a will all through. Adams played capitally and there is nothing m Wairarapa to touch him as half. Andrew, the five-eighth, also played a dashing game. The Star forwards worked hard while McCarthy hooked the ball with monotonous regularity. The final score was Masterton 15, Red Star 3. At Greytown Carterton seniors defeated Greytown seniors by 11' points to nil. All the scoring was done m the first spell. In the Second spell Grevtown'played with great dash and but for the fine back play of McKenzie and Groube, would probably have scored on more than one

occasion. When Grey town gets some combination it will make things merry for its opponents. Cadwallader (2) and Callister scored tries for Carterton, one of which H. 'McKenzie converted. I was a spectator for about twenty minutes at the Te Ore Ore-Masterton junior match on Saturday on the Masterton show grounds, and saw some brutal play being indulged m. On one occasion | a Maori and a Mastertonian were on the ground scragging each other m fine style, but the referee evidently did not see them. | The referee had to issue warnings on more than one occasion. He should have ' gone further and stood two or three of the players on the line. The junior matches on Saturday resulted as follows :— Te Ore Ore beat Masterton 6 to nil ; Martinborough beat Greytown 23 to nil ; Dalefield beat Carterton 6 to 3. ' The Classification Committee of the Wairarapa Union have graded Moana (Te Ore Ore), Playle (Dalefield), Crawley (Dalefield, and Dennett (Martinborough) as seniors.