CONFIDENT WAIRARAPA

NZ Truth, Issue 1127, 7 July 1927, Page 14

CONFIDENT WAIRARAPA

;'; v ■ ; :^:' ; 'f : ;fpi^'- jiawkes : Bay ■■ : ?;l||f ;iiipi : VIC|pRY:- OVER BUSH

■ -iV" •■>■'/.":■'» ■ ■•■'.■'. v, ':'"' ■■:•■ --' / -vv--. ■■■.'• -■■ r '^-. :■■'.■■. ■■■'■■• •; ■ ::/;" : ;. >: v ,;;<:,;jjprom ."N.Z. ; Truth's" Masterton i "Representative.')' .. .. ; ;\j\^^RAPA had no d^ 7 ''v possession of i the J^anfurly Shield^ the Bu^h representatives bein^aecis^ely'defea^ V /

'THOUGH Wairarapa won so easily, ; ';■■: 1 was not. up^:tb ; the :' \ standard-; expected. >.' •::■; :;; . ; . •■■ ■ There weiie , far too - many, ''dropped - passes throughout- the. game... and with ' anything like their usual certainty m .handling, the score— large as it was— could have been greatly; increased.*. , . Certainly .the ground • was very heavy and Hlie ball " a bit slippery,, but the condition's were • riot sufficiently 1 bad to excpse so many breakdowns of concerted movements. This' was' especially noticeable. in '.. {he first quarter V 1 an ,. hour, when "< the Wairarapa backs, as th& result; ;. of, misdirected passes or. slippery -.fingers, lost one chance after an-, ." -.other. '... ;.,'. _. .:'•■ ''[\;-' '^ . ■ '■■■ . ; From then on, however, an. Improve^ ; merit iyras shown, and .'■'. scores . came with reasonable frequericy. >■■ FEEBLE DEFENCE I fr \ i- ■> ',-■ ■ TK!b] \ Bu^h ; have :^a useful; >.' set, \ of •; ' vigorous, though unfinished,' forwards, ■'*■ but, ttieir backs Vwere; useless m attack r-.:^aiia^eak\in ; deferice; v ;;-' . ■-;.U'.' } - ' ; 'The game' provided' "a" welcome opportunity .for the Wairarapa, team to get ;■,..., some useful, practice . for the, sterner ""■'"' struggle r of 'jjext Saturday. - ; .' ■•.•;.. With the few. days m "cairip the little lrrefrulariti^s m their play will pro- -..-. '. bably -disappear and there seems little ' reason to doubt that they will repro T .. duce .the form .that led to such happy , results on June 3.. ; • |.' /, . - ; Bob. Booth filled the wirig-forwar,d : 'positiori in'the absence of Jim Donald. Following the abserit v captain's exarii- : pie, Booth | was. mostly working with ■-*; .the backs. 'I' 1 . ■.'■'■ i "■••■• ,•>■■■ '■• v;.. ; . . '.- ; -" : While he could, not be said . to . havb >,layed a. poor game, there was an of the underi standing ijthat isvusually apparent . when Donald is on deck. > - 'After scoring a try and kicking two ' fe'pais m three attempts ,Cundy re.ceived a knock arid - went off. Williams, : !bld Boys* centre, came on m .'. ; ..i'chis".,place.-' : i '1%. ■"■ >'■.'■' •'.■-" ■'.' '■. ' " '■■■' ■ . .<■ The change, m position was against ', Williatas showing 'his best form, but he :h'as . fobt.ball ; ability m him. Cooke further enhanced his reputatibn by scoring four spectacular tries arid .kicking! five, goals m six attempts, ; thris accouritirig/ for '22 points of Wai■'■r ■.:■'■■■'' ■"■ ■■' •■.'■ •'• : '.. -•'■•'■• •••' .;■.'•''■■'" '■<■''■';''■'''■,

rarapa'sYtotal. -He and; Stringfellow were the outstanding backs. Hirdti .arid Roache; at half and fullback .respectively, were the most consistent" ot the others. . • l The Bush forwards worked hard and gave their backs a good share of the ball, but the ;la*tter had not the foggiest notion of what to. do with it., ' : J. { Ga\y\h, the ' Bush wing-for-vfard, caught the eye throughout, and Kis sudden dashes round the : scrum killed several passing rushes - in | their infanby. ' . ( ' An old dog. for a hard road! .One of the hardest, battlers m the Bush pack was the veteran Harvey, ' who ; was playing football before many presentday stars 'were born. , Easily the most disappointing player On the ground was S. K.Siddells, the Bush .full-back, and/it .was' difficult to realise that he had ever worn the All Black •jersey. ;. 7 TlieS similarity, bf the colors of the two teams made tnie referee's task very difficult and was responsible for some amusing mistakes. It not infrequently happened that a player m difficulties confidingly, handed the leather on to ah opponent; . Both teams played "m green jerseys, the 'only difference being that Bush sported- a 'narrow red; band round the middle.' 1 • ■ /? ;. '\s ' r .V;^-: - V.-. ' v Wext .Saturday, Wairarapa will again be called upon to -defend the shield, Hawkes Bay, the late holdV ers, being the challengers on this occasion., " . „ Wairarapa" are nothing to chance and during the past week have been encamped for training at the scene of next Saturday's ~ contest. The Wairarapa team will probablybe identical with that which gave the Bay such a big shock on the memorable 3rd. of June last. ■ v With- the fuyrther knowledge of combined play gained since that date, they are "quietly confident that with just a fair share of the luck of the game the result- will not be: reversed. : . .•Word was received from Jim Donald during^ the week that' he would return f rom Sydney m time to go into camp with the .Wairafapa" team m preparation' for the match against Hawkes Bay. ■•'■•■■■. ■'-...'■■-■■' : : ■•:'•..■'