SHIELD CLASH

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

SHIELD CLASH

Dannevirke Decisively Defeated (From "N.Z. Truth's" Levin Rep.) The wily Jacobs, led his merry mert to an easy victory against ■ Dannevirke m the Bebbington Shield challenge match on the Levin Domain last week. CELDOM Has Rugby been played • under such ide^al conditions, but though the visiting forwards gave Horowhenua tit-for-tat, their backs were no match for the nippy homesters and the game resulted 38 — 13 m favor of Horowhenua, the holders of the shield. , . . ' The' opening stages ,of the game were productive of high scoring. No fewer than 13 points— eight by Horowheriua and five by Dannevirke— rw ere recorded m as many minutes. Towards ' the end, too, Horowhenua secured three good tries m close succession. ■ ' J. McDonald, the Maori All Black, was head and shoulders above all the other backs; five tries, three m . the first half and two m the second, came his way. His first, was the pick of^the bunch. His defensive abilities were on a' par with his attacking and Taylor, his vis-a-vis, was kept quiet throughout the length of the game. „ , ( Roberts, the other wing, was also a jilpn^on attack and defence, but was badly beaten by Bailey when the ex - Manawatu rep., opened Dannevirke's score. ■ The youthful Ryder, though very slightly built; stood up to the work and brought off some good saves at full-back. '." '- . '. The veteran Jacobs was m a class of his own and showed that he has lost none of his cunning on the football field. .-.■;.■ -He mixed^freely with his backs and repeatedly fooled the opposition with his dummying, but was inclined to go too far and oi> several occasions was collared. in possession. He took his 'converting kicks- too easily, with the result that he failed to convert at least two that would have added points to the score. Tatana and Hakaraia were on the ball all the time for Horo- • wheriua and were the fittest men on the field. The latter showed a fine turn of speed when he notched the last' try of the game. Conrad and McKay were the pick of the Southern Hawkes Bay pack and were ably supported by Smith and Robinson. With the exception of Bailey, who made the most of his few opportunities, the visiting 1 backs were a disappointment. ' ; With such an excellent team, 'Horowhenua should have no difficulty m withstanding the challenges of Bush and Oroua; provided, of course, that they can reproduce their form of last week.' . '