BAY TOO GOOD

NZ Truth, Issue 1227, 6 June 1929, Page 16

BAY TOO GOOD

The Shield Holders Go Down (From "N.Z. Truth's". Hawkes Bay Ren.) At Napier, Hawkes Bay defeated Wairarapa by nine points to three after a hard and well-fought game of Rugby. TT v.-as not of. a brilliant order, neither side showingr up to. exactly Ranfurly Shield standard. At times the eight thousand spectators ■would be brought to their feet m excitement, but by'individual efforts and not by combined play. The winners' tally was made up by a potted goal by Keeble and from a scramble, tlie same player pounced on' the ball like a wild-cat. Mill easily converting. *•. ■ AVairarapa's three points came from an unconverted try m • which ■ all" the backs participated, but Cooke, by beating his man,, paved the-way. Territorially, the winners had by far the best of matters and the score just about indicates the merits of the two teams on the day's play. The Bay's backs were by far the faster, but their handling was not. quite so clean as that of the visitors. With a little more experience together, they will be a line team and dangerous scorers. RurU, from Te Aute College, on the right wing, Is a find, and is a dandy, . a fact the crowd recognised. He at once became their idol and, at the conclusion of the game, was carried shoulder high off the ground. The young Maori lad looks like going far m the Rugby world. ■'-.; South, at centre, has played better. Appleby is yet inexperienced .for provincial football. Botherway, at first fiveeighths, was solid m defence,'but a little slow m attack m comparison to his mates Setford, at second - five-eighths, played a wonderful game, both on defence and attack, and when one remembers he had for a vis-a-vis the' famous A. JS. Cooke and on the day broke, evens m comparison, sufficient has been said. '• Jimmy Mil! (captain) played as he always does,- but through his forwards breaking up. .too soon m the scrums he was, m consequence, unable to get the ball away as fast and clean as usual. Wing-forward Keeble, a rare opportunist and quick at anticipation, is not far behind Cooke. This young player • only won his position through Sherrat having to go off, but from now on he will not be left out of- a Bay team. Ere long he will win even higher honors. . The Bay pack has the material, but requires coaching. Johnnie Gemmell and Strachan, the hookers, as forwards, played really well. Roach, the lock, played up to reputation and, although not the permanent lock, is assured of his team place. Sam Gemmell is the Sam of old, and no better forward was on the ground. Campbell and the rest of the home pack were honest toilers throughout and finished just as strongly as they began. With a little more tuition they wilt remedy present faults and so give their backs much more support. The future of the magpies with the addition of Morrie Brownlie, Grenside and' Steere should see the Bay well up m the Dominion Rugby ladder this season. Wairarapa backs went really well, being equally as good on defence as attack, but a little too orthodox m the latter, their movementsl In' the majority of cases being easy to anticipate. Fitzgerald, at full-back, was sound and saved his side on more than one occasion. The three-quarter line all went well and pushed home every advantage. Against a team with less defensive powers they would have scored on more than one occasion. Cooke was a tower of strength to his side. His line-kicking gained half the length of the field on several occasions He was well marked by Setford. Denby, at first five-eighths, was fair but the absence of Cundy from that position troubled Wairarapa. Hart, at half was fair, but suffered m comparison with Mill. Jim Donald, as wing-forward, m the first spell, went great guns, but stopped to a standstill ere the full whistle sounded. While he retained his wind he caused havoc among the: home backs.