MAORI RUGBY WIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18794, 26 August 1935, Page 4

MAORI RUGBY WIN

AUCKLAND TEAM BEATEN LOUETEBN TO TEN POINTS • i X KIT A AGAIN THRILLS CROWD With all (lie vivacity and brilliance Hint the Maori footballer can command, iicorge Ncpia’s team of Rugby chainpious defeated Auckland by PI points to 1C at, Ivdcii Park on Saturday alter noon Twelve, thousand spectators were thrilled, and kept cheering wildly as tho fortunes of tin; teams changed quickly. Thebe was action in every movement, ;pi t | the gay, spectacular style of tho Maoris as they threw the ball about in a manner seldom seen won the ad mini- ' tion of the crowd. It was a picturesque game in many ways. There was the colorful George Nepia, most famous of all fullbacks, playing brilliantly and re-, coaling Hashes of his greatness. He was given a line ovation as lie limped oil - the field ten minutes after the start of; tin; second spell, an old knee injury! having lot him down. Played throughout at terrific pace, j the match was crammed with spectAcu- • lar incident. Tho Maori forwards gave; a wonderful exliYbitiori of the, loose type | of play. Although they wore over ! whclmingly beaten in. set scrums and 1 the tight, they were fast enough and j clever enough to flash into attack ns, soon as Auckland made a mistake. And' in their uncanny ability to do that lay the secret of their victory.

The teams lined out as follows: Maoris.—Fullback, 0. Nepia; threequarters, W. Phillips, G. Ngaio, C. Smith; five-eighths, If. Harrison, .T. Reedy; halfback, C. Mellish; forwards, K. Reedy. IT. Whin, W. Cooper, G. Harrison, P. Smith, L. Kawe, P. Rogers and J. Broderick. Auckland.—Fullback, M. Tnrbott; three-quarters, J. Dick, A. J. Fletcher, K. Moses; five-eighths, B. A. Killeen, E. Neale; halfback. W. Frnnkham; forwards. G. Newdick, H. Bond, A. Brown, T. Loekington, J. Butler, Iv. Weber, It. Anderson and F. Solomon, With every opportunity tho Maoris throw the ball about, taking all sorts of risks with long lob passes, and no matter how wild the pass appeared there was always somebody backing up in support. Auckland spent the first five minutes defending solidly, but their forward?. broke through, and. bustling the Maori inside backs, they kicked- hard past Nepia. And Nepia showed a flash of his greatness. With Neale and the Auckland pack hard on his heels, the fullback raced back for (he rolling ball and swept it off tho ground, going at 'op to find touch with a left-foot kick. Auckland wore at this stage winning the ball from the set scrums and Frank - ham was sending the backs away, but all attacks were quickly smashed by the fast-moving Maori backs. Soon enmo a dangerous Auckland attack, the backs fanning out- from a scrum. Neale did his best to find a way through, dummied, so that two men went for Killeen, and raced on. Fletcher on me into the picture to take Neale’s nnss and send to Moses, who passed lack again to Fletcher, hut Smith and Nepia saved the dav. Auckland’s spell mi attack had ended now. and the Maoris, through the splendid work of ' In-ir forwards, led hv Harrison and I‘vedv, carried play to the. Auckland 'wcnty-fivc. Determined to nlav the Maoris at. their own game, Auckland opened a passing rush in Hicir own twenty-five, but when tho. outlook •> mien rod grave for the Maoris, Nepia once again saved brilliantly. SPECTACULAR ACTION After a spell of spectacular action, in which hntli sides kept tho game ns open as possible, there was a drab patch. j Then came a real highlight. There j had been scrappy play, wit!i mistakes by! both sides, but with a great burst H. ' Harrison shot away on the terrace flank. O-tiiekly the plav swung to the otherside, wlien Mellish, G. Smith, G. Harrison and P. Smith indulged in spectacular in-and-out passing. 0. Smith smothered Moses, who attempted to clear, and P. Smith went, over, hut a try was disallowed. Oil the scrum that followed! tho twenty-live yards kick, Auckland j was penalised, and If. Harrison landed a I great, goal from 40 yards out near tho touch line. Maoris o, Auckland 0. AUCKLAND ATTACKS

Auckland attacked with plenty of couhdence now and Killeen, Fletcher and Hick went clown the terrace Hank in a brilliant, attacking move. With tlit* Maori defence at sixes and sevens, the Auckland backs fanned out again, but the attack was smothered and out, of a loose scramble shot Bro’drick to send C. Smith galloping away. The fast winger side-stepped Moses and when the Way was barred by Turhott, he passed on the open side to I’. Rogers, who dashed to the goal line. With a great burst Killeen raced from Iho other side of the field in an effort to save Auckland's line, but although lie dived brilliantly at the feet of the Maori, his tackle brought Rogers clown when he was over the. line. IT. Harrison missed tho kick. Maoris 6, Auckland 0. Splendid work by the Auckland forwards. with Solomon and Butler in the “UNABLE TO MOVE WITH PAIN.” Mr. It., of Wellington, was *o bad with rheumatism that he was sent to hospital. "Then I took RUMACAPS and relief come almost immediately, in four weeks I could walk without effort or pain.” RUMACAPS are guaranteed. Money back if not satisfied. FREE Booklet from A. 11. Clare. <Ameer. Williams & Kettle Ltd.*

lead, earned play to hall way, but t-hc Maori;-, were soon back on attack a.yuit ’.vitli ] >tv( aculii r pang UoiK. liny won* tin-owing the I>a 11 about with alum ilon now. ;;hhppinp: am! Kwrvimj. and juggling with 100 hail in brilliant fashion'. A ml;land's .)«fence v;.\ ndid, iacli ’ ;j••goim. for id;-, man with determination. Half-lime cat no with (lie .core umilteml. The siMomi spell was only two minutes old when Auckland scored The harks shot info action, but when the hal! Handled the centre, lie was smothered. Backing tip splendidß Anderson raced round the side of a loose nuk io feed Neale, wlto sent t< Moses. Till winder took the pas; going ;it 1 1 «( i and shot, his hall infield to Butler and then to Anderson, who raced between two defenders to score. Neale converted with a great kick from the sideline. Maoris 6, Auckland d. wonderfully improved font Auckland were harassing the Maori; now, and from the role of gay attackers the Maoris now found themselves as grim defenders. in quick succession G. Harrison and Neale had shots from penalties, Harrison’s attempt following a free kick awarded on the Auckland line, when the Maoris were pressing hard. Now Auckland fan ned out-, in spectacular array, hack; and forwards collaborating beautifully. It was not, long before anotliet try came to Auckland. The forwards swept to the Maoris ’ twenty-five, where a scrum went down and Auckland heeled the ball. Solomon threw

a. long pass on the blind side, and Dick, taking it. on the bounce, caught the Maori defence out or position, and raced .over the line for a try. Neale again converted with another great kick. Auckland 10, Maoris O'. NEPIA GOES OFF IIUHT

Ten minutes after the start of t.he second spell Nepia, who had been limping badly, went, off with his in jured knee. J. McDonald went on and the Maoris rearranged their bacH lino. J. Reedy took Nepia ’a place at full-back, C. Smith went to second live-eighths, and the newcomer, Me Donald, took up Smith’s wing position As Nepia walked slowly along the touchline to the members’ stand he V. as given an ovation.

In a series of short, swift attacks, the Maoris were soon hammering on the Auckland line. It was here that H. Harrison delighted the cowd with a dazzling corkscrew run, cutting the Auckland defence to shreds, to throw a well-timed lob pass to I’. Smith, who side-stopped Turbott, and crashed ovei as lie was tackled. 11. Harrison convoted from in front. Maoris 11, Auckland 10.

There followed a great Maori forward rush, with Cooper dribbling brilliantly, but. Moses and SoLomdn canto to the rescue to save. An eye injury at, this stage caused Turbott to retire and Curtayno went from second five-eighths to full-back, Inglis, the Grafton half, filling the broach. After a series of raids by either side which carried play, at terrific pace, up and down field, there was bound to In. a, lull. Offside piny by one or the Maoris gave Neale an opportunity, bin bis kick from a difficult angle just feu short. Auckland tried hard in. the last fete minutes to score t-hc try which would have brought them victory, but always the tackling of the Maoris was deadly. Once again tlicit forwards came with one of their brilliant loose rushes and Auckland found themselves in real danger. Mcllish kicked high and tite Maori forwards swept down on Onrtayne. He took the high bail well, but slipped un<; fell. Ife recovered and passed 1 11 Dick, who kicked out. Then came the Maoris' last spectacular try. In .an ell'ort to find a way through Nettle was trapped and tin Maoris kicked high to Curtayno, who, instead of unloading quickly, tried to ].eat a swarm of taeklers. Then from t lie loose ruck, which followed, Ngaio threaded his way through in brilliant fashion and sent, a-long, high pass to Rogers, who raced down the terrace llunk and over. G. Harrison’s kick missei 1 and the final whistle'sounded. Maoris 11, Auckland It).

game played in gale

DEFEAT OF HAWKE’S BAY MANAWATU’S SURPRISE WIN (For I’russ Association.) NAPIER, lust night. Hawke’s'Hav went down to Mnnnwutu with it score of 17 points to II i in ;i Rugby match :it. McLean Park on Saturday. The home team dipped its Hag to a hotter side, whoso combination was better and who took advantage ot every slip and vagary of the wind, which developed into a 40 tuiles-an-hour gale that swept, in gusts across the field. The home backs were repeatedly caught out of position and the fast, heavy visiting forwards made the utmost of every chance which came as a result of mistakes by tlio Hawke’s Bav men. The high wind gave Hawke’s Bay a deal of trouble in the first, spell, which saw the home side cross the Maimwatu 2H only three times. Usually the Ilawkeks Bay representatives may be relied upon to give of their best in the second spell, 'but yesterday supporters were greatly disappointed, and though they had the wind in their favor, they made frequent mistakes. The game was confined largely to the. forwards, and the visitors’ pack had very much the better of play, though Hawke’s Bay saw most of the ball in set scrums. Despite the wind against them in the second spell, the Manawatu players held the advantage, and by making the came tight thev succeeded in increasing their margin of !> to S at half-lime. Hawke’s Buy was a pale shadow of the team which defeated Canterbury, ami the loss a depressing commentary for those who prophesied a wide margin against Manawatu.