RUGBY FOOTBALL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 55, Issue 3928, 19 July 1937, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

WAIPA CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY’S CONTESTS. Fine but very cold weather prevailed for the continuation of the Waipa Rugby Union’s championship competitions on Saturday afternoon. Results:— Seniors:— Rovers 8, Old Boys 8. Frankton 17, Te Awamutu 8. Juniors:— Waikeria 11, Pirongia 3. Korakonui 9, Territorials 5. Rovers 9, Tokanui 5. Ngutunui 14, Hospital 3. Thirds:— Old Boys 11, High School 10. Te Awamutu 14, Pirongia 3. THE SENIORS. The principal match was the Stag Competition game, Rovers v. Old Boys (Hamilton). The teams were:— Rovers.—A. Quinn, L. Young, B. Elliot, Cunningham, F. Preston, A. Jackson, L. Wilson, W. Ngahoe, Hinton, A. Thomson, C. Jowsey, Holmes, Fitzgerald, Grant, Nicoll. Old Boys.—R. Patterson, Carroll, H. Lissette, Whittaker, Gilling, Jones, Kirkbride, Dovi, Holloway, J. Barber, D. Paterson, Sharpe, Gray, Turner, A. Lissette. Mr H. Taylor was the referee. Old Boys had the wind behind them and soon were attacking, a bright move by Whittaker and H. Lissette taking play right to the line. A minute later Patterson fooled the opposition and forced his way over under the crossbar for a try. The kick was successful, Old Boys 5, Rovers 0. Then Dovi kicked high and put his forwards on the attack again, but they were soon sent right back. Scrums followed, and then Preston tried to dummy his way back but was caught in possession. Then Wilson tried to work round a scrum, but was held up, and play went back to neutral territory. Elliot was not handling well, but the forwards bustled right to Old Boys line where Wilson grassed R. Patterson and Holmes came in fast to force his way over for a try. Young converted. Rovers 5, Old Boys 5.

Loose play followed, and then the Rovers lost a good chance te score a try when Hinton passed forward. A long punt went out within 20 yards of Rovers’ flag, and Old Boys attacked solidly, but bustling tactics by the Rovers forwards steadily gained ground Gilling was ■ bustled and Holmes and Jowsey gained more ground, but the Old Boys backs combined nicely and Patterson and H. Lissette sent the Rovers right back. Young was lucky to stop Whittaker by kicking to the side line. Young made a lot of ground with a dash up the line and Nicoll carried on, but Gilling stopped him. Then a lively passing bout took Old Boys right to the corner flag, and Rovers forced. The visitors kept up the pressure, but were sent back when Quinn kicked through, following fast to bustle Patterson. Young was unoppossed, but knocked on, and a try was missed. Even play followed, with plenty of kicking. H. Lissette had a shot for a field goal, but the ball rebounded from the crossbar. A moment later Patterson failed with a penalty kick. Rovers forwards took charge of play for a while, and there were plenty of scrums. Then Wilson cut through and his pass being missed, Carroll kicked clear. The ball was soon travelling across field and Lissette raced up the line till Young forced him out. Rovers retrieved all lost ground, and when Jackson kicked too hard Old Boys forced. From a long kick by Young the opposition failed to get going and Ngahoe shot through fast to grab the ball and race over for a try. Young failed with the kick. Rovers 8, Old Boys 5. Even play followed and then Hinton kicked hard to Patterson, and Preston raced up. but Patterson found the line near half-way. Then a loose rush took Rovers almost to the line, with Elliot, Wilson, Jackson and Ngahoe all handling, but there was a forward pass and the ball went dead. In the second spell Rovers had the breeze behind them and promptly attacked, but loose play lost them advantage. Rovers tackling was very thorough, Wilson especially being safe. Jones broke through from a line-out but knocked on. Grant and Hinton came through from the next line-out, but Patterson kicked the ball dead to avert a try. Play was kept in neutral territory for a while, with scrums and line-outs, and then Whittaker flashed through to beat several Rovers, but Cunningham saved with a kick to the line—just in time. A hot melee ended in a force by Rovers. A great rush by Rovers pack was he’d up, and a penalty to them gave Young a chance, that failed. Kirkbride found the line at half-way and from a scrum Jackson and Ngahoe carried on, Old Boys were defending solidly but a forward pass was no good to them. However, a penalty gave them much needeo relief and their backs carried play past halfway. Nicoll lead the Rovers in a solid rush that ended with a knock-on Dovi was next prominent and a penalty was helpful, but the kick was blown back and scrums followed. Then a solid rush by Old Boys had Rovers bustled. Ngahoe and Nicoll bustled Patterson, but the defence held, and the Old Boys irearguard flashed into action, however a forward pass held them up momentarily. A penalty gave the visitors more ground, until Wilson cleared with a grub kick. Even play followed, and then Wilson raced up the sideline and in-passed, but the attack was ragged, and Preston narrowly missed a try, Paterson forced. A moment later Dovi also forced, and again someone forced three times to keep the Rovers fro 1 1? scoring. Rovers were playing like All Blacks, but they left an opening that saw the prettiest piece of passing o. the game, nearly all the Old Boys backs participating until a forward pass broke down the movement luckily for Rovers. Lineouts followed, with varying fortunes. Again the Old Boys attacked, keeping the ball close, for Kirkbride to force his way over Patterson failed with the kick. Old Bovs 8, Rovers 8. Jones ifiulled the kick off by Jameson, but Carroll carried on. From a scrum Wilson opened and sent Cunningharti away but he was thrown Into

touch. Then Rovers bustled almost to the line, and from a scrum Wilson repeated the tactics, but Cunningham was forced out at the corner flag. Again Rovers swarmed to the corner, but a penalty sent them back, and a lucky interception let Old Boys nearly up to half-way. Another penalty gained more ground, but Jowsey came fast from a line-out, and put Rovers oh the attack again, and play went right to the corner flag. A penalty sent them back. Lineouts followed, with the locals doing best. Time came without further score:— Rovers 8, Old Boys 8. THE JUNIORS. Kcrakonui v. Territorials: This was played on No. 1 ground, with Mr R. H. Anniball as referee. Promptly Korakonui attacked, and McDonald scored a try. The kick was nullified, 3—o. The Territorials pressed right to the line, but the defence held, and three times Korakonui forced. Keeping up the pressure Territorials were soon in scoring position and Dalziel scored, after Burns had made the opening, for Teddy to convert 3—5. Territorials were taking full advantage of the wind, and time after time had their opponents in trouble; but the defence held. After half-time Territorials were on the defence for a while and then their backs attacked, and Corboy looked likely, but the attack was benten off, and Korakonui went the full length of the field, but could not score, until Lawry (Tokanui), side-stepped and drew the defence to enable McDonald to score a try. The kick failed. 6—5. Within a minute the effort was repeated Keppenstall scoring, and E. Lawry narrowly missing with the kick.’ 9—5. Korakonui kept up the pressure and opened play, but could not score, and the game ended in favour of Korakonui by 9 points to 5. Rovers v. Tokanui: Mr J. Madgwick refereed this game on No. 2 ground. Rovers did most of the attacking in the early stages and seemed to have hard luck—not registering two or three tries. A few minutes later, Sherley scored a try wide out for Rovers and within a minute Brown also scored. Then Tokanui attacked solidly and were almost over. Again they got right to the line, but mishandling lost them the advantage. Rovers were soon attacking again. After half-time play was even for several minutes, with some open play, but it was mostly solo efforts. Then Cavanagh scored a try for Rovers that was not converted, 9—o. Five minutes later a pretty piece of work ended in Southey scoring a try wide out. O’Brien converted, 9—5. Rovers attacked solidly, but no further score resulted. Rovers thus won by 9 points to 5- _ Waikeria v. Pirongia: Mr L. T. Brown controlled this game at Waikeria, and a keen contest ended in favour of the home fifteen by 11 points to 3. The latter’s points were scored by Sifleet. THE THIRDS. Old Boys v. High School: This game on No. 3 ground, was in charge of Mr C. Sergeant. The ball had just been kicked off when Chunn .secured, broke through, and sent Olson over for a try. The kick failed, 3—o. With in a minute Teddy equalised with a good try after side-stepping through the opposition. The minor points wer e added by Bevin. A few minutes later Douglas scored for Old Boys, but the kick failed. Paul (High School), was next to score, and J. Smith converted. However, in the closing stages Irwin scored for Old Boys, anfl a good kick by Chunn put Old Boys in the lead by 11 points to 10—and so the game ended. Te Awamutu v. Pirongia: The Te Awamutu’s journeyed to Pirongia to play the local Thirds, and secured a win by 14 points to 3. NOTES AND COMMENTS. There is, we learn, a prospect of the interprovincial Rugby match, Hawke’s Bay v. Waikato, being played at Te Awamutu in a few weeks’ time. The Waikato Union, on Friday evening. decided to inquire if suitable arrangements could be made with the Albert Park grandstand trustees in connection with the proposed match, which, if it eventuates here, would surely be appreciated by all Rugby supporters in this district. The Waikato Rugby Union, last Friday evening, decided that the Clark Cup junior rep. match, Cambridge v. Waipa, played at Cambridge on Saturday, 10th inst., be re-played on Wednesday, 20th inst., as a curtainraiser to the big Springboks v. Combined Waikato-Thames Valley-King Couptry game, at Hamilton. The replay was necessary because at their first meeting Cambridge and Waipa drew, and a decisive win for one side or the other was necessary, it being an elimination game. Waipa players lucky enough to be included in the team will also have opportunity of seeing the Springboks in action. There is, we learn, a keen demand in and around Te Awamutu for seats at the Springboks match at Hamilton, on the 28th inst. Quite a number of enthusiasts have also arranged to visit Auckland on Saturday next to see the Springboks in their first game in the Dominion. The Waipa Rugby Union is expected to decide at to-night’s meeting, about the senior rep games next Saturday—at Te Kuiti, against Maniapoto, and against Kawhia at Te Awamutu, and re the junior rep. game, Waipa and Otorohanga at Otorohanga. WAIPA REPRESENTATIVES. The following team will represent Waipa versus Otorohanga at Te Awamutu on Saturday next: B. Quin, L. Young, K. Tippett, H. Bennett, J. Hanna, F. Preston, L. Wilson, J. Turney, L. McAlpine, W. Daniell, C. Jowsey, A. Thomson, W. Nicoll, H. Grant. Reserves: Backs, M. Bell and Cunningham; forwards, M. Grace and H. Wynyard. The following 22 players have been selected to practice next Wednesday evening, at 7.30, with a view to the final selection of a team to represent

Waipa juniors against Otorohanga next Saturday and versus Cambridge at Hamilton on Wednesday, 28th inst. as a curtain raiser to the Springboks v. Waikato match. Players who are not available for either date, or who cannot attend practice, should notify the selector immediately. The 22 players are: Waikeria: Morgan, Newton, Porotene, Davis and Buckley. Rovers: Brown, F. Sherley. Jones, Cavanagh, and J. McGovern. Korakonui: L. Lawry, Heppehstall and Falconer. Hospital: Hood. Tokanui: Hughes, Emery and O’Brien. Pirongia: MacEwan. Ngutunui: J. Ormsby, McGruther and Tautcka. Territorials: C. Teddy.