RUGBY FOOTBALL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4042, 2 May 1938, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

OPENING OF THE 1938 SEASON. COMPETITIONS COMMENCE. In beautiful weather the local Rugby season was started in earnest on Saturday last, when most of the clubs fielded teams, in different grades,,and fairly good expositions of Rugby for the first matches ot the year were witnessed. Games resulted as follows: STAG COMPETITION: Rovers and Frankton drew, 14 all. Te Awamutu defeated Technical Old Boys, 9 to 3. Hamilton Old Boys beat Cambridge 13 to 6. Taupiri a bye. JUNIOR: Te Awamutu and Ngutunui a draw. Waikeria beat Hospital, 7 to 3. Rovers beat Korakonui 15 to nil. Pirongia beat Ohaupo 15 to nil. THIRD GRADE: Te Awamutu beat High School 13 to nil. Pirongia beat Rovers 14 to nil. Te Kuiti beat Old Boys, 11 to 10. WAIPA UNION COMPETITIONS. NEW SEASON COMMENCED WELL. There was not a large attendance ol Rugby enthusiasts at Albert Park last Saturday, but those who stayed away missed seeing a really good contest between Te Awamutu and Hamilton Technical Old Boys, being the first game locally in the inter-union Stag Competition. Mr G. D. Laurie was the referee, and the teams were: Technical Old Boys: A. Dalbeth, C. Goosman, B. Whyte, C. Littlejohn, M. Wakefield, J. Bythell, P. Tetzlaff, S. Gunn, T. O’Meara, C. Shannon, J. Flanagan, G. Tait, H. Barber, G. Smith, W. Dowling. Te Awamutu: C. Teddy, W. Tombs, J. Hanna, K. Tippett, E. Lawry, R. McEwan, P. Bell, W. Ryan, J. Wynyard, L. McAlpine, J. Turney, A. West, W. Daniell, M. Grace, J. Grace. Technical kicked off and were soon attacking, and when Tippett miskicked they gained more ground. Wynyard regained some of the ground with a penalty, and play was round about half-way for a minute or so. Then McAlpine had an unsuccessful shot at goal from a penalty. Te Awamutu attacked strongly and got right to the corner, but Littlejohn relieved, and a penalty allowed the visitors to get up to half-way. Again Te Awamutu forwards rushed play almost to Technical’s line. High punts sent them back. Flanagan went through fast from a ruck, but Teddy stopped him; and play went back to neutral territory. McAlpine had another long shot at goal from a penalty, but fail ed, and fast following up spoiled the return. The visitors got out of trouble and a penalty helped. After some rough work in the scrum Dalbeth had a shot at goal from a penalty from 35 yards out, but the kick went wide. Even play followed, and then Dal belli kicked to Daniell, whose return was blocked. Bell cleared, but again Dalbeth found the corner. Te Awamutu’s defence held. Again the visitors rushed to the attack, and Hanna found the line to save. A pretty passing bout by the Technical baoks ended when Tetzlaff found touch. Te Awamutu were called on for special efforts to beat off solid attacks, and the visitors were definitely having th2 best of the play. Hanna cut right through and put the. locals on the attack. Tetzlaff upended Tippet and stemmed a rush that looked dangerous. Play was gradually worked to Te Awamutu’s 25 line, and Dalbeth again missed a shot at goal from a penalty. Half-time sounded immediately. Te Awamutu immediately attacked, and Hanna promptly kicked a field goal. Te Awamutu 4, Technical 0. Play was very willing for several minutes, with solid scrum work. Then Te Awamutu were penalised, and Dalbeth had another shot—from 42 yards —and the ball struck the crossbar. Te Awamutu rushed play to half-way but were penalised. Bell sent them back and Tippett improved, Whyte finding the line inside his own 25-.. Another penalty took play back nearly to half way. Tippett marked, and gained more ground, and from a line out play went right to the corner flag. Again Te Awamutu were penalised, but were quickly back again. The visitors forced after a short melee right at the goal posts. Technical got up to half-way by throwing the ball about, but Tombs sent them back when he , bustled Dalbeth. Line-outs 15 yards from Technical’s line ended with Wakefield and Littlejohn breaking through and Teddy was dragged down. But the ball was kicked to the side line, Technical thus losing a scoring opportunity. Keeping up the pressure the visitors were dangerous, but Goosman’s in-pass was forward. However, a lucky penalty gave Dalbeth an easy shot, and he made no mistake. Technical 3, Te Awamutu 4. Te Awawere quickly attacking again, but the defence held. Both packs of forwards were working heroically, and Turney raced up the line and sent the ball infield. McEwan had a shot at a field goal, and missed, but Tombs flashed in and scored a try, which J. Grace converted. Te Awamutu 9. Techical 3. The visitors made a valiant effort again anu carried play well into Te Te Awamutu territory. With only a few minutes to go both teams were doing their best, but the home fifteen had the best of matters, and no further score resulting, a really interesting and hard game ended: Te Awamutu 9 Technical Old Boys 3 ROVERS v. FRANKTON. Rovers journeyed to Hamilton to meet Frankton, and a very keen and interesting game ended in a draw, 14 points each. THE JUNIORS. VERY CLOSE CONTESTS. Te Awamutu v. Ngutunui: This game was played on No. 2 ground, with Mr C. Sergeant as referee. The

teams proved to be well matched, tor no score was registered throughout. Some of the players had obviously done insufficient, if any, training, and thus they hampered their better conditioned team mates. However, sufficient was seen to indicate that there will be some really good class players engaged as the competition progresses.

Rovers played Korakonui on the latter’s ground, and registered a win by 15 points to nil. The play was of a good standard, and was enjoyable throughout. Some of the players in both teams were quite up to the befit junior standard. Mr T. Brown was the referee. Waikeria registered a win over Hospital at the latter’s ground. With only a few minutes to play the scores were even—3 all—but before the final whistle Waikeria notched a field goal and the game ended: Waikeria 7, Hospital 3. Mr L. Thompson controlled the game. 6 Pirongia and Ohaupo met on the Ohaupo Club’s new ground, on the Kaipaki Road, with Mr 1. F. Vickers !in charge. The visitors won by 15 points to nil. THIRD GRADE. High School v. To Awamutu: Mi Madgwick controlled this game on No. 2 ground, and Te Awamutu set out to attack from the whistle, but could not score. Play was mostly in mid-field for ten minutes, and W. Kinnaird had two unsuccessful shots at goal from penalties (one of them nearly opened Te Awamutu’s account, for the ball rebounded from an upright). A few minutes later S. Dug gan scored a try, which Kinnaird converted. In the second half High School did better for a time, but were up against a better team, and Duggan scored his second try. The kick failed. In the closing stages Crook also scored, and Kinnaird converted. Te Awamutu 13, High School 0. Pirongia v. Rovers: This game, played as a curtain raiser to the Stag match, was controlled by Mr F. Waters. Pirongia were soon attacking and made several fine movements to gain ground. Ultimately Randall scored a try, unconverted; and just before half-time Carey kicked a penalty goal. Soon after the spell Hancock also scored a try, unconverted, and in the closing stages Parkinson bustled through for another try, which Carey converted. The final whistle sounded with the scores: Pirongia 14, Rovers 0. Old Boys, having the bye, played a friendly game with a team from Te Kuiti, and they proved well matched, for the final scores were: Te Kuiti 11, Old Boys 10. The visiting team, which was principally made up of Waitete Club juniors, put on eleven points—a try each by Matthews and Lee, a conversion and a penalty goal by Dulty; while Old Boys’ scores were two tries by Douglas, both converted by Haselden. R E PR E SE NT AT IVE M ATC H E S. POSITION OF WAIKATO. An application received from the Poverty Bay Rugby Union for a visit to Gisborne this season of the Waikato Rugby representative team, which was received at the meeting of the management committee of the Waikato Rugby Union ar Hamilton on Friday evening, led to a discussion regarding the possibility of a southern tour for the Waikato Rugby represen tatives during the season. It was decided that .Poverty Bay would not be included in any tour which the Waikato representatives might undertake this season. It seems unlikely at the present time, however, that a comprehensive tour of a Waikato representative team will be undertaken.

The first representative match for the Waikato fifteen will probably be the first of two Auckland fixtures which will be played at Hamilton on June 6. The curtain raiser to this game will be between Putaruru and Taupiri teams with weight limits or lOst. 71b.

A tentative representative fixture has been agreed upon with Bay of Plenty, at Rotorua, probably, before the return match with Auckland, at Auckland.

An application from the South Auckland Rugby Union for a representative match against Waikato op either May 21 or May 28 as a practice match for Waikato prior to the first meeting with the Auckland representatives was refused. The Union decided that no good purpose would be served by amalgamating any of the sub-unions within its jurisdiction, as suggested by the New Zealand Union, as all the present centres are within easy travelling distance of each other. The sum of £4O was allotted for the distribution of footballs, an increase of 25 per cent. MAORI TEAM FOR FIJI. WAIPA MEN NOMINATED. Three Waipa Rugby players havQ been nominated for inclusion in the Maori team which will visit Fiji this season: They are l : C. Meredith, age 25, weight 12st 61b, height sft Ilin. A front row forward. His performances include play in the Ratana Cup match between Maniapoto and Wanganui Maoris; Waikato Maoris v. King Country Maoris; Waipa Union representatives 1928 to 1934; reserve Waikato representatives 1934, Auckland B representatives 1936. Ate Jackson, age 27, height sft Bin, weight 12 stone. A half-back. His performances include games for the Waipa representatives during the past four years; tribal games for Maniapoto representatives; Otorohanga representatives 1932, and trial match for Waikato representatives last season. W. Ngahoe, age 25, height sft lOin, weight 13 stone. A break away. Per formances of this player include matches for Tauranga representatives 1932 to 1935, Bay of Plenty representatives, and Waipa representatives for the past two years. At a meeting of the Waikato Union it was decided that the nominations should be confirmed by the Waikato selector, Mr J. R. McKenzie, before beins forwarded to the Maori selector.