RUGBY FOOTBALL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4054, 30 May 1938, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

WAIPA CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES. MATCHES ON SATURDAY. Weather conditions were favourable on Saturday afternoon for continuation of Rugby matches under the Wiaipa Union’s jurisdiction. The principal attraction at Albert Park was the Stag competition game, Rovers v. Taupiri, but the junior championship contest at Tokanui Hospital, where Waikeria and Hospital teams engaged, attracted an almost equally large attendance. RESULTS IN BRIEF: Stag Competition.— Rovers 10 v. Taupiri 3. Cambridge 11 v. Te Awamutu 3. Hamilton Old Boys 9 v. Technical Old Boys 5. Frankton, a bye. POSITION OF TEAMS. At the conclusion of Saturday’s games, the position of the teams in this competition was as under, “W” denoting the number of wins; “L”, losses; “D”, drawn; and “P” for points gained to date in the competition:—

Juniors.— Waikeria 3 v. Hospital 3. Rovers 12 v. Korakonui 6. Te Awamutu 14 v. Ohaupo 9. Pirongia 15 v. Ngutunui 3. Thirds.— Old Boys 17 v. High School 3. Te Awamutu 11 v. Rovers 6. Fourths.— High School 6 v. Old Boys 3. OTOROHANGA. Representative Match.— Otorohanga 19 v. Kawhia 0. Juniors. Otorohanga 21 v. Kawhia 0. STAG COMPETITION. ROVERS DEFEAT TAUPIRI The teams were:— Rovers: McGruther, E. Empson, G. Jowsey, Watson, J. McGovern, A. Jackson, W. Ngahoe, C. Meredith, T. Macky, A. Thomson, Morrison, W. Nichol, J. Tickelpenny, Pendray. Taupiri: C. Robinson, M. Matenga, J. Maniapoco, A. McNicol, O’Hearn, M. Taylor, W. Tapp, P. Puhi, J. Wilton, G. Jones, W. Kete, C. Wiston, W. Taylor, H. Catley, T. Kereopa. Right from the kick-off Taupiri attacked, getting right to the line, but they were gradually worked back and solid rucks and lineouts occurred in neutral ground. Tapp had a long shot at goal from a penalty and Rovers forced. This was repeated a minute later. Taupiri were doing best but Rovers beat off all attacks and then worked up field where Jackson narrowly missed a field goal. Again Rovers rushed to Taupiri’s 25 but a “speculator” gave Taupiri relief, but it was only temporary. Ngahoe was leading the Rovers’ pack in open play, and then McGruther had a shot at goal from a penalty. He opened the scoring with a nice kick. Rovers 3. Taupiri 0.

Then the visitors bustled right to the goal posts and were a awarded a penalty. Again Tapp’s kick failed. Even play followed. Rovers’ pack gained ground with solid work until Ngahoe got offside. Again they pressed, using the side line, and got right to the corner, but could not score. Taupiri got up to halfway, but could not hold the advantage. Some hot rucking ended in a penalty for Taupiri, but McGruther returned the ball nearly to halfway. Empson raced up the line, but was recalled, having stepped out, and'SQon Taupiri got a penalty on the 25yd line, and Catley registered a good goal. Taupiri 3, Rovers 3. Rovers’ bustling tactics were troubling the onnosition, and ground was steadily gained, until McGruther had a ■'-malty kick, and he landed another goal. Rovers 6, Taupiri 3. Catley next had a shot from 35yds out, but the trajectory was low, and Rovers forced. Then they rushed play the full length of the field, but Robinson staved off a try by forcing. Loose play let the visitors up field. After half - time play had hardly started when Meredith was injured in a collision, and was replaced by G. Tickelpenny. Taupiri attacked, but were quickly sent back, and then the Rovers opened play and had the spectators on their toes when Ngahoe dashed awav. well supported, but a forward pass spoiled the movement. O’Hearn kicked clear. Jackson cut through smartly and sent to Watson, who promptly kicked a field goal from right in front. Rovers 10, Taupiri 3. Taupiri got a penalty that g-ave much needed relief from a bustling rush by Rovers, led b” Thomson and Nichol. Puhi carried on, but was pulled down. Then Jackson and Ngahoe broke through and gained a lot of ground. Watson tried for another field goal, but failed. Taupiri rushed p ] ay rip-ht up field, with Catley doihg wonderful work, but a penalty sent them back. E. Taylor was solid on defence and stopped Rovers’ attacks time after time, but McGruther’s line kicking nullified any advantage, and some lively play was witnessed, with most of the play in midfield. E. Taylor was trying to set his backs in motion, but Rovers’ spoiling tactics were effective. G. Tickelpenny came through from a scrum and bustled Robinson, but McNicol carried on and took play past halfway. Robinson gained more ground with a line kick, and in a scramble the visitor?, got a penalty right on Rovers’ line, fairly w'de out. Catley failed with the kick. Taupiri backs were doing better

now, but their forwards were not equal to Rovers’ pack. Play was hard, with scrums, rucks and lineouts. O’Hearn badly beat the opposition, until MeGruther stopped a certain try, and Rovers were able to get relief by line kicking. Two penalties also helped. McNicol sent Rovers back with a hefty punt, but Tickelpenny came, up fast from a scrum. Again the Taupiris attacked, and looked dangerous, but the defence held. Scrum infringement gave Taupiri a penalty kick and play went almost to Rovers’ line. Lineout infringement gave Rovers a penalty kick that gained 20yds, and they had Taupiri in trouble, but O’Hearn cleared, and they rushed right to the goal, where a scrum was ordered, from which Ngahoe secured and ran to halfway. The game ended in midfield with the scores: Rovers 10 Taupiri 3. Mr I. F. Vickers controlled the game. TE AWAMUTU v. CAMBRIDGE. Cambridge defeated a weakened Te Awamutu team in the Stag competition, at the Square by 11 points to 3. The standard of play was the best seen in Cambridge for many seasons. J. Wynyard and R. Clark, Te Awamutu, played well in the visiting pack, but the side could not withstand the sweeping forward onslaughts, which often went the length of the field. Every Cambridge forward played well, including P. Beer, Hall, Watts and Harbutt, who even overshadowed the well-known visiting forwards. The Cambridge backs played up to their best form. Haworth, as usual, was safe at fullback and looks a likely contender for the Waikato fullback position. H. Peake, Charlton and L. Kelly all played well. W. Tombs was the best visiting back. Charlton (2) and Hewitt scored tries for Cambridge, Hewitt converting one. Turney scored for Te Awamutu. THE JUNIORS. Ohaupo United v. Te Awamutu: Mr G. D. Lawrie refereed this match on No. 2 ground. In the early stages Nathan scored a try for Ohaupo, and ten minutes later Bennett added a penalty goal. Te Awamutu then settled down, and Southey scored a try. and just before half-time T. Dalziel kicked a penalty goal. In the second half Williams scored a try for Ohaupo, but scores were equalised when Dalziel kicked his second penalty goal, and later K. Rickit put Te Awamutu ahead with a try, which Dalziel converted. Rovers v. Korakonui: These teams were well matched, on No. 1 ground, with Mr R. L. Adams as referee. Rovers, bustling hard, scored two tries in quick succession, but the kicks failed. Then Lawry kicked a penalty goal for Korakonui. Douglas tried to emulate it a few minutes later, but the ball was deflected outside an upright. Lawry kicked a second penalty goal. In the second half, with the scores even. Rovers played better and G. Kidd kicked a penalty goal and a try (the first of the match) came a few minutes later, but it was not converted. Rovers won 12—6. Waikeria v. Hospital: These two teams indulged in quite the best game so far of the series. Mr T. Brown was the referee. McAlpine registered a try for Hospital, and Waikeria’s score was a penalty goal. THE THIRDS. Rovers v. Te Awamutu: Mr C. Sergeant controlled this game, on No. 3 ground. Shelton kicked two penalty goals for Rovers, while for Te mutu S. Duggan, McNamara and T. Duggan each scored a try, Kinnaird converting one, and another kick by him rebounded from the crossbar. Final scores: Te Awamutu 11, Rovers 8. THE FOURTHS. Playing at the School ground, High School defeated Old Boys 6—3. REPRESENTATIVE MATCH. OTOROHANGA v. KAWHIA. The first inter sub-union representative game under the King Country Rugby Union took place at Otorohanga on Saturday between Otorohanga and Kawhia. The game showed a big improvement upon displays of former years and there was a record attendance. W. Phillips was a tower of strength in the Kawhia team, which was beaten by 19 points to nil. HANGATIKI DEFEATED. Te K;uiti juniors defeated Hangatiki by 11 points to nil. LOCAL PLAYERS. A SPRINGBOK VIEW. “South Africa’s Greatest Springboks” is the title of a book just issued by Mr John S. Sacks, who toured New Zealand with the last Springboks’ team. Mr Sacks, who is sports editor of the Rand Daily Mail and the Sunday Times, Johannesburg, surveys the tour in a comprehensive method and not the least interesting of his observations are those dealing with the match against the Combined King Country-Waikato-Thamos Valley team at Hamilton. “On occasions,” writes Mr Sacks, in reviewing this match, “yan de Vyver tried to burst through down the middle, but he telegraphed his intentions, and Crossman, one of the soundest five-eighths the Springboks encountered during the whole tour, repeatedly dived at him and sent him sprawling into a mud bath.” This shows how much Mr Sacks thought of Crossman’s play. He expresses himself as being very surprised that the King Country player did not play in a Test and he was not the only Springbok who was. Also in this the author picks out Wynyard first, Best second and Trusttum third as great forwards who frequently led whirlwind dribbling rushes that looked like paving the way to scores. “Some-

what unwisely the South Africans contrived to play an open game, and they threw the ball about as if they were trying to take a out of the book of tactics adopted by the New South Wales back division in the sensational game at Sydnew that was also played in heavy muddy conditions,” says the article. “The Combined pack, playing with great fire and using admirable spoiling tactics kept the visitors well subdued but when the Springboks altered their style of play they did better but it was a great relief for them to narrowly scramble home.” AUCKLAND v. WAIKATO. The team to represent Auckland against Waikato at Hamilton on Monday, June 6th (King’s Birthday)D. Solomon, D. Mlartin, A. Prentice, J. Dick, F. Brady, N. Pearman, F. Cooney, A. Brown, H. Bond, T. H. Pearce. H. F. McLean, T. Webb, R. Hull, T. Lockington and W. Carson. Reserves are: Backs, B. Killeen, D. Flett; forwards, W. Lange, F. Solomon and C. Pepper. THE LEAGUE GAME. TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA. TE KUITI MAN APPOINTED ■CAPTAIN. The captain of the Rugby League team to tour Australia is W. McNeight, of Te Kuiti. He was appointed at Thursday’s meeting of the New Zealand Rugby League. R. Brown, of Canterbury, is vice-captain. McNeight is a member of the Public Works staff in Te Kuiti, and has since the opening of the Rugby League season journeyed every weekend to Auckland to play for the Newton League team.

w. L. D. p. Hamilton Old Boys 3 1 1 7 Te Awamutu . 2 1 1 5 Taupiri 2 1 1 5 Cambridge 2 2 0 4 Technical Old Boys 2 3 0 4 Rovers 1 2 1 3 Frankton 0 2 2 2