RUGBY FOOTBALL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue 7101, 31 August 1949, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL

KAWHIA COMPETITIONS CUP MATCHES PLAYED Cup matches, played under the auspices of the Kawhia Rugby SubUnion on Saturday last, resulted as follows: Haylock Cup: Marokopa beat Kawhia, 6—3. Patel Cup: Taharoa defaulted to Kinohaku. , Thorn Cup (juniors): Taharoa beat Marokopa, 9— 6Next Saturday matches will be played as follows: Haylock Cup: Oparau v. Marokopa, at Marokopa. Patel Cup: Kawhia v. Kinohaku, at Kawhia. HAYLOCK CUP MATCH WIN FOR MAROKOPA The Kawhia team, which wrested the Haylock Cup from Taharoa the previous Saturday, were not long in possession of this coveted trophy. Taking the field minus their two star players, Kenyon and Shaw, who were absent with the King Country representative team, they went down to an inferior Marokopa team by two penalty goals—six points to one unconverted try, three points. Even allowlowing for the defection of Shaw and Kenyon, the Kawhia team showed a marked superiority throughout, and none was more surprised than the Miarokopa team when they emerged the victors by three points. Kawhia held a distinct territorial advantage for three parts of the match. Miarokopa were given a gift penalty goal a few moments before the end of the match when the scores stood at three all. A penalty kick had been awarded to Marokopa just outside the 25-yard line for off-side play round the scrummage. The kick failed to rise, and rebounded off the legs of a Kawhia player standing on the goal-line. A Kawhia forward coming back to get on side played the ball on the spur of» the moment, and gave Marokopa another chance at goal only ten yards out from the posts. The whole incident was unfortunate from the outset, the ball rebounding- so suddenly that the forward hardly knew what had happened until he saw the ball at his feet, realising only after he had • played it that the ball was a rebound off his own man. Much more experienced players have often been caught in the same manner. Another unlucky incident occurred a few minutes after the start of the match, when Wiright, on the left wing for Kawhia, followed through fast from inside his own half. Kicking ahead when just inside the Marokopa 25 he was brought down by a second Marokopa player who ankle-tapped him in following up for what looked like a certain try, the ball having come to a stop on the Marokopa goal line, with no defending player being within 20 yards of the ball at the time. The incident went unnoticed by the referee, who would have been well within the rules of the game in awarding a penalty try, whereas after forcing Marokopa dropped out from the 25. Kawhia kicked off and put on the pressure from the outset, keeping Marokopa penned in their own 25 for several minutes until the full-back relieved with a good long line-kick. From the ruck which followed from the line-out, Wright, for Kawhia, snapped ip the ball which culminated in the above-related incident. Davies took the ball from the drop-out, and put Kawhia back on the Miarokopa goal-line with a nicely-judged kick. A try seemed imminent when Kawhia were penalised for an infringement. Marokopa cleared to the 25 from the kick. Kanawa received from the lineout to again put his side on the attack with a nice run around the blind

side. He had a clear run in himself, but elected to pass to Meredith, who was backing him up. The pass was forward, and a scrum went, down ten yards out from the M]arokopa line. Marokopa hooked the ball and cleared temporarily. From an interchange of kicks, Davies, Kawhia, took the ball, and with a well-judged kick over the heads of the Marokopa backs he followed up to pounce on the ball for a clever try. The kick lacked direction, and Kawhia led by three points to nil.

Marokopa tried hard to turn the tables, and made a few sorties into Kawhia territory, but the Kawhia defence was sound. Reti’s cover defence on these occasions was most remarkable. Picking up a dropped pass or a mis-fielded kick in very awkward positions, he extricated his side from several dangerous break-throughs. Shortly before half time Kawhia w;ere penalised on their own 25 owing to the half-back putting the ball into the scrum under his own hooker’s feet. Monty Nguru took the kick, the ball grazing the upright and turning inwards over the bar. Kawhia 3, Mjarokopa 3. Half time came without alteration to the score.

’ Soon after play re-commenced it was apparent that the majority of players on both sides were tiring. Willison was still going great guns for Miarokopa, and so were Smart and Meredith for Kawhia. Play became very scrappy, and a draw appeared likely barring accidents. The accident happened, and Miarokopa were 3 points up from the lucky penalty, with eight minutes left to play. Kawhia rallied and made a determined effort to pull the game out of the fire. Kanawa broke away on the blind side, kicked ahead, and followed up 'to catch the Marokopa wing in possession. The wing threw a decidedly forward pass to his support; the Kawhia players hesitated, waiting for the whistle—-a dangerous thing to do at any time. The infringement was unnoticed, and Marokopa rushed the play back to within five yards of the Kawhia line, where the ball went into touch. The Kawhia forwards, headed by Smart, worked play back to beyond half way, where full time was called upon the ball going into touch. The match was one of missed opportunities, as far as Kawhia was concerned. The Marokopa first fiveeighths was very weak, and he left a distinct gap on almost every occasion that Marokopa were in possession. With the absence of Kenyon and Shaw Kawhia lacked the speed inside to take advantage of this weakness. The Marokopa break-aways gave Kanawa a torrid time in the second spell, and forced him into error on several occasions. Willison was very good in this department of the game. Tahi, at half for Marokopa played well throughout but was given a lot of latitude when rushing back into his own forwards when sorely pressed on defence. Monty Nguru was the best back on the Marokopa side. He kicked both the penalty goals which gave his team victory. Fordham was good in the first half but appeared to be nursing his knee injury towards the end of the game.

Ted Reti was the outstanding player on the field. Playing at centre he made some brilliant solo breaks, and had it not been for obstruction on the part of a team mate he would have scored a try in the first spell. Reti has the knack of putting the opposition on the wrong foot. Davies and Meredith, the two veterans of the team, put in some good work. Meredith was as fit as any player on the field. Smart had a tough day as captain in place of Shaw. He was outstanding in the rucks. 'Gould did not show up as well as usual, but brought off some handy tackles at times. J. Edwards, on the right wing, was patchy, and did not appear to be fit on the day. Mac Pouwhare put in some hefty kicks to touch.

THORN CUP VERY HARD TUSSLE The match for the Thorn Cup at Marokopa between Taharoa and Marokopa proved a sterling contest. At the call of time the scores were even, and then four spells of five minutes each were played, without the result being altered. It was then agreed to play another five minutes, during •which time Taharoa scored the winning try. LETTER TO THE EDITOR KAWHIA SUB-UNION RUGBY SirJ —Now that the 1949 Rugby season is drawing to a close in the Kawhia Sub-Union I trust that the Sub-Union members will put their house in order before the commencement of another season. This season has been remarkable for its confusion and “ Rafferty rule ” in all departments of the game. If it came to a show-down I believe one would find that not one single Club has fulfilled its obligations to the Sub-Union with regard to the proper registration of its players. Then, again, we have seen junior players turning out Saturday after Saturday to fill the ranks of their senior tehms, and still go back and play junior football after playing many more than the prescribed two matches allowable under the rules of the Sub-Union. I took it upon myself to ask a prominent local referee how instances of this nature were allowed to continue when team-sheets went in for each match played. I was told in reply that team sheets were conspicuous by their absence in the majority of the games played, and that if the referees were to insist on these team-sheets being produced before the commencement of a match—well, in most cases there would be no match that day. Matches were late enough in Starting in any case. Then we come to the long break in the competition after the end of the

first round. Haylock Cup matches and representative games were played in succession. This meant that over 50 per cent of the players in the SubUnion did not play Rugby for periods varying from five to seven weeks; then, when the second round of the competitions was due to commence, play was delayed for yet another Saturday because of a seven-a-side tournament in Otorohanga. None of the Kawhia Sub-Union teams competed, so why the hold-up ? Surely the Sub-Union which had progressed so far in the season under its own rules of the moment could have overlooked a small major-union rule and re-com-menced its competition for the benefit of its own playing members. Now there is last Saturday’s spectacle of the Haylock Cup match in Kawhia. Haylock Cup matches are looked upon as something special in the way of club Rugby in this SubUnion, and teams make every effort to field their best men—and one or two ring-ins, if possible. I believe that Kawhia made representations to the Sub-Union for this particular match to be postponed until t-he following Saturday, due to the team having its two best players away in Te Kuiti last Saturday playing for the King Country representatives. Their request was turned down even though a rule exists in connection with the Haylock Cup that a match shall not be played on any day on which there is another match arranged by the Union in which the players or some of the players of the holders are to participate. All those who saw the match must realise what a difference the two absent players would have made to the Kawhia team. I submit that this match could have been postponed, and the seven-a-side tournament substituted, or the Patel Cup series re-arranged, in order to give Kawhia their rightful chance of retaining the trophy, and still not delay the conclusion of the season.

Also, for the match in question, why was a first-season referee selected to control the play For a referee in his first season he did a creditable job, but it was obvious soon after play commenced that ,’he was not up to the standard required of referees in senior matches. The rulings given were all correct, in my opinion, but a large number of infringements occurred which were not seen or were overlooked perhaps through trying to play the advantage fule. I spoke to two senior referees who were spectators at the match, and must therefore have been available. Admittedly these two referees came from the Kawhia district; one, I understand, controlled a local subunion representative match earlier in the season. Is the integrity of these two men so frail that they cannot be trusted to control a match in which the home team is participating ? From my own knowledge of these two fellows the very thought is simply ridiculous. In conclusion I trust that this letter will have the desired effect, and make the Sub-Union realise it must put its house in order and help the players to help themselves, otherwise the game of Rugby is on the “ out ?’ in the Kawhia county.—q am, etc., SOOTHSAYER.