SATURDAY'S MATCHES.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1926, Page 5

SATURDAY'S MATCHES.

INTER-COLEGIATE. Auckland Grammar v, New Plymouth High School, at Pukekura' Park, 1.15 p.m. SENIOR MATCHES. Eltham v. Tukapa, at Pukekura Park, 2.45 p.m. Stratford v. Star, at Western Park, 3 p.m. Old Boys v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. Kaponga v. Okaiawa, at Okaiawa. Opunake v. Athletic, nt Opunake. Hawera v, Waimate, at Manaia. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. PLAYED. V. Wanganui.—Won, 35 to 6. V. Bush. —Won, 22 to 9. V. Hawke’s Bay.—Won, 5 to 3. V. Auckland. —Won, 22 to 8. V. Thames Valley.—Won, 19 to -nil. V. Manawatu-Horowhenua.—Lost, 8 to G. TO PLAY, September 4.- v. Wanganui, at New Plymouth. September 11.—v. Auckland, at Auckland. September 15.—v. Waikato, at Hamilton. September 18. — v. Wellington, at Wellington. INTERCOLLEGIATE MATCHES. PLAYED. V. Wanganui Technical. —Won, 20 to 19. V. Te Ante College.—Won, 14 to nil. TO PLAY. August 21.—Versus Auckland Grammar School, at New Plymouth. Versus Wanganui College.—Date to be arranged. THE SENIOR COMPETITION. Saturday will see the close of' the second round of the senior competition, and in the Northern Division at any rate it is many years since interest has been sustained to the very end, as has been the case this year. Indeed, the championship finalist for the north end of the province will, not .be known until after the close of Saturday’s play, and even then it is possible that tlie two leading teams, Star and Tukapa, may be even. The issue this year has been a hard fought one between Star and Tukapa. Star held the lead early until defeated by Tukapa. The decision over the protested try gave Star the lead again, but their defeat by Eltham last week placed Tukapa again a point in the lead. Tukapa, however, have to meet Eltham on Saturday, - whilst Star meet Stratford. Both are certain to be hard matches, and it is still possible for either of the town teams to win the division or even to tie necessitating a play-off.

Keen interest, therefore, will be taken in both matches in New Plymouth, and both should be great struggles. Eltham will meet Tukapa at Pukekura Park after the College match, so possibly this will hold the greatest crowd of enthusiasts. It should provide a splendid match, too. Tukapa is a strong team but this year has been playing in and out, and those who 'saw the town team against Old Boys on Saturday would not give them much chance against Eltham, but then Tukapa always play better when they arc up against it, and they will need to play better on Saturday. 'Tukapa have good forwards, but so have Eltham, and a great clash can he expected here. When the teams -met in the first round Tukapa won by 3 points to nil, but since then the Eltham backs have been improved by the inelusion of some younger players, and. this has strengthened Eltham’s attack. Their defence has always been right, as is shown by the flub having the smallest number of points scored against it of any in the competition, with Tukapa the next. Eltham, has, however, only scored 61 points against Tukapa’s 158. However, last week they scored 12 points, so that the improvement in the backs was at onee noticeable. Only on one occasion has Eltham been defeated by more than three points.

On Western Park Star will have to •fight hard to defeat Stratford. In the first round Star defeated Stratford brilliantly after one of the most exciting matches of the season. (Stratford had a lead of 11 points in the first spell, but in the last half hour the Star backs took command and added thirteen points. Stratford are determined to turn the tables, and though Kivell will be absent from the pack, and a big loss too, the inland club has no lack of forwards to fill the vacancy. They have also improved the combination of their backs, whose defence is also very sound. Star, however, realise that they must win if they wish to profit ‘by the possibility of Eltham checking Tukapa, so they will leave no stone unturned. Star has been unfortunate this year in losing Falwasser and Lemon, whilst McCready's absence from the pack last week made a big difference. In Hall, ho'wever, they possess a very promising player who well repaid his promotion to senior ranks, and their nippy hacks, if they get a share of the ball, can be relied, upon to keep the opposition moving. whilst their lighter, fast forwards will also worry the Stratford vanguard especially if play is on top of the ground.

Old Boys are set down f > play Inglewood at Inglewood. Iu first round Old Boys ran over Inglewood, but the Inglewood team comprised young players who have improved greatly as the season advanced, and a close game should be witnessed. In South Taranaki they have been looking forward to the. return clash 'between Okaiawa and Kaponga ever since the teams drew at Kaponga in the first round. Whatever the result oi 'the match the position of Okaiawa as divisional premiers cannot be affected, but nevertheless the match is certain to draw a crowd to Okaiawa. The plainsmen this year have shown themselves a great scoring combination, having put up the most points of any team in Taranaki, whilst the impenetrable nature of their defence is shown by the fact that they have had the least points put up against them. They arc unquestionably, a well-balanced team, with fast forwards and hades that move like clockwork. Kaponga’s strength lies more on their forwards, one of the finest packs in Taranaki, whilst their

backs are solid on defence and at ths same time quick to seize an opening to score. They can combine well at times, but are not so uniformly consistent in this direction as their opponents. Nevertheless, they are quietly confident of giving Okaiawa their first defeat as they gave them the first set-back in the> competition series. Athletic journey to Opunake . In the first round there was nothing between tha teams, but Opunake have perhaps shown the greater improvement, and with a full team should be able to more than hold their own. Hawera should also account for Waimate at Hawera. RANFURLY SHIELD MATCH. > “A PITIABLE PERFORMANCE.’* WDLLIN(StON OVERWHELMED. Says the Wellington Times reporter:-! Tlie Wellington team has seldom put up a more pitiable performance than it did against the black-and-white giants. Forward and back they seemed paralysed with terror at the human avalanches that came rushing upon them. They held up their hands in horror instead of tackling the man with the ball or falling upon it to stop ths dribbling rushes. The forwards were beaten for tho ball in scrum and line-out and overwhelmed iu the loose. The backs seemed never to be in position, and toward the eii/l. of the match, whenever the play was stopped and they had time to take up their positions, they looked jv t what they were —a disorganised rabble. Wellington made several huge mistakes. The first of these was playing men w’u» were physically unsound. In spite of the fact that one of Sydney's leading specialists bad advised Porter not to play again this season, be was almost tormented into playing. Before play had been in progress ten minutes he was heavily dumped, and, unfortunately, kicked while he was on the ground. Thereafter, he could be nothing but a passenger. It was not big fault. He did his best, and was to a certain extent helpful by his defence, but he was not the Porter a» we know him, leading the attack and flitting from placq to place to build up tho defence with uncanny anticipation. He held on till half-time, and then retired, Iris place being taken by Jessup, who was certainly an improvement. Mark Nicholls, too, was quite off,colour, and was completely outclassed by Lance Johnson, the ex-Wellington representative. Even his rfne-kiekaig, usually notable for length and direction, was lacking in both these respects, and frequently he did not find the line at all. He is usually regarded as a sure and safe tackler, but Johnson beat him time and again. Ho is, of course, suffering from an injured leg, and no doubt this accounted for hi 6 weak display. At the same time, it must be admitted that he was very badly served by his brother at halfback.

If ever there was any controversy as to the respective merits of Mill and Nicholls, the question was settled on Saturday. “Ginger” was atrociously weak on defence, and his passes from the scrum were almost impossible to take. It was one of the worst exhibitions he has ever given, and he appeared to be badly rattled. HAWKE’S BAY’S SUPERIORITY Says the Dominion: —The victories secured by the Wellington team against the AU Blacks and the Maories had caused Wellington's stock to soar, and tlie set-back which Hawke’s Bay had received at the hands of the ManawatuHorowhenua forces the previous Saturday had still further heartened tho followers 'of the challengers, notwithstanding Wellington’s defeat by Wairarapa on Wednesday last. There were even those who imagined that tho Black and Whites were not as strong as they hatl been at any time during the past season; that Father Time was beginning to put his imprint on some of the star players; and that the Bay would sadly miss Falwasser, Barclay, S. Gemmell, Corkliill, Craven, and Ormond. These fond delusions were soon expelled. The Hawke's Bay fifteen took the field trained to the minute, and revealed combination and resource which maintained their right to be regarded as easily the greatest Rugby force which has ever been marshalled in the Dominion. Clapping on the pace from the kick-off, the holders of the Shield kept going at such a bat that the Wellington men could not stand the tune, aud wilted under the hammering foot rushes of the Bay vanguard. The big men moved fast, and infused such dash and vigour into their work that their opponents were brushed aside like chaff before a gale. Inspired by the example of their captain, Maurice Brownlie, who was in the van tlu'ougliout, and gave a sterling display of intelligent footwork, the big Bay forwards gave their backs plenty of ball, ami the rearguard rose to the occasion in splendid style. In fact, Hawke’s Bay was a compact fighting machine, equipped with heavy artillery, light mountain batteries, and ma-ehine-gens, against a band of bravo but futile Dervishes, armed with spears. The holders of the Shield had a big advantatge in Rugby intelligence. Each time a man broke away, he was shepherded by two or three comrades on either hand, which made it difficult for an attacker to take him on the flank. Frontal attacks only were of avail. BIMUTIIT L COMBINATION. No finer display of combination lias ever been given on a New Zealand ground than that afforded by the holders of the shield on Saturday. Frequently the whole fifteen were to be seen in attack, as Nepia, 1'? full-back, several times ran instead of kicking, and thus opened tip passing movements. Mill was in his element behind a winning team of forwards, and got the ball out with celerity to the men behind him, who delighted the big crowd by their sure handling, brilliant passing, and speed arid dash. In the second spell, when they had taken Wellington’s measure, the Hawke's Bay team threw all thought of defence to (he winds, and it was no uncommon sight to sec the backs, with the solitary exception of Nepia, up amongst the vanguard. They threw ths ball about with rare abandon, in ths manner introduced to this country by A. E. Stoddart’s English team in 1888, who really taught New Zealanders tha passing game.