RUGBY IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1929, Page 6

RUGBY IN TARANAKI

PROSPECTS FOR TO-DAY THIRD MATCHES IN COMPETITION. KEEN COMPETITION INDICATED. To-day’s Senior Matches. Star v. Old Boys, at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, 1.20 p.m. Tukapa v. Celtic, at Pukekura Park, 3 p.m. Clifton v. Stratford, at Stratford. Okato v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. Okaiawa v. Hawera, at Okaiawa. Opunake v. Patea, at Patea. Kaponga v. Athletic, at Hawera. Waimate v. Eltham, at Eltham. Considerable interest will be evinced in all to-day’s Rugby matches, the third of the series of the first round. Play shown on previous Saturdays has been of a standard pleasing to the public, while a keen competition is’ indicated. Of the eight teams in each division two points only separate the first six in the north and five in the south, and the others, providing they can show sufficient improvement to win all their coming matches, are still in the running. In the northern division greatest interest will centre in the matches at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, where, there is again a double bill. Each match should prove a star attraction. The. curtain-raiser will attract because it. will see the so far unbeaten team, Star, opposed by Old Boys, who drew against last year’s champions, Stratford, last Saturday. The first appearance in New Plymouth of Celtic, who put up such, a sensational fight against Inglewood last week, should Jone attract a crowd. The Old Boys —Star match should provide a contest with, plenty of r fast, spectacular play. Star will be keen to maintain their position at the head of the list, and with their forwards displaying their customary dash and judicious use of their backs, they have reasonable prospects of doing so. Old Boys forwards showed last Saturday that they will be able to keep the opposition busy. Much to the general surprise their forwards were their strong department. .Old Boys’ backs, however, can do much better in attack than they ’showed last week, and they should endeavour to get their speedy three-quarters going as often as possible. This will be their aim to-day. In the Star backs they will meet solid defence, however. NEW TEAM MAKING GOOD. Celtic ’have made good and should do even better with experience. They possess a solid pack of fast forwards, while their backs, though mostly young, have initiative and 'heir three-quarter line has pace. Their appearance in New Plymouth will he awaited with interest this afternoon, and though so far Tukapa has not won a match, the visitors will find, they are up against a. resourceful combination. Tukapa is a team of youthful players who are improving all the time. Though their forwards are light’ they are fast and full of dash, while their backs combine well and have plenty of pace.

At Stratford the local team will be opposed by Clifton. Led by All Black Pat Ward, Clifton forwards will put up a great fight against their doughty opponents, and the game should provide one of the best forward etruggles so far seen in the north. Clifton has some fast backs whose combination is improving; Stratford takes some time to reach top form and each match, therefore, sees them a better team. They will need to play right out to the finish if they are to stave off the Waitara men.

Okato will meet Inglewood at Inglewood, and though the coastal men have not won a match so far, their forwards have shown that they are not to be despised. The team’s defence is sound. Inglewood cannot afford to take anymore risks and will be determined to give their backs every opportunity if they secure the ball. That should prove the deciding factor. In South Taranaki the meeting of Okaiawa and Hawera, at Okaiawa, will prove the great attraction. The meeting of .these old rivals is always looked forward to with interest and this year, with, each team so far unbeaten, further' zest is added. It should prove a battle royal for supremacy right through the piece. Last year’s southern champions are a well-balanced team. The forwards do not let up and the backs can add the finishing touches that mean scoring points. Hawera is a much stronger team than it was last year, with forwards who can be relied on to get their share of the ball and hold it if desired. Their versatile half is capable of giving his backs the leather at the right moment. The Hawera backs have not as yet the neat combination of Okaiawa, but they possess some dangerous swerving men who only require opportunity. OPUNAKE TO MEET PATEA.. Next in importance is the meeting of Opunake and Patea at Pateii. So far the men from Opunake have not been defeated. They are a well-balanced team comprising forwards with sufficient weight and dash to make them always an awkward proposition and backs who swing into line with precision. With W. Hohaia at his best again the team is very dangerous in attack, while the defence is solid. Patea possesses forwards that should now be able to show their best, which means that the other side, good as they may be, will not have matters all their own way. The southern team’s backs are rapidly getting into shape. It should provide the Patea public with a great match, as the local team realises that it cannot afford another loss.

Knponga and Athletic meet at Hawera. So far neither team has won a match, but both have put up great fights. Both are improving teams. Kaponga, led by A. Guy, are perhaps stronger in the forward division than their opponents, but the latter’s backs can handle well. Each will be keen to get on the ladder, so the game should be full of interest.

Waimate, who have shown marked improvement this year, will meet Eltham at the latter club’s ground. Waimate have already secured one win, whilst so far their opponents have sustained two defeats. Apparently Eltham have fallen on a ler i year, but their team, with experience, should develop into a good combination. Waimate appear to be reaping the benefit of their policy .in encouraging their, lower grade players. - With the first representative match, that against "Wanganui on June 3, only

a "fortnight, off, there is already speculation as to the personnel and strength of this year’s Taranaki representative team. With practically all the team that did so well towards the close*bf last year available, as well as a lot of promising material, the task of the. selector, Mr. W. A. Guy, will not be an enviable one. It appears certain, however, that Taranaki should commence this season with a fifteen .at least as strong 'as the one iwith which last season closed' so successfully. . " . J’ Some light will be tlifowii ou the probable strength after next. Thursday’s North v. South game at Stratford. The appearance of those teams, therefore, will be awaited with nitefest;' They should be known to-night. ' ' Taranaki will need to p l ut, its best foot forward if it is to hold’ its own against Wanganui, as the' latter are leaving nothing to chance. ' Tb-day they are playing a trial match, Metropolitan v. Sub-unions, at ’ Taihape, 'so as to ensure that the best fifteen will be chosen. It is interesting to note that in the Metropolitan team Carter and Fletcher have been cliosen-as five-eighths and Shaw as emergency back. Thus the three ex-Taranaki five-eighths playing in Wanganui are included. Witn Kilby, the All Black half, as their pivot, the Wanganui backs should have every opportunity of showing their worth. With a match arranged at - New Plymouth between Wanganui and Taranaki B teams, .players in the trial match on Thursday should have an additional incentive to catch the selector’s eye. Taranaki’s representative programme, arranged at the New Zealand Rugby Union's annual meeting, provides nine matches, of which four are to be played at home (Wellington, Wanganui, Canterbury and Auckland), and five away (Wanganui, Mahawhenna, Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay and East'Coast). In keeping with its policy of. assisting the minor unions, Taranaki is this year playing Povert Bay and East Coast. In addition to these matches other matches will be arranged. With the first representative match exclusive of holiday matches set down for August 31, there should be no cry this year that representative football has interfered with club foot-ball. The trouble will be to find matches between the close of the cup competition and the commencement of the representative fixtures to keep the players in form.

TEAMS FOR TO-DAY.

Rahotu juniors to play Tukapa at the New Plymouth racecourse. —A. Gibson, C. Looney, McLeod (2), J. Armstrong, A. Page, C. Tyrell, Waiwiri (2), Neilsen (2), W. Fleming, J. Zurcher, J. Okcaro, H. Gilhooley, F. Deacon, T. Coffey, P. Mitchell. Okato third juniors v. Star at Okato. — Pouri, Honeyneld, Hoskin, Paul, Moofby (2), Black, Penwarden, Larsen, Beck, Goodin, Andrews, Woolridge, Goodwin, Roebuck, Price (2), Sears, Jenkins, Bell. Hawera seniors to play Okaiawa, at Okaiawa.—J. Chee vers, U. Patterson, C. Hammond, B. McCarthy, S. Anderson, N. Hunter, S. F. Riley, E. Murphy, T. Malcolm, R. Williams, T. Goodger, B. Murphy, W. Robertson, 0. Murphy, E. Gibson, K. Riley and S. Cameron. Okaiawa thirds v. Athletic, at Hawera, but leaving Okaiawa at 12.30 p.m. —Bonus, Gargan, Green, Walker, Corrigan, Morehu, H. Betts, Toro, Seed, Arden, Hooper, Betts; Good, Gatenby, Duggan, L. Corrigan and R. Robertson. Okaiawa fourths v. High School, at Normanby. —W. Laison, Piripi, King, Katene, Cleaver, Ropiha, Matoe, Thomas, Booth, Mark, Awahou, Puketapu, Nuku, Harvey, Shager; emergencies, Guy, Matoe, Henry. Celtic seniors to play Tukapa, at New Plymouth to-day are: Lobart, Young, Richardson, Lindell, Collins, Pryce, Bublitz, Kettlewell, Hinton, Fanning, Beardmore, O’Keefe, Hughes, Payne, Johnson. Emergencies: Grubb, Bourke, Callaghan.