TARANAKI RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1930, Page 5

TARANAKI RUGBY

* TO-DAY’S COMPETITION GAMES. PLAY THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE To-day the teams engaged in. the Taranaki Rugby Union’s senior competition will play the fourth series of matches in the first round The. list of fixtures is as follows:— Star v. Old Boys, at Pukekura Park, 1.15 p.m. . Tukapa. y. Celtic, at Pukekura Park, 2.45 p.m. , 'Stratford v. Clifton, at Stratford. Okato v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. Hawera v.' Patea, at Hawera. Athletic v. Waimate, at Manaia. Opunake v. Kaponga, at Opunake. Okaiawa v. Eltham, at Okaiawa. ;

With four teams in each division at the head of the ladder separated by a narrow margin"and three others in the northern division and one in the south not yet out of the running, the competition is interesting. Perhaps throughout Taranaki to-day the greatest interest will centre at Hawera, where two of the' three unbeaten teams, Patea and Hawera, meet. Patea this season is a greatly improved team, as it showed -last Saturday by inflicting a defeat of Opunake,' last year's champion. Patea will need to be at its best in every department to-day to lower the colours of the Hawera team, which also has shown marked improvement. . At New Plymouth there will be another double bill for the delectation of patrons. The Old Boys’ team, which is taking the game seriously this year and giving pleasing displays, will meet Star in the early match and though the Old Boys’ team will be strengthened by Galbraith’s inclusion it cannot afford to take any chances against the wearers of the black jersey. Star’s backs are improving with every game and the team has a goal kicker who loses few opportunities of notching points. The Tukapa-Celtic match, which follows, should also provide a few thrills.' Tukapa has shown marked improvement this year and last week put up its best effort to date, while Celtic plays a hard game.

"" Probably there will be no more keenly contested match to-day than that between Stratford and Clifton. Stratford will take the field prepared and even though they will be without the services of that fine forward Walter, will put a powerful vanguard in the field, which will be opposed by another solid pack led by a great general in Pat Ward. Each team possesses backs that only need opportunities to do tilings. Inglewood and Okato meet at the inland towns ground and though so far Okato has not won a match it is not to be despised. The big forwards are knocking into shape with each game and will keep the opposition busy. In South Taranaki Waimate, which is still undefeated, meets Athletic, which lias not so far won a game. Athletic last Saturday scored two tries to Hawera’s one and only needs a little luck. Waimate is a well balanced team that combines beautifully.. . Kaponga, whose record is similar to Athletic’s, is drawn against Opunake, which is now getting into . shape after a disappointing start., Okaiawa will meet Eltham at Okaiawa.

In the.trial game on Thursday Crawford, the Old Boys’ hooker, proved very useful. Playing a solid game in the pack, ho was always on the ball and, moreover, he put up a great scoring record, notching ten of the sixteen points gained by the possibles. He opened his account with a penalty goal, then scored and converted a try, also converting the try which Grant scored. In the first spell he was associated with Young in the front row and in the second with O. Murphy, Young joining Robinson in the Probables’ front row. TEAMS CHOSEN FOR TO-DAY. Waimate to play Athletic at Manaia. —Shaw, Eliason, Welsh, Rei, Wineera, Whalen, Griffin, Paterson, Lavery, Sutton, Heneri, T. Edwards, Hikaka, Cunningham, C. Bourke, Torqa, Long, i Hughes, Murphy. Waimate juniors to play Athletic. at Hawera.-—Fergus, Hooper, King, Parata,

Luke, Edwards, McDonald, Rei (2), Hill,’ Hughes,’ Putt, Russell, Taplin, Tainu, Guise, Heneri, Burke. Waimate thirds play Athletic at Manaia.—Hodge, Gulliver, Cowling, Ruakere, Heneri, Harris, Evan, Vincent, Fitzsimmons, P. King; J. Walker, King, R. Morgan, W. Toroa, Bennett, K. Me-. ’ Donald, Ross, Enyon. Waimate fourths play Kaponga at Kaponga.—Noho, Robinson, Putt, Budd, McKay, King, Rang! Hunia, Dick, McCracken, McDonald, Hansen, Walker, Duggan, Duncan, Gamlin (2), Atkinson, Borrie, Johnny. Uruti to play Waitara. —Church, M. Rae, Paltridge, A. Oxenham, M. Day, B. Rae, J. Richardson, L.' Henderson, F. Tawliaki, A. O’Donnell, B. Allen, B. O’Halloran, T. Oxenham, E. Oxenham, J. Kipo, Emergencies: Forwards, H. Morgan, C. Laurent; backs, A. Wedge, R. Grey. Eltham seniors versus Okaiawa, at Okaiawa. —R. Bourke, R. Bocock,. F. Bocock, L. Cooper, L. Casey, G. Cruden, R. Campbell, H. Elliott, E. Hughes, D. Jones, D. Knuckey, M. Prince, H. Potts,' A. 8. Penniallj.H. Slooombe, E. Townsend, R. Trolovo and T. Taylor. Okaiawa seniors to play Eitham at Okaiawa to-day—Murdock, Ngaia, Mc-

Callum, Simons, . Johnston, Cameron, Awahou, James, Greenough, Preston, Guy, Ike, Clarko (2), Tippetts. Okaiawa juniors to play Alton- at Alton to-day.—Bailey, Nuku, Rakei, Lockett, Scott, Wards, Watson, Campbell, Barclay, Tito, Guy, Blair (2),. Jackson, Clarke, Mitchell. Okaiawa fourths to play Hawera High School at Okaiawa will be picked from the following:—Booth, Steer, Mark, Nuku, Smillie, Guy, Gill, Karo, Cleaver (2), Thomas, Pie, Wands, Kumi, Hooper, Ropiha, Matoe (2), Awahou (2), Clarke. Hawera seniors to play Patea at Hawera to-day.—Cheevers, McCarthy, Hunt-' er, Hammond, E : kdahT, Anderson, S. F. Riley, Williams, Malcolm, B. Murphy, Pokau, Goodger, W; Robinson, L. Robinson, K. Riley. Emergencies; Poi, E. Murphy.