HAWERA LEAD REDUCED

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1930, Page 4

HAWERA LEAD REDUCED

KAPONGA AGAIN DEFEATS LEADER INTERESTING POSITION IN SOUTH ®O ALTERATIONS IN THE NORTH ' The penultimate series of .matches in the Taranaki senior Rugby Competition was decided on Saturday under fine weather conditions. In the southern division Kaponga, which appears to be at its best when pitted against strong teams, .inflicted the second defeat of the season' on Hawera by the margin of a try, and as Opunake also scored a comfortable win over Waimate there is now only a point separating last year’s champion team from the leader Patea, .which defeated Okaiawa, is only a point further back. . bhould Hawera defeat Waimate it will gain the southern premiership, but should Hawera draw or be defeated there is every probability that either Opunake, which meets Okaiawa, or Patea, which meets Eltham, will, oust the leader from the position or at least draw level. In the northern division there was no alteration m the positions, Old Boys and Stratford each scoring comfortable victories, and being separated by a point. In this case, too, the issue will be in doubt until the final match between Old Boys and Tukapa is decided. RESULTS AT A GLANCE. NORTHERN DIVISION. . -SOUTHERN •DIVISION. Old Boys; 24 v. Inglewood 3. Kaponga 3 v. Hawera 0. Stratford 11 v. Star 3. Opunake 16 v. Waimate 8. Tukapa 16 v. Okato 3. Patea 8 v. Okaiawa 0. Clifton 20 v. Celtic 5. Athletic 19. v. Eltham 0.

IN WINNING MOOD

■ OLD BOYS’ TEAM IN BEST FORM. FAST GAME AGAINST INGLEWOOD. In winning mood from start to finish. Old Boys defeated Inglewood by 24 points to 3 at Pukekura Park. The Old Boys team'played first-class football, a pleasure to watch. Inglewood made a plucky struggle, but as the Old Boys’ team went from good form to better, and from better to best, all Inglewood could do-was anxiously try to keep the ■points as low as possible. Even then, they mounted to a good, round sum. After faltering a little through .overeagerness after the kick-off, Old Boys joined firmly both backs and forwards iii excellent team work. The forwards, led by Drader, Crawford and Luxton, went solidly .through the Inglewood defence in dribbling rushes, and then heeled to the backs. In the backs Mace at first five-eighths showed a nicety of -. judgment and a coolness that let him make several openings. The openings were improved upon as the ball went through the backs and ended in flying . dashes by K*. Fookes and Medley on the wings. At. centre Brown gathered his strength and speed in one or two superb I dashes. Playing the übiquitous type of wing-forward game, S, Fookes divided' his time in battering down the Inglewood attacks and joining iy with .his backs. The Inglewood forwards were beaten in almost every scrum, but Devereaux, Laurence and Danner were dangerous in the loose. The .Inglewood backs were badly hampered by seeing little of the ball. They were better at attacking than defending, though L. Ross • and Maingay rarely missed their men. At full-back Hunt was very good but, on the day, no better than Priar. The game began briskly with the Old Boys forwards eager for chances. Priar lined in Inglewood’s twenty-five, Hunt putting-his toe on the line as he caught the ball. Hunt sent a free kick half the length of the field. The Old Boys backs - opened out smartly, but Galbraith twice tried to beat his man and failed. Optimistically, J. Ross had a shot •. (it. goal from the half-way mark. In Mace kicked across into the i arms of L. Ross. He drop-kicked, and the ball rose perfectly but went just outside the posts.. Drader, Luxton and Crawford dribbled up the field in a dashing rush, and the Old Boys backs tried • to shoot goals from all angles. Almost from his own twenty-five Olson set his backs off. Mace fan round his man and Brown drew the wing. Medley ran 40 yards to Hunt, ran at arid through him, and ■ left fast men straggling • to score in the corner., Crawford’s kick missed. The Inglewood 'centre backs, Maingay and L. Ross, were deadly in their tackling. The Inglewood forwards, Gudgeon, ’• Major and Laurence penned Old Boys on the line and play in the forwards ■ was' fierce. From a scrum again near his .•■-own■..twenty-five. Olson passed to Mace '• im-the blind. Mace stepped round two -.men,-Brown took his pass-arid swerved ■ ofidd'-hly in -past L. Ross and J. Ross, and ;K. -Bookes sprinted ail out .down the lii.ie to score ' between' the . .posts. ■Cravv- ■ ford converted. Crawford followed up a punt 10 yards ahead of anyone else, Olson ran to the open, and then swung a pass to Slyficld on the blind * and K. Fookes crashed over the line at the corner. Crawford’s kick missed. The Old Boys hookers always secured the ball. Again Mace and Brown worked the blind. Brown passed in to Crawford, who kicked high over Hunt’s head. Coming up from the centre of the field Deader gathered in the bounce and scored by rhe posts. Crawford missed an easy one. Th<j half-time score was Old Boys 14, -'xJnglewood nil. game warmed quickly in the second spell. The Inglewood forwards, led by Laurence, Larmor and Devereaux, set nff at a fast pace. Brown and Medley ran away and Hunt took Medley in his arms. Old Boys packed, Maingay hung .■ on to the ball and the Old Boys players were a little free with their feet. At 'the top of his speed Brown made a swift dash through and L. Ross flipped him by ■the ankle. Playing ’brilliant football, Brown and Medley went down one wing; then l S.'.Fookes came • in ■ close to Mace and the whole. line--spread out to the other wing, K. Fookes ending a great run by striking the corner flag. For the first time in the spell’lnglewood hooked. Crossman -ran-and punted; 'arid 'Mrijiigay; Crossman-arid-J. Ross iiiade- Mace‘ carry behind. The Old Boys’■ 'were ■-defrmdi ng for only five minutes before the backs

went away from the twenty-five, the ball going from Galbraith to Brown and then to Medley. With Hunt running across Medley kicked past him, and together S. Fookes, Crawford and Medley raced for the ball over the line. Crawford won and Brown converted. Inglewood came back in a moment and Crossman came round from a scrum, kicked neatly through and N. Ross ran up fast to gather in and score. There was a short pause until Luxton, Slyfield and Drader rushed hard downfield, The ball came out to Olson and Mace ran out, then swerved prettily in to score between the posts. Brown converted. In one of their rare moments the Inglewood backs joined in a run, L. Ross coming through quickly at centre. The whistle blew with the final score: — Old Boys 24 Inglewood 3 Mr. J. S. King refereed.