RUGBY COMPETITIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1931, Page 10

RUGBY COMPETITIONS

SATURDAY’S PLAY REVIEWED TUKAPA’S DEFEAT OF OLD BOYS. GAME FULL OF EXPERIMENTS. Numerous experiments were made in the Tukapa and Old Boys teams when they met on Saturday. In defeating Old Boys by a margin of two points Tukapa are now equal with their opponents a? the “wooden spoonera” of the northern competition. The game was full of incident, but probably owing to the extensive changes that it was necessary to make in both teams the standard of football was not of the best. In the Tukapa back line Sullivan left his place at wing-forward and went to the central position. His old place was taken by Guy, who played a very fair game in* the position in which he represents the province. Sullivan was the weak link in the Tukapa backs, for there seemed to be scarcely any understn iding between him and Moorhead, who was playing second -fiveeighths. The half, Brown, played one of his best games this season, and at times he was brilliant. Although his backs did not do very much with the ball, it was not for lack of it. The two wingers, Morris and Dickson, had little opportunity to display their prowess in attack. The Tukapa forwards played a good ordinary game, and perhaps Lynch, Hill, Guy and McNeill were the bc?t. The two full-backs, Walker (Tukapa) and Priar (Old Boys) gave sterling displays, but it was curious to mark the differences in their play. Priar with bis powerful kicking and safe handling was a contrast to tValker's rather unconventional methods. AValker occasionally failed to field a ball, but on no occasion did he let his side down. A feature of his play was the manner in which he scurried into oncoming forward rushes. His kicking, though not as powerful as Priar’s was sure. When the game began Old Boys fielded a new back line. Olson was in his usual place at half, and though he did not display Brown’s dash, he was sound. K. Fookes at first five-eighths played a good game. S. Fookes, who was playing outside him, did not appear to be at home in a position so far removed from wing-forward, but there was more cohesion in his play than there was in Sullivan’s —another wing-forward out of place. Morton, the new member of the team, gave a good display and his hard, low tackling was a feature of the game. At half-time he changed places with S. Fookes, but there was no improvement in the combination. Medley, who was on one wing, was evidently not up to his old form, but that was only to be expected after so long an enforced absence. Tiplady was excellent at wing-forward. Among the pack Drader, Perry and Clark were the most prominent. STRATFORD BEAT CELTIC. The game between Stratford and Celtic was not really disappointing, except that Celtic’s great second half rally was not crowned with a try. The ground was too wet for much open play and both teams did better when they contented themselves with forward play. Stratford were definitely superior, though not to the extent of 14 points. Their superiority was a little difficult to define but it lay chiefly in their speed in reacting to fluctuations of play. If a Stratford man broke qwqy he was always supported; if a Celtic man broke away Stratford did not pause in getting back to defend. This was where the advantage lay. Celtic were a little slower to size qp the position. There was some great forward play. Stratford showed slashing loose rqshes but had to vield to Celtic in the tight. It would be difficult to distinguish among the forwards but it must be said that AV alter played as he could be expected to. The batiks of both sides had little to do. Their chief use was in kicking to touch and nursing their forwards. Hamilton was the only one who hqd a chance on attack and he showed really well in his long run to score. CHIEFLY A FORWARD GAME. The weather was not conducive to fast open play in the Athletic v. Eltham match, won by the former team by 11 points to 3. A muddy field qnd a sodden ball prevented good back play, and the game was practically confined, to the forwards. Nevertheless both sets of backs handled fairly often, possibly oftener than they should have, and one of Athletic’s tries was the result of a -back movement which took the ball from the half along the whole backline to the wing threequartcr, Smith, for that player to score. It was a good piece of work. Athletic were the better and held a big territorial advantage, although they would have done better if they had played a more intensive forward game until they were on the Eltham line. As it was, they started several movements on halfway which broke down even before the ball reached the second five-eighth. Gudgeon, at half-back, dispatched the sochfen ball well to his backs, but a kick up-field would often have proved more advantageous. The rest of the backs played fair games but none of them made very great use of the high kick and follow up. The Athletic forwards played a solid game and kept the ball ■well to toe. Palmer, Ritter and Tippett were prominent. Eltham lost points when they failed to secure goals from penalty kicks in the first few minutes of the game, three Athletic infringements giving them opportunities. In the second spell Eltham were on the defence practically throughout and acquitted themselves well in this branch of play, Hughes and Bourke being particularly solid. The rest of the backs handled the ball as well as the conditions would permit. R. and F. Bocock and Trolovc played solid forward games for Eltham. KAPONG’A'S LUCKY WIN. The chief feature of the HaweraKaponga match was the mud. By the time the game was completed it was hard to distinguish the respective colours—both sides were wearing “muddy brown.” The play consisted chiefly of a scries of scrambles, and the slippery state of the ground caused spectators much amusement as the players performed all manner of unusual evolutions. It was not possible to do much scoring under the conditions and Kapouga’s only try was scored under rather lucky circumstances, although it was deserved. . 1 Running and passing were impossible |tactics on the day, and this was early ! realised by Hawma, whose team confined their work mostly to the boot. Kaponga bjicks, on tlic othei hand, on deavoured to pick up, njn and pass and in this thev failed. It was only when the futility of this course became ap--1 parent, that they seriously threatened Hawera, and their only score actually came from a foot rush. The game was a hard one from beginning to end; it was expected that, the teams would be a I fairly even match. Hawera were rather unfortunate in not completing any of

their movements, and in the later stage? they played from the worse end of the ground. As is generally the case with football in the mud, the result might have been either side’s game. INGLEWOOD-CLIFTON DRAW. In the draw, Inglewood versus Clifton, at Inglewood, the good defence of the Inglewood team saved them. Clifton, however, did not have it all their own way, the lighter Inglewood pack standing to the heavy Clifton men well and many times pushing them oil the ball. Clifton’s weight, however, gave them the territorial advantage. Clifton claim that they, scored when Cole made a great dash in the second spell, but it was their own line umpire who put the flag up for treading on the line. The forward rushes headed by both teams were brilliant and gained much ground. Corncy (Inglewood) was the outstanding forward on the field and played brilliantly. Pepprell was also brilliant in heading rushes. At fullback Hunt outshone his opponent, Young. Watson was very fast in breaking away and but for a forward pass would have scored. Both jiacks were evenly matched but in the little back play that there was Clifton were undoubtedly the better. PATEA EFFECT SURPRISE. Although it was anticipated that Paten would make matters interesting for Okaiawa at their second meeting, there was surprise in many parts of the province when it wa sknown that the men from Patca had again conquered the southern leaders. A win for Okaiawa would have placed them in a practically unassailable position on the southern ladder, but with Opunake only a point behind the leaders there is considerable doubt as to the ultimate issue. As was the case with most of Saturday’s games the match, played in a sea of mud caused by the earlier lower grade game and a heavy sfrover eaily in the first, spell, resolved itself into a forward struggle. Tho winning forwards played a better game than their opponents. who failed to finish their work to the extent where it would yield them I points. Patea took advantage of the 1 wind and of their opportunities in, the 1 first spell, and annexed all their points.

Although Okaiawa maintained a territorial advantage in the second spell, they failed to score. RUGBY TEAMS FOR SATURDAY. Urenui.—Juniors v. Clifton, at Urenui at 3 p.m.: Ngatai, Clark, White, Penwarden, Hooper, Dempster, Lake, A. Chard, Sanson, Porter, McLelland, S. Chard, A. Oxenham, Leatherby, Skelton, Jones. Thirds v. Star, at Racecourse, at 1.15: Bicheno, Rattenbury, Herbert, Wiley, Smith, T. Oxenham, Slight, Page, R. Baker, Sheard, Lambert, W. Oxenham, Luxton, Savage, W. Baker, Fraser, Heatley, Pigott, Rogers. CANTERBURY RUGBY TEAM. SELECTION AGAINST SOUTHLAND. By Telecraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, July 22. The Canterbury Rugby team to play Southland is: Backs, Roberts, Hart, Innes, Williams, Oliver, Day, Mullan; forwards, Andrews, Cottrell, Pease, Busch. Thompson, Manchester, Kearney, King.