SOUTH TARANAKI GAMES

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1932, Page 4

SOUTH TARANAKI GAMES

OKAIAWA DEFEAT OPUNAKE FORWARDS ENLIVEN DULL GAME. OKAIAWA. PACK SAVES THE BACKS. Saved only from mediocrity by a fine display by the forwards, Okaiawa scarcely merited' their 19 point margin over Opunake. The game was uninspiring, with the Opunake backs seldom seeing the ball and the Okaiawa backs throwing away'their chances. The football .was not so much bad as it was dull, little incident enlivening play except when the Okaiawa pack came away in a solid phalanx or th© Opuriake forwards in loose formation cut into the defence. The Okaiawa rearguard did their best to make play bright but were off form. The teams were:

Okaiawa: Murdoch; Rangiruru, Ngaia, D. McCallum; Johnston, ’ T.,' Robinson; Edwards; E. McCallum,' Seott, Guy; Dee, Awahou, Preston, W. Robinson, I. Crawford. . ’ t-■ ' '

Gpunake: A’ Richards; R. Malcolm, : Humphries, Macks; Harvey, Langton, Casey;, Taylor; ,J. Lusk, M. Dudley, G Murfitt, R. Lusk; D.'Tito, Grech, ’Riley. J s Although, beaten for the ball in the ■ scrums Okaiawa dominated early play, but Edwards and T. Robinson were not combining well. A high kick caught Okaiawa with the. sun in their eyes, so that the defence was temporarily caught off its guard, a bunch of Opunake forwards going to the line. Okaiawa were off-side within easy range but Richards could not goal. ' From a line-out W Robinson threw the ball to Johnston.', who sent on to Ngaia and thence to D. McCallum, the winger making a great run to fend off four tacklers ’ and score in the corner. Crawford missed with the kick. Edwards broke round the scrum to go right through before sending T. Robinson and Ngaia away The latter would have scored but Ed‘ wards’ pass was (ruled forward. From a five-yards scrum Edwards worked theblind, Rangiruru being thrown into touch-in-goal. Opunake made several determined attacks which were halted By infringements. The best movement of the .match came when the Okaiawa pack broke from a line-put with ball at toe, picked it up and exchanged a few short passes for Crawford to score. Ngaia riiissed with the kick. The Okaiawa backs had a run early in the second half, but Richards smothered D. McCallum well. Opunake were developing a back attack when Crawford intercepted. He passed to W. Robinson, and though possession was lost Guy fell on the ball and scored. Ngaia kicked a fine goal from the side-line. J. Lusk and Dudley led an Opunake foray, but the pack set up a smashing counter-attack to regain the lost ground. T. Robinson went back to full-1 -ck and Murdoch'“to five-eighths. He marked the change with a great cutin but spoilt it with a forward pass. Opunake brightened and the forwards, led by the Lusks, gave Okaiawa some anxious moments. There was no result, however.. Then the Okaiawa forwards advanced to the line. After several scrums Awahou took the ball from Casey and scored. .Ngaia missed with the kick. Almost immediately the Okaiawa backsfunctioned like' a machine for - Rangiruru to go over wide out. Crawford kicked a fine goal. Okaiawa . 19 . Opunake 0 Mr. A. Spratt refereed. PATEA WIN BY 32 TO 12 ELTHAM EASILY BEATEN. ■ FAST SCORING TOWARDS END. Patea easily defeated Eltham by 32 points to: 12.- In the first, spell Patea were unable to. get going properly and at half-time it appeared that the game might end fairly evenly, but in the second half Patea 1 struck better form, and their- backs worked, in good style and put on points like an adding, machine. Neither team played really good football and at no stage were Patea really extended. Elthamis rearguard played a scrappy game rind had as fullback Martin, who is more at home in the forwards.. The forwar; played fairly vigorously, especially White, who was continually in the van. Burke, wing three-quarter, also went well and was responsible for a wonderful field goal. Patea were without the services of two good backs, Peterson and Crawford, and their team was disarranged in consequence. The forwards were not as •aggressive as was expected of them, but their backs, although below best form, made some bright passes and openings in the second spell. Eltham’s defence

jvafi dull and this largely accounted for Batea’s big tally. The teams, Vere:— Patea: Richards; Paterson, Edwards, Crotty; Adams, Bourke; Gudgeon; Crawford, McTaggart;. Wills,. Bremer, Hamblyn, Couch,- Robinson, Baldwin. : Eltham: F. Martin; Burke,-Hughes, Prince; R. Bocock, Barker; Kennedy; Potts, Elliott, While, Gernhoefer, ■ A; Phillips, 'Campbell, F. Bo jock, W. (Gower/ .

; A free kick enabled ’P. Bourke to kick a penalty- goal after five minutes of the kick-,off: Hughes missed a penalty shot for Eltham, but a little later iR. Burke drop-kicked a wonderful goal and this gave Eltham a lead of one point. -From a scrummage Bourke sent .to Adams, who scored. Bourke' missed 'with the kick. Eltham made a good ■•opening run, White and others partici-. ■pating, Edwards saving, Edwards scored -after dashing in to receive from Adams.(Bourke added the goal. As finale to Eltham’s series of spirited attacks R. Bocock dashed over from a loose scramble. Hughes converted the try. Although Eltham’s attacks could scarcely be called strong Patea’s defence was weak at this period and "at half-time th© score was close: Patea 11, Eltham 9. Eltham were somewhat worried but on many occasions intercepted neatly., Adams scored at the posts after Gudgeon, Bourke and Adams had handled in a good run. Bourke added th© con- • 'version points. Following a line-out Wills scored, Edwards missing with th© kick. With aboiit 15 minutes to go Patea began .to wake and added 13" 'points to their score. Edwards scored at th© corner after Richards; Paterson and Adams had combined well. Bourke Converted. Burk© led’ a rattling rush down the line, compelling Patea to carry over. Patea retaliated and Edwards scored after eplendid combined work with Paterson and Richards. _ Bourke again converted- R. Bocock picked up the ball from, the loose and passed to Hughes. Hughes, had cut in with all Patea off-side and made a clear run home to sebre between the posts., Hughes missed with an easy kick. In ■ the final few minutes Patea made several good back attacks but'without, result until from a loos© serum .Edwards secured and passed to Crotty, who scored. Bourke failed to goal and the game ended: • !' Patea ■ 32 i Eltham- .......... 1....... ' 12;;/ Mr. L. H. Clapham refereed. , ,

HAWERA HOLD EARLY LEAD WATMATE LOSE BY A POINT. -. PATCHY GAME AT HAWERA. After a game that was bright at the beginning, slow from then until the last fifteen minutes and then thrilling, Hawera just maintained an early lead rigainst Waimate at the.Hawera grounds to win by 14 points to 13. Both sets of backs were eager to throw the: ball about and there was. some fine concerted play. The . two packs battled vigorously for the greater part of the game and. the horiours were about even. The teams were: Hawera: Whareatu; • Ekdahl, Hammond, Holloway; Brown, Hunter; West; Clement,. Burkhart, Beauchamp; A. Cameron, M. and B, Murphy, Rangiwahia; Gibson. ( -Waimate: King; Hill, Rei, Mercer; Whalen, Hickey; Paterson; Henry, Rua-, kere,' Murfitt; C. Burke, Jones, M. Bourke, Hansen; Te Tamu. i Waimate carried play to Hawera’s twenty-five, Paterson sending a good pass to Hickey, only for Whalen to miss the exchange as he came in fast. ' The Waitaate forwards carried on to the line but A. Cameron and Beauchamp came through for M, Murphy to break through to half-way. Waimate again stormed the line and Mercer dived over with three men on him, a scrum ensuing. From an attack in the corner Paterson swung Hickey a long pass, but th© exchange was too low for Whalen and Hawera cleared. Loose rushes began to carry the Hawera forwards through., Then Brown raced down the line to send on to Holloway, who was thrown into touch after a good run. Paterson, Hickey and Whalen’ swung into line but Hunter swept in and collared Whalen with th©’ ball., West. sent Hunter _ and Brown away, Hammond cuttirig in; well and Mercer tackled him. Hawera broke through from a scrum and Clement snapped up to,dive over, Hunter missing with the kick.' After scrambling play the Jia- . wera forwards, came through again, and ' Rangiwahia crossed the line, but missed the ball.’Gibson touched down. Ekdahl. t goaled, Whareatu ran up. and sent Holloway sprinting for the line. A moiment later. Holloway hurled himself over , (but fouled th© corner flag and Waimate (relieved.- ' I After the spell Brown passed to Ek- ■ dahl, who brushed aside tackle after tackle in a great run, his pass being lost infield. West, Hunter and Brown handled but Hammond’s pass was too • low. Brown, coming round behind, snapIped up and raced across for a good try.

Ekdahl could not convert. Hunter initiated a fast run which travelled along the line, Hammond receiving again from. Ekdahl. With an open field in front West could not reach the pass. Holloway on tho other wing came in with a. run to burst through, but he fell almost on the line. Bourke, Murfitt and Henry cleared witb the ball at toe. Frqm a line-out M. Bourke gathered in to race through the defence arid score near the posts. Whalen converted. West had Hunter on. the run in’a moment and Brown drew‘the Waimate backs to cut into the open; but,\M. Bourke knocked the ball out- of his hands. Out came the ball from West, ’and Hammond received from his line to score near the : posts. .Ekdahl failed to. convert. The Murphys, Beauchamp and Cameron drib-; hied half the length of the field before King checked them. Waimate,came back' (with vigour but ’injuries were slowing the game. Whalen kicked up in a loos©! scramble on Hawera’s twenty-five, feinted and tore through in a straight run to score a fine try which he converted. Paterson secured the ball in midfield and Hickey dashed towards the corner to send on to Hill, who forced his way over to score. Whalen narrowly missed with the long kick that would have won the game. Hawera 14 Waimate ............. 13 Mr. J. Fittall was tho referee. ( KAPONGA’S SMALL MARGIN i ATHLETIC UNLUCKY TO LOOSE. ' -BETTER SECOND SPELL DISPLAY. ’ ' Athletic were unlucky -to ’lose- to Kaponga at Kaponga by 8 poiiits (twfri tries, oneconverted) (to 3 (a penalty goal).; All the scoring was done in the first spell, in which both teams staged a rather mediocre exhibition,. ■ with the honours in favour of Kaponga's forwards, . Athletic having to contend with wind, sun. and the slope of the (ground. Athletic played- like a different team’ in the second spell. : The backs outshone Kaponga’s ■ rearguard arid the 1 forwards were by very, little shaded (by, the heavier Kaponga pack. It was. regrettable that the game was marred by roughness ‘ rind unnecessarily heavy. dumpihg on the' part of several; Kaponga players.

Th© teams'were:-— ■ ■ Athletic: Ttiki; " Cairncr oss, Bly th, McLean, Dowdle, Morrissey;. Dymond; Ingram; Baldwin, Barron, Gar vie, Malcolm, McCalman, Willcocks, Nolan. Kaponga: Williams; C. Paterson, Ormiston, Hall; C. Hohaia, Whrilen; R. Guff; G. Cuff; B. Gargan, Gardner, D. Murphy, Sullivan, P. Murphy, F. Gargan, Sutton.

Kaponga early had Athletic on the defensive G... Cuff■■ and F. Gargan going through determinedly, and Morrissey kicking th© ball from almost under Gargan’s hands as he endeavoured to. touchdown. Thereafter.play swung to halfway, but Kaponga’s forwards again hammered hard, severely testing Athletic’s defence. A determined forward, rush was followed by good handling by Athletic’s backs, transferring play to Kaponga’s line. Athletic’s backs were dangerous again, offside play by Whalen giving Morrissey a chanco and he kicked a penalty goal. Again play swung into Athletic territory, wind and sun giving Kaponga the advantage. Though Kaponga received more of the ball from scrums and line-outs, Athletic’s backs were handling better. Kaponga scored when G. Cuff kicked through from scrambling play in a line-out and follow-, ed up to ground in a good position. Williams converted. Ingram ■ was hurt and Tippett replaced him.. Give and take play followed in a scramble near the Athletic line the ball touched the referee, but he allowed, play to go on, and D. Murphy, with Athletic undecided, dived across. Williams did not convert th© try. Neither side had much advantage in the remainder of the spell, but Athletic made efforts to increase their, .score from unsuccessful shots by Morrissey from a penalty and Blyth from a mark.

Kaponga’s forwards opened the second spell with a couple of vigorous attacks, Blyth and Tuki being prominent, in« clearing. Dymond set off from a scrum, with Morrissey and McLean in support.. The latter went to Williams at Kaponga’s 25 before G. Cuff rctupied play to half-way. Twice again Athletic were away, the second, rally resulting in Kaponga’s forcing. Dymond, with more of the ball, had his backs harassing Kaponga and play opened appreciably with Athletic’s bricks in . the ascendancy. A forward pass in-a good position ended a determined Kaponga brick rush arid play swung to midfield. Paterson fielded a cross-kick from Morrissey and made a good run before throwing a long forward pass. Dymond sent his backs away on the best back rush of the day, all handling until the movement brake down near the corner and Kaponga forced. Athletic kept up th© pressure,

th© forwards overrunning Kaponga, who staged a last-minute recovery which kept Athletic from increasing their tally, the game ending: Kaponga >.. 1-.. •.••8 Athletic I-.-.-........ 3 Mr. : L.' Wells was th® referee. LOWER MATCHES. Northeim First Juniors. j Tukapa fl v. r Star 3. . . . • Clifton 8 y. Okato 5. ’ (. - . Third. Grade. ; Urenui 9 V. Okato 3. Tukapa 29 v. Clifton 4. i School A .10 v. Old Boys nil. Star 6 v. School B nil. .( • Fourths. ; ■ School A 6 v. Tukapa; 3. Star 20 v. School C nil. . . - Fifths. • School A 3 v. Tukapa nil. . Star. 6 v. School C 3. ■ A decision is rapidly being.reached, in the northern first junior .competition. Two of the four teams wlio tied'at the close of the-second, round were eliminated on Saturday, -Star being defeated by Tukapa by .6 to 3 and. Okato by Cliftrin by 8 to's, Th’© match between iCliftbn and. Tukapa at Waitara next Week will'be the deciding one. 1 .In the third.grtde Tukapa had another pasy win over Clifton and are leading Star by two points. ■ / i , In the. fourth grad© School A defeated Tukapa by 8 to 3. .Each.' team, scored a try but a penalty goal gave the advantage to Scfieol. ' iyith two more matches to play Star, who easily defeated School C, have a three point lead. ' In the fifth grad© the two leading teams met and School A defeated Tukapa by 3 points to nil. The grime was practically' a forward one in which School had the slightest advantage. The points • scored -by School- represent a penalty , goal kicked by Anstis. That practically decides the championship in the 'division, - as with two niatches to play School A ' have a two-pbint’ lead over Tukapa. Star defeated School C by 6 to 3. SOUTHERN JUNIORS. Patea 14 v. Rahotu nil. Opunake beat Okaiawa by default. ! Waimate beat Hawera by default. Athletic beat Kaponga by default. • Third Grade. Hawera 3 v. Patea nil. In a non-Competition fourth grade matefi Okaiawa beat Kaponga by 8 to ff. ' ' ' 1 ‘ ' P The southern third grade competition was decided when Hawera defeated Patea’ iri the final’ at Patea by 6 to nil. The game was far from spectacular, although there was no relaxing of eagerness on either side, despite falling rain ajid a greasy ball. Play was brightened by Hawera’s forward combination m persistent attack, and 'the Patea goal was often ip jeopardy. Berry, Clapham arid Lendrum were conspicuous in defence and attack. Oakley pud- Cousins were hard wdrkers with plenty of dash for the southern team.- No distinction could be made between, either side, and for a long while' it= looked as if a pointless draw would result. The game was distinguished by the number of temporary injuries, the game being held; up more’ than a dozen times while assistance was given. 1 THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS. SENIOR COMPETITION.

Northern Division. Point*

•Stratfprd and Star have yet to meet, their match at Stratford being abandoned owing to the weather. Southern Division.

•Okaiawa defeated Opunake but lost the match on a protest. LOWER GRADE TABLES. NORTHERN DIVISION.

| INGLEWOOD’S VISIT TO TAIHAPE. HOME. TEAM DEFEATED 11 TO S.. The Inglewood, senior Rugby team defeated Taihape at Taihape on Saturday by 14 points to eight. For Inglewood Eaves scored two tries whiph were unconverted and Hunt scored & try which he converted. The team, / which thoroughly enjoyed the g?me, returned home yesterday.

P. w. I). L. for ag. Oh. Tukapa ..,.. 12 9 0 3 153 69 18 *10 7 2 1 151 76 16 Stratford .... *10 7 2 1 108 63 16 Old Boys .... 11 4 1 6 104 147 9 Celtic ■ 11 3 1 7 77 123 7 Inglewood ... 11 3 0 8 59 108 6 Clifton ...... 11 2 0 9 5! 117 4

Okaiawa .... *1310 0 3 252 SI 20 Patea ... .... 13 10 0 3 169 112 20 Kaponga Opunake Waimate .... 13 .... *13 .... 13 9 6 6 1 1 0 3 C 7 186 101 160 84 124 185 19 13 12 Athletic .... 13 4 1 8 108 136 9 Hewera .... 13 4 1 S 106 176 9 Eltham . .... 13 1 0 12 80 264 2

Fir&t Juniors. r - Clifton .. .... *12 9 0 3 137 5$ 18 Tukapa . .... 12 .... 12 9 7 0 0 3 5 149 85 62 86 18 14 Star .... .... 12 7 0 5 163 80 14 Urenui .. .... *io 2 0 8 26 78 4 Old Boys .... *10 0 0 10 25 231 0 •Urenui won from Old Boys by default and Clifton ivor from Urenui by default, Third Grade Tukapa . Star .... Clifton .. .... 9, ..... 9 .... *8 9 8 3 0 0 0 0 127 1 115 5 43 10 44 88 18 16 6 Old Boys Urenui .. Okato ... .... *9 ..... 8 9 3 2 0 0 1 1 6 5 8 52’ 37 29 75 86 100 r 1 •Clifton won from Old Boys by default. Fourth Grade. Star .... ... *10 8. 0 2 85 19 16 Tukapa . School A ... 10 ... io 6 0 1 1 3 3 69 74 35 39 13 13 School B .... 9 3 0 6 39 52 8 School 0' . ... *9 0 0 9 9 131 0 •Star won from School C by default. Fifth Grade School A ... 10 9 0 1 161 17 18 Tukapa . ... 10 8 0 2 200 . 20 16 Star ... io 4 0 6 57 87 8 School B ... 9 2 1 6 48 137 5 School C ... 9 0 1 8 21 226 1