RUGBY OPENING

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1934, Page 10

RUGBY OPENING

SEVEN-A-SIDE FOOTBALL CLIFTON WINNER OF SHIELD OKAIAWA WINS HOCKIN CUP BRIGHT GAMES WITNESSED'

Clifton was definitely superior in the final against Okaiawa A at the Kaponga seven-a-side football tournament on SatJ urday, winning the Kaponga Shield prei» iszl br Mr A. O. Casey, gold medals for each member of the team. The Hockin Cup for the runnersuo went to Okaiawa A. Clifton played solid football and won by good logins in, all games except against Staffordlm the second round, when Stratfordm a good showing and was beaten by only tW The° weather. was excellent and the games were watched by a large crow . Perhaps not attaining the brilliancy former years, when outside teams participated, the games produced good open football and the display promises well for Rugby in Taranaki thus seawn. Seventeen teams were drawn j ind an elimination round was played to . make the ■ succeeding rounds even.. B, however, did not arrive and Patea was given a bye in the first r °und. In presenting the trophies Mr. C. F. Crowley, president of the Kaponga Atn- ' letic Club, said he considered the standard of football was equal to that or , former years. He paid tribute to the excellent service rendered by the re ferees, Messrs. L. A. Wells, K. McNae, F. Gamer, D. O’Sullivan and R. Bowman. A. Collins, captam of the Chiton team, and R. Clarke, captain of the Okaiawa team, also spoke. In the tournament Clifton scored 5 pointsOkaiawa A 37, Statford Star 26, Eltham 23, and Opunake A and Kaponga Al 6 each. Collins gained premier place as a scorer, securing 30 points for the day, including nine goals and four tries. Simonsen scored three tries, Niwa two and VVilson and Olsen one each. The teams were:— > c . Clifton: G. Fowler, F. Olsen, R. Simonsen, Potaka, A. Collins (captam), S. WilR. Clarice (captain), A. Preston, T. Guy, S. Cleaver, D. McCallum, Wards, C. Blair. Eltham: L. White, F. Maslrn, Ray Burke, E. Townsend, M. Paterson, E. Smith, H. Worthington. Kaponga A: H. Gardner, M. Sutton, D. Waßter, R. Cuff, Wetton, C. Paterson, S. Williams. ~ , • Kaponga B: G. Williams, M. Jenkins, Arnold, Hall, G. Cuff, Divehall, Eynon. Statford: Ross, Taylor, Hinton, Berg, Porter, Fastier, Lash. . Waimate: C. Whalen, M. Burke, R. Gulliver, F. Dick, C. Bourke, I. Mc-Donald,-Rei. Star: Sampson, McLeod, C. Kinsella, Carter, J. Kinsella, Wilkins, Aubrey. . Opunake’ Ramblers: C. Hohaia, -G. Murfitt, P. Murphy, D. Murphy, Heibner, R. Hohaia, D. Taylor. Opunake A: M. Bradley, B. O Shannessey, F. Langton, R. Malcolm, L. Dobbin, J. Malcolm, W. Spence. Patea: L. Edwards, P. Bourke, K. Bourke, E. Oakley, M. Gardiner, C. Hunt, D. Paterson. z Empire Old Boys A: S. Garvey, E. Smith, W. Dymond, C. Dowdle, E. Lee, W. White, E. Fleet. Empire Old Boys B: W. J. Thomas, • L. Kerrisk, R. Campbell, J. Loader, J. Campbell, R. Smith, J. Herbert. Hawera: O. Brown, J. Harrington, G. McDonald, C. Hammond, L. Holloway, H. Butchart, A. Clements. . Okaiawa B: T. Robinson, G. Ngaia, T. Toro, Kara, Tito, Awahou, R. Ruru. Okaiawa C: Collins, Thomas, Wallis, D. Blair, A. Guy, Toro, Ormond. ‘Previous winners of the shield were: 1921 Kaponga, 1922 Petone, 1923 Joll, 1924 Kaponga, 1925 Tukapa, 1926 Napier, 1927 Star, 1928 Carterton and Kaponga a draw, 1929 and 1930 Masterton, 1931 and 1932 Athletic, 1933 Star. The cup winners have been: 1927 Kaponga, 1928 Carterton and Kaponga a . draw, 1930 Tukapa, 1931 Old Boys, 1932 Te Puke, 1933 Kaponga. The details of play are:—

ELIMINATION ROUND. Stratford 10 v. Kaponga B 3. Porter scored and Ross converted within two minutes. An easy try came to Hinton, Ross converting in the first spell. Kaponga put up an attack and Divehall scored at the comer, but Hall failed to convert.

FIRST ROUND. Opunake A 3 v. Waimate 0. Opunake took possession of the early stages, Waimate giving a poor exhibition of defence and Opunake missed a score by a knock-on at the posts. Inferior play by Waimate gave Opunake many chances in front of the posts but Opunake was -unable to score until Spence crossed on half-time. The kick missed. There was no score in the second spell.

Okaiawa A 9 v. Empire Old Boys 0. T. Guy scored first but Clarke failed to add. Okaiawa made, a slashing run and play became fast and open. Guy sent to C. Blair, who made a swift run to score at the corner. Clarke missed. McCallum made an easy run to score in front of the posts, but Guy’s kick missed.

Star 20 v. Hawera 5. Star lost chances in open play but Carter eventually scored and Sampson converted. Splendid combination was shown by Star and C. Kinsella scored between the posts, Sampson converting. J. Kinsella made a breakaway and scored without much opposition, Sampson again converting. Hawera attacked, Butchart scoring. McDonald converted with a splendid kick. J. Kinsella again scored in front of the posts for Sampson to convert.

' Clifton 20 v. Empire Old Boys B 0. Clifton had an easy victory over Old Boys B and it was a succession of scores and converted goals. Simonson scored the first try, Wilson the second,' and Collins the next two. Collins converted all four.

Kaponga A 13 v. Okaiawa B 0. R. Cuff made the first score for Kaponga and C. Paterson converted. In the second spell Williams made a good opening, transferred to Gardner and after splendid combination Williams again received to score. Paterson missed. Paterson soon had an opening and ran through, scoring between the posts. Williams converted. Eltham 13 v. Okaiawa C 0.

A bright game was seen between Eltham And Okaiawa C. Maslin sent to Townsend and on to Smith, who made a great run, passing back to Townsend, who scored. Burke’s kick, failed. Smith and Paterson combined in splendid passing, the ball returning to Smith for a pretty try. Burke converted. Townsend opened and handed to White to complete. Paterson converted. Stratford 13 v. Opunake Ramblers 3. ‘ Good open play was seen in this match, Taylor opening with a try. which Ross converted. After speculative passing Ross scored missed Jhe kick.

Poor play by P. Murphy enabled Stratford to break in and Porter scored, Ross converting.

SECOND ROUND. Okaiawa A 15 v. Star 6. Okaiawa A easily defeated Star (last year’s winners) and compiled a score in good style. From the outset Okaiawa had possession of the game and Stars fast men failed to get the ball as they did in the previous game. Okaiawa hammered hard on the line, and C. Blair went round and scored behind the posts. T. Guy converted. Star replied with a splendid passing run and J. Kinsella made, a spectacular sprint to cross at the corner. Sampson’s kick failed. After some fast open play Cleaver scored and Clarke added the points. Preston made the next score, Clarke converting. Carter scored but the kick was not taken, the bell sounding.

Opunake A 3 v. Patea 0. The game was hard-fought, both teams playing an even game. The only score was when J. Malcolm ran down the side-line to score at the corner. The kick missed. Many good runs were seen in the second spell and several hard scrambles took place but at no stage was a score imminent. Eltham 5 v. Kaponga A 3.

A keen contest was seen and play was at times sparkhng.bothteamskicking and passing well. M. kicked to the posts, Smitlj fol^2? g V? to score. M. Paterson converted. C. Paterson kicked a magnificent goal from five yards inside half-way against the breeze and there was no further score. Clifton 8 v. Stratford 6.

Until Collins converted Clifton’s second try the issue was doubtful, both teams having played an even game right to the end. Berg was the first to score, but Ross’ kick missed. Simonsen .followed with a try at the corner snatched unexpectedly from a scramble, hut the kick failed. In the second spell Ross was soon over the line. His kick missed. Finally Collins scored and added the two winning points.

SEMI-FINAL. Okaiawa A 13 v. Opunake A 16. The first draw of the day was in the game between Opunake A and Okaiawa A, both teams scoring ten points. The opening play . was largely a series of scrambles in mid-field. From a line-out Opunake staged brisk passing but Okaiawa smothered the final transfer. Wards secured and scored for Clarke to add the points. Opunake held play in Okaiawa’s 25 and after a scramble 3pence went over ’near the posts. Dobbin converted, levelling the scores at half-time. Clarke sent play to the centre, GUy racing along the line to be pushed out at the corner. Tight play ensued in the corner and Clarke’s persistence was rewarded by a good try which he converted. Opunake followed the kick-out to be awarded a penalty at the twenty-five, J. Malcolm just failing with a poster. J. Malcolm scored as the result of a good passing movement opened by Spence and continued by Bradley, O’Shannessy and J. Malcolm. Malcolm added two points with his kick. There was no score in the first three-minutes extra spell, but Wards scored after the change over. Clifton 10 v. Eltham 5.

Clifton was robbed of a try when Simonsen shot down to the comer to fall as he was about to cross the line. Eltham packed round and stemmed the rush which followed by forcing. However, Niwa took advantage of a loose scramble and broke away to store without much opposition. Collins converted. After the change over Clifton worked to the line, Olsen getting across. Collins converted. It was Eltham’s turn for a forward move and after Burke, Townsend and Worthington had made progress up field' M. Paterson scored and converted.

FINAL. Clifton 13 v. Okaiawa A 0. Clifton immediately took the attack and pressed Okaiawa until Guy relieved by a speculative kick. Finding the line at Clifton’s 25 Okaiawa made a series of rallies, Cleaver performing .smart work. Another onslaught was launched against Okaiawa’s line but Blair cleared. Following a line-out Preston sent the ball away and gave greater relief but Niwa and Potaka made a splendid combined dash and were nearly over. Okaiawa was in difficulties, the solid football of the Clifton men giving the defenders a worrying time. The forwards made a forceful opening and Potaka was enabled to send a good pass to Niwa, who scored. Collins missed.

In the second spell Jones replaced Niwa, who had received a knock in the first spell. Jones and Potaka displayed splendid work together but their movement was ended by a knock-on. Cleaver showed up prominently in sorties but an opening turned up and Simonsen, who had .been playing a nippy game, snatched up and dashed across near, the posts. Collins converted. The next try was scored by Collins from a piece of remarkable play opened up by Fowler and Olsen and carried on by Wilson, who kicked and put Collins into position to complete the movement. Collins added a goal to his splendid try. Fast open play followed and it was apparent that Okaiawa was definitely outclassed. Clifton was about to cross the line again but Wards made a smart cut in and cleared on the goal line.

NEW PLYMOUTH TEAM WINS EASY DEFEAT OF WANGANUI. 22-10 VICTORY IN OLD BOYS MATCH The Rugby football season opened at New Plymouth on Saturday, when New Plymouth Old Boys’ Club defeated a Wanganui Old Boys’, team by 22 points to 10 on the Western Park ground. The match attended by several hundred, was rather disappointing from a spectators’ point of view, and was characterised by long periods of uninterprising and ragged play on the part of both teams. However, the football seen was of an exceptionally clean and friendly quality, and enlivened here and there by really brilliant tactical movements, particularly in the back divisions.

The weather was perfect, though a trifle warm for men who had lost football condition during the summer. The ground was excellent and hardly justified the extreme caution with which players were inclined to treat the opportunities of low tackling in the open. The match was an alternation of fast work in the open, usually spoilt by indifferent handling, and periods of dull if conscientious forward play. The teams were:—

New Plymouth: Full-back, Clifford Jones; three-quarters, Ford, Rutherford, Nash; five-eighths, K. Fookes and B. Mace; half, Olsen; forwards, S. Fookes, Hamilton, Birch, Evans, J. Mace, Luxton, McLean and Clark. Wanganui: Full-back, Stroud; threequarters, Beadle, Bullock-Douglas, Polson; five-eighths, Gibson ano* Chamberlain; half, Hunter; forwards, Pleasants, McLean, Higgie, Mclntyre, McGregor, Hore, Clay and Neilson. Wanganui kicked off, but the New Plymouth forwards kept the ball in close bounds for five minutes, until a kick awarded against Wanganui was well cleared and the pressure was relieved. ■The. ball again went back to the forwards but almost immediately Polson scored for Wanganui after an enterpris-

jng, fast dash which left the home threequarters standing. Bullock-Douglas, the New Zealand representative, converted. Stimulated from the apathy which had characterised them in the first ten minutes of the match, the New Plymouth backs made a determined effort to keep th* ball in the open, but Rutherford mis--handled after a good run and there followed a period of back play in which the almost montonous mishandling of the New Plymouth men spoilt more than one extremely promising movement. Although attacking with considerable dash, the home men were, until now, almost constantly the worse off in exchanges with the Wanganui backs. On both of two occasions in which Wanganui broke through Clifford-Jones saved well by kicking into touch. Once, when the home three-quarters broke well away from the scrum and seemed certain to score, a poor pass from K. Fookes was smartly intercepted by a Wanganui forward and the ball again went to midfield. Fookes, who was not yet. warmed up, broke through almost immediately afterwards, but once more poor handling spoilt the chance of scoring. The New Plymouth backs were at last making a determined effort and began to show the superiority which was evident in the later stages of the match; yet at this stage unskilful passing ruined movement after movement monotonously. A penalty kick opened New Plymouth’s account. Rutherford kicked the goal from just outside the 25 yard mark. Good work from an involved forward movement resulted in Ford scoring in the comer after an oblique run across the field. Rutherford found the angle too great. . At this stage Wanganui was non-pluss-ed by the spurt of enterprise in the play of the home team. The backs particularly were putting dash into their play. After a swerving run from a movement begun in the forwards, Mace broke through the Wanganui halves and threeqparters and passed to S. Fookes less than five yards from the line. Fookes scored before the Wanganui defence had recovered from its surprise. Rutherford converted. New Plymouth’s run of scoring resulted from bright, well-conceived movements, which would not have seemed so bright if the Wanganui defence had not lacked solidity and purpose. There followed a period of unenterprise in which the fact that the defence lines of both teams were unwilling to go low was only too pronounced. New Plymouth began to show a marked superiority over the slightly lighter team. Ford again started short passing tactics which resulted in Mace scoring far out on the line after several spectacular runs. Rutherford failed with the kick, but the threequarter line was into action immediately. On half time K. Fookes was nearly over, but failed to pass at the critical moment. New Plymouth 14, Wanganui 5. At half-time Donaldson replaced K. Fookes and Pankhurst replaced Hamilton in the New Plymouth team. Birch was shortly afterwards forced to leave the field as the result of an injury and Hamilton came on again. The New Plymouth back returned to play full of enterprise. Bullock-Douglas, who was playing a characteristically solid game, brought down Rutherford, but Ford took a low pass, cleanly and scored in the corner. Rutherford again failed. The Wanganui backs made a determined individual movement by BullockDouglas and Clay was nearly successful but a knock-on spoiled the effort and although McGregor, Higgins and Douglas broke through the forwards soon afterwards New Plymouth forced. Wanganui forwards were fighting hard and endeavouring to get the ball, into the open. Clifford-Jones was playing, a solid defensive game, and more than once cleared by well judged kicking into touch. The Wanganui spurt ended and the New Plymouth forwards nearly forced the ball over the line. K. Fookes made a good run which came to nothing but he scored almost immediately afterwards. Rutherford converted. Wanganui came back with a rush and Mclntyre bustled over before the New Plymouth backs woke up. Heartened by the first score since the early stages of the match, Wanganui attacked forcefully and brighter football was seen at this stage of the match than any other. The change of fortunes was remarkably fast, but dour defence by both sides prevented scoring. The play slowed down again and bad passing was again in evidence. Nash, the Nelson representative, who will play football in Taranaki this season, had not been impressive so far and lost at least one opportunity of scoring by holding to the ball too long. Condition told in the later stages. The were getting too much work and discharging it only indifferently. As a final spurt Polson, Higgie and Douglas made a fine run from over half-way but lost the ball a few yards from the fine. Clifford-Jones, whose saves had been consistently accurate throughout the match, forced. The match ended with the score: New Plymouth 22 Wanganui . TARIKI TEN-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT. Two Tariki teams for the ten-a-side Rugby football tournament to-day (Easter Monday) at Tariki will be picked from the following players: A. Mcßoberts, Corlett (3), I. McCullum, R. Loveridge, L. Duncan, M. Kilsby, W. Young, F. Woodward, G. Goodwin, D. Evans, Knowles, Rumball (2)., L. Dombroski, A. Mahon, Cowley, Huzziff (3), D Hogan, B. Harkness.