BEST LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1934, Page 3

BEST LEAGUE FOOTBALL

DEFEAT OF INGLEWOOD UNLUCKY AGAINST TAUPIRI. VISITORS USE OPPORTUNITIES. In the best League football game that has been played in Taranaki since the re-introduction of the code Taupiri, 1933 South Auckland champions and present leaders, defeated Inglewood, which holds a corresponding position in the Taranaki championship, by 26 points to 18 at Inglewood yesterday. The game attracted an attendance of 400. The pace was. fast from start to finish. Unable to press home its advantage, particularly through weakness by the right wing in the closing stages after he had received a knock, Inglewood had to lower its colours to a team which though less fit was able to make every opportunity a winner. The play was of such a nature that it had the spectators in a continual state of excitement. Play opened with spectacular scoring and this was the order throughout, ten tries being scored altogether—six by Taupiri and four by Inglewood. There was not a try scored which was not spectacular and the majority came after electrifying runs for stretches from haff to three-quarters the length of the field. Hunt was outstanding in the Inglewood side while it was Arnold who made the openings and the ground for most of his team’s tries. Cowley was in great form behind the scrum, opening up play and tackling in sure and determined style. All the forwards went well and were a match all along for the Taupiri forwards. Some, ’fine wing three-quarter play came from Hill (Taupiri), while near the line Walt. Tittleton gave some pointers in getting through in a hard position. P. Tittleton at centre was tricky and hard to stop, as his two tries in the final stages showed. R. McDonald when he came on as a replacement for Inglewood put an extra punch into the pack. Though there was a number of stoppages for injuries the game was not rough. It was hard and played at such a pace that the player who stopped a knock was bourid to feel it. The teams were:— Inglewood: Eaves; Surrey, Hunt, Bennett; Arnold, McLaggan; Cowley; Browning, Coles, Yeates, Patterson, Vincent, Hanwright Taupiri: Jackaways; E. Tremain, P. Tittleton, Hill; Walt. Tittleton, Pawson; George; Spencer, Shaw, Will. Tittleton, Paton, Farrell, Kiti. TAUPIRI SCORES EARLY. Taupiri got to work early and when McLaggan threw a wild pass to nowhere Hill came through and with a burst from half-way ran through to score. The kick failed. There was a taste of quality from W. Tittleton, who beat several men. Hunt was tackling in great style and holding up Taupiri back movements. Inglewood, settling down, was right on the line. Taupiri forced. Hanwright received an ear injury and Price replaced him. Cowley, Patterson and then Coles were within inches after forcing through. Eaves took play to the comer. Hill relieved. Surrey received at the end of the line and changed his direction and pace well. He was downed but the ball went loose and Hunt crossed.. Arnold, playing his first game of the season, converted to , put Inglewood ahead. There was a knock-on in the play leading to the try but the referee did not penalise it. Coles was offside when he capped a great kick by Hunt with a touch-down. Taupiri had its first spell near the Inglewood line and when it secured from a scrum W. Tittleton showed the crowd a pretty piece of play by flashing through , to score. George,, converted. Patterson retired with a leg injury and R. McDonald replaced him. First Arnold and then Cowley made electrifying breaks, while McDonald made an auspicious debut when he took a hard ball and sped along the line. Play changed suddenly and Eaves failed to retain possession. There was a scrum on the line but Walt. Tittleton could not work his play a second time. Taupiri came again and Will. Tittleton went through. Jackaways converted. . The whole movement took place after the half-time whistle had sounded and the score was: Taupiri 13, Inglewood 5. Inglewood opened the second spell in winning style. The ball was kicked to Coles, who gave it to Cowley and McLaggan, who cut in, beat the opposing men and passed to Arnold, who put the pace on and made the extra ground. Hunt received from Arnold and Bennett finished off with a great try. The movement covered three-quarters of the field. The try was unconverted. Hill made a 50 yards run and it was only a great piece of luck for Inglewood that Eaves pushed him out. Hunt repeated a similar move. Will. Tittleton was injured in the scramble which followed Hunt’s being tackled and Paton replaced him. Tremain had a clear run for half the field and touched down under the posts. George converted, and the score was: Taupiri 18, Inglewood 8. Inglewood reached the Taupiri comer with an outstanding back rush and made several fighting onslaughts on the line. Paton went off and was replaced by Bradley. McLeod came through when Taupiri hooked on its own line and took the ball from the half to score a great try. ' Arnold converted. Excitement among the spectators was at a great pitch as Inglewood came within an ace of scoring at least three times. Taupiri obtained relief in a force down. Cowley sent out badly from the first scrum but Arnold retrieved, changed direction and again made the opening, this time with the ball at his toes. He kicked to the line, where Coles went through fast and scored outside the posts. Arnold' equalised the scores with the conversion. Hill caught the Inglewood backs out of position almost immediately afterwards and went over half the field, handing to G. Tittleton to score. The Inglewood right wing made no attempt at a tackle. There was then eight minutes to go and Inglewood pressed on the Taupiri line. G. Tittleton in possession went three parts of the field to finish the game with a spectacular run which was in keeping with the high standard of the play all through. Jackaways converted' on the call of time and the game ended: Taupiri 26 Inglewood 18 i Mr. G. H. Hooker refereed.