SURVIVAL OF CHALLENGE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1934, Page 7

SURVIVAL OF CHALLENGE

RANFURLY SHIELD AT STAKE HAWKES BAY DEFEATS WANGANUI WINNER BEATEN IN THE SCRUMS. WEAKNESS NEEDING ATTENTION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Hastings, Last Night. By defeating Wanganui by 39 points to 16 at Napier to-day Hawkes Bay survived the first challenge made against it for the Ranfurly Shield. The game for the most part was not very interesting from the spectators’ point of view, except that near the end play became very open and ’ the scoring came very fast. Hawkes Bay generally had the better of the play but lost badly in the scrums. Wanganui hooked the ball time and again from set scrums, and it was only the fast-breaking up and persistent following up of the Hawkes Bay forwards that prevented the Wanganui backs from more fully exploiting this advantage. If Hawkes Bay learned a lesson today it was that unless it has a better hooking combination its forwards may not be able to hold in check any fast set of backs well fed from an ascendency in the scriims. The field was hard and that probably accounted for the fact that play was never kept very close. There was a disconcerting cross-wind. Mishandling by the Wanganui defence cost it the first try when Apsey, following up fast, charged down a clearing kick and Scored in the corner. The kick missed. Tire same fault cost Hawkes Bay three points a few minutes later, when Apsey and Vartan were bustled into mistakes and let Wanganui through for Thakambau to score an unconverted try. ’ - C. Smith, the Hawkes Bay winger, scored the next try after an irresistible run down the sideline in which he warded off three would-be tacklers before touching down for an unconverted try. Hawkes Bay went definitely into the ascendency until half-time as a result of tries by Apsey, Ireland and Bradley, one of which Shirreffs converted. At half-time the score was: Hawkes Bay 19, Wanganui 3. From the beginning of the second half both sides began to throw the ball about in both back and forward divisions, and each side was quick to profit from the mistakes of the other. A try to Hawkes Bay would be followed within a space of seconds by one to Wanganui. Scorers in the second half for Hawkes Bay were Gunn, Le Quesne, Miller, Apsey, Smith and Rolls, Shirreffs kicking two conversions. For Wanganui Mclntyre, Chase and Buckley scored tries and Chase kicked two conversions.