OLD BOYS’ VICTORY

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1935, Page 9

OLD BOYS’ VICTORY

OKATO TEAM DEFEATED. . JOHNS’ MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY. Adapting itself well to conditions not in favour of its usual style of play, the Old Boys junior team, northern division winner, beat Okato, coastal .division winner, in a semi-final match for the Taranaki junior championship. The score was 12 points (two tries and two penalty goals) to 3 (a penalty goal). The ground was very wet, water to a depth of three inches lying in some places. Throughout the game was a struggle between the forwards and hard rucking was the order of the day.' Okato, especially at the beginning of the match, held an advantage in the scrums with superior weight. Its tactics were then to wheel and kick the wet ball hard to disorganise the Old Boys' backs. However, the sure handling and long, accurate kicking of the Old Boys’ fullback, Johns, nullified the effect of the methods adopted. Despite the wet ball he mishandled only once during the game, while at times he picked the ball cleanly out of pools. of water. Judging the tricky wind well, he sent Okato back time after time. He also kicked the two After ft settled. down the Old Boys’ pack, although it did not win as great a number of scrums as Okato, gave the backs chances of which they. took advantage, despite the harrying tactics of Roebuck and Thomas, who broke quickly, often too quickly, and gave Ulenberg at half little peace. However, they found him ready to fall on the ball to check their rushes. He sent his backs away in some good movements, South on the wing proving a strong runner with great determination. Lucas with fewer chances scored a really good try. Elmes was the outstanding forward of the day. In the line-outs, the tight and the loose he played a sterling game. Roper and Richardson were others to stand out in an even pack that worked hard against greater weight. For Okato, Roebuck, Thomas, Lawn and Randrup were the best, but all played a hard game. In the backs McCarty was a half-back with a boot that frequently gained ground. Haskell at first : five-eighth did not have much scope with Old Boys defending well, but he, too, kicked well and was responsible for Okato’s points. Moorby, a strong runner, had little to do on attack as the handling inside him was faulty. A feature of the game was the number of penalty kicks awarded. At the beginning Old Boys were the offenders, but at the end Okato suffered through infringements. The teams were:— Old Boys: Johns; Lucas, Rennie, South; Carroll, Avery; Ulenberg; Roper; Wakelin, Richardson, Crawford, Elmes; Rankhurst, Rogers, Rea. Okato: Hill; Snowdon, Hodge, Bellward; Moorby, Haskell; McCarty; Randrup; Thomas, Goodwin, Goodin, Roebuck; Ashley, Lawn, Tappin, During the first ten minutes Okato’s bustling tactics kept the team on attack until an easy penalty goal by Haskell put Iris side in the lead. Old Boya then began to settle down, hooking the ball against odds. Avery handled well and it was soon evident that the wet ball would not put the Old Boys’ backs out of action. Old Boys quickly went to the attack and was unlucky when Rennie, mistaking the goal line, dived into a pool of water a few yards short with a man outside him. Okato kicked back but Elmes and Roper gained half the length of the field with the ball at toe. When the Old Boys’ backs opened up. South just missed scoring. A minute later Johns goaled with a good kick from , a penalty. The reverse spurred Okato on and Roebuck led a strong rush to the line, but the ground was lost through a penalty. Roebuck was again almost over. Old Boys’ backs were prominent in several good movements in which South made determined efforts to cross, at last being successful after a strong run. Johns missed the kick. Play during the second spell was even, both sides attacking in turn, but Johns sent Okato back and the Okato forwards led by Roebuck, Tappin and Goodin, kept Old Boys in check. Then Lucas fielded an Okato speculator, side-stepped two men at half-way and scored a great try in the corner. Johns failed with the kick. Loose forward rushes by both teams characterised the play. Pankhurst was hurt and replaced by Vestey. Roper gained ground with a fine solo effort. He was obstructed and Johns gave Old Boys three more points from the penalty. Until the end there was little other than hard forward nicking in midfield, during which McCarty injured an ankle and retired. Mr. C. Evans refereed.