STAR’S SURPRISE WIN

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1935, Page 4

STAR’S SURPRISE WIN

TUKAPA BEATEN BY 8 TO 6 FORWARDS TOIL CEASELESSLY. SCORELESS SECOND HALF. Springing a surprise, Star beat Tukapa by eight points (two tries, one converted) to six (a try and a penalty goal) at Western Park, New Plymouth, in a mediocre game. Securing a two-point advantage in the first half, chiefly the result of sterling forward play, Star managed to keep its line Intact in the second spell. Both sets of forwards played hard football, Tukapa finding difficulty in coping with the fine loose rushes of the Star pack. Tukapa held the advantage in the tight and gained the ball from the majority of scrums, honours being shared in the line-outs. Maclean and Hammond were always to the fore for Star, while during the concluding stages Sampson, Rutherford and Eva were invaluable. O’Dowda, McNeill and Thomsdn revelled in the loose and Kenny, Carter and Sanger Were s6eh at their best’in the tight for Tukapa. Breaking away smartly the Star forwards nullified Tukapa’s first Spell efforts to confine play to the backs, and it was not until the second half that the - Tukapa hack line really got . going. Even then dropped passes, running across and the subsequent crowding of the wingers prevented the advantage being turned to full account. Boswell has rarely worked harder in an attempt to rally his team than during the concluding stages of this match. Gardinet made some excellent runs.

: The Star backs, starved as they were of the ball, had little opportunity of giving of their best as an attacking force. Adlam and McFarlane were prominent soloists on attack, and the whole line worked soundly on defence. Simpson was sound but was hot up to form. Papps played a solid game at full-back for Tukapa. A feature of the game was the standard of the tackling. While neckhigh tactics were still in evidence there Was much really good collaring.

The teams were:— Tukapa: Papps; Gardiner, J. Sullivan, G. Sullivan; Wallace, Brawn; Boswell; Thomsdn, R. Knott; Sanger, McNeill, O’Dowda; Kenny, Carter, T. Sullivan.

Star: Simpson; Nielson, Kinsella, Taylor; McFarlane, Adlam; C. Kinsella; Whit- 3 taker, Signal; McLean, Willcox, Eva; Sampson, Rutherford, Hammond. A spirited dash by Gardiner opened the scoring for Tukapa. Eva kicked the ball into Brown’s hands and he sent the backs into action. The inside men running across made little ground, but Gar r diner galloped round Taylor and brushing, aside would-be tacklers scored in the corner after a 30 yards dash, Tire kick failed.

Carrying all before them the Star forwards charged down upon the Tukapa line, where a Series of furious onslaughts followed. Hammond gained possession of the ball from the loose and dashed for the line. Tackled, he sent a pass from the ground to Eva, who zigzagged through the remaining defence to score under the posts. The kick failed. Tukapa initiated a back movement in its own twenty-five, Challenged, J. Sullivan hesitated before sending a slow pass to G. Sullivan. Seizing the Opportunity Neilson intercepted the pass cleverly, and evading Fapps scored under the posts. Eva converted. Tukapa retaliated and just before half-time Boswell kicked a fine goal from an angle. Although not of particular merit the second half play ranged from end to end during the earlier part of the spell. Securing the bgll from the majority of scrums Boswell opened up the play St every opportunity. Occasionally the Star forwards launched a tigerish loose rush that terminated. in Tukapa territory, but despite the most frantic efforts Tukapa managed to return to the attack.' Working furiously and displaying solid tackling Star kept its line intact until near the end, when the Star pack rallied and, turning defence into attack, bombarded the Tukapa line for the last five ’minutes of the game. Star 1..... 8 Tukapa 6 Mr. O’Sullivan refereed.