HAWKES BAY MATCH

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1935, Page 9

HAWKES BAY MATCH

RUGBY AT NEW PLYMOUTH BOTH FIELDING STRONG TEAMS. COMBINATION BEING BUILT UP. TARANAKI B AT TAUMARUNUI. The Taranaki Rugby team will be engaged in one of the major matches of its season’s programme at New Plymouth today in the annual game with Hawke’s Bay. The visiting team is playing its third match of a short tour, in which it has beaten Wanganui and lost to Auckland. Hawke’s Bay’s last encounter with Taranaki was at Napier last September when Taranaki challenged for the Ranfurly Shield and was beaten by 23 to 8. The Hawke’s Bay team this year contains many of last year’s players, notably the inside back combination of Clothier, Bradley and Le Quesne. The Taranaki team is not greatly changed either. The teams are;— TARANAKI. Full-back: A. Collins (Clifton). Three-quarters: J. Ford (New Plymouth Old Boys), J. Sullivan (Tukapa), L. Edwards (Patea). Five-eighths: J. Galbraith (New Plymouth Old Boys), G. Sangster (Stratford). ! Half-back: W. Dymond (Hawera). Back row: R. Young (Stratford), O. Brown (Hawera). Middle row: R. O’Dowda (Tukapa), R. L. Clarke (Stratford), G. Harrison (Opunake). Front row: G. Fowler (Clifton), F. Gargan (Kaponga), J. Armstrong (Clifton). Reserves: Forwards, W. Young (Inglewood), L. Petersen (Eltham); backs, J. Kinsella (Star). HAWKE’S BAY. Full-back: J. Vartan. Three-quarters: W. Johnson, A. Webb, Apsey, L. Patchett (one to be omitted). Five-eighths: C. Le Quesne, L. Bradley. Half-back: L. Clothier. Back row: H. Rolls. Middle row: J. O’Brien, I. Collett, P. Smith, M. Millar, Mataira, L. Hannigan (two to be omitted). Front row: L. Fredsburg, T. Ireland, E. Jackson. The Taranaki B team left for Taumarunui last night to play a match against King Country to-day. The teams are:— Taranaki B: Richards (Opunake); A? Pepperell (Opunake), F. Young (Eltham), J. Ross (Stratford); I. Grant (Inglewood), C. Dowdle (Hawera), H. Boswell (Tukapa); E. Devereux (Inglewood), Whittaker (Star), E. Smith (Stratford), Ruakere (Opunake), A. Kofoed (Stratford Old Boys), F. Bocock (Eltham), A. Preston (Okaiawa), G. Kenny (Tukapa). King Country: Simpson (Ruapehu); Phillips (Kawhia), Bathgate (Taumarunui), Howie (Ohura); Barton (Taumarunui), Crossman (Ohura); Simpson (Kaitieke); Bradshaw (Ruapehu), Pickrang, Kawe, Trust, Craig (Maniapoto), Gordon (Ruapehu), Wheeler (Kaitieke). Hawke’s Bay this year has a team which, although for the most part young in years is mainly old in experience, while the fact that the match will be the ninth this season will mean that the players will have a good understanding of each other’s play, writes the Hastings correspondent of the Daily News. The team has had very few changes in the eight games. J. Vartan is a full-back who is now in his fourth season. He is of very solid build which makes it possible for him to stop many forward rushes in daring fashion. E. G. Apsey, while weighing only list, is a valuable winger. Possessing a fast and tricky run, he is a difficult man to catch if given any room at all. He cross-kicks well when the occasion warrants such a move. His defence is excellent. Patchett will most likely be on the other wing, although he has not played on the tour so far. He took C. Smith’s place during his absence in Australia. Although a difficult man to stop, he is weak on defence. W. Johnson played excellently against Auckland as a winger, although it was only his third game for Hawke’s Bay. He runs straight and has a neat swerve. Possibly he will be centre on Saturday. L. Bradley has been Hawke’s Bay’s first five-eighth for three seasons, but against Wanganui he played centre. He is not fast off the mark, but plays a sound game. He cuts in cleverly now and again. R. Webb took Bradley’s place as first five-eighth against Wanganui. He is a new player to representative honours this season, but has won a place through consistent sound play. He has a good eye for an opening. Either he or Bradley will no doubt be the first five-eighth. GOOD INSIDE BACK. C. Le Quesne, the captain, is now in his fourth year of big Rugby although only 22. As a second five-eighth he was a strong contender, with Apsey and Smith, for All Black honours. He is an excellent kick with either foot, including- field goals, and his defensive play is remarkable. L. Clothier has struck good form in this, his third year of representative Rugby; his strong suit is running round the scrum to make some fine openings. Smith is not touring owing to injuries. The forwards are not very heavy but are a fast lot. H. Rolls, the back row man, is very fast and handles well. He combines well with his backs, but is lost if the play is tight. Hawea Mataira is leader of the pack. He is known for his good games in Australia, as is also Peter Smith. Max Miller is a useful line-out forward. I. Collett has struck form again after being off last season, and has put on weight in the meantime. Always a fine forward in the loose, he is now giving his weight in the scrums too. J. O’Brien shines in the line-outs and makes many fine breaks, from them. L. Hannigan, a front row man, plays an excellent all-round game. He is always on the ball and figures in many scoring movements. Fredsburg, who played for New Plymouth Boys’ High School, is a good hooker, as is Ireland. The middle position most likely will be filled by one of these two. E; Jackson, recently of Wairoa and now of Hastings, is a Maori who plays well in the tight and in the line-outs. He can play either In the front or middle row of the scrum. He is the son of an English international, who visited New Zealand in 1907 with Harding’s team. Hawke’s Bay’s record for the season is as follows: v. Wairarapa (at Napier), won 29—14; v. Wairarapa (at Carterton), won 24—17; v. Poverty Bay, won 37—12; v. Canterbury, won 24—5; v. Auckland, lost 22—13; v. Wanganui, won 27—3; v. Manawatu, lost 17—12.