THE MAORI TEAM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 12 July 1923, Page 7

THE MAORI TEAM.

SOUTH CANTERBURY BF ' TEN. —• FAST GAME ON WET GROUND. I It is only a month short of ten j years since Mr W. T. Parata, the j uncrowned king of Maori Rugbyj dom, brought a representative team ! of Natives to the South Island, al- | though he has on two or three occaj sions in the interval piloted teams .to Australia. That the brilliant exhibition given on the Caledonian. Grounds a decade ago had not been, forgotten was evidenced by the big attendance yesterday. The weather I was anything but inviting, and there was no holiday either in Timaru or in any of the country towns of South Canterbury, but the crowd was estimated to number between 4000 and 5000, the grand stand being so well filled that the 'sale of tickets j had to be stopped long before the big game began. The ground,was well turfed, but recent severe frosts had left their mark on it, an light rain which fell during the progress of the curtain-raiser played further havoc with the surface, the result being that the players found the foothald treacherous and the ball slippery and elusive. In such con--1 ditions play was inevitably mainly confined to the forwards, but it was extremely fast for a wet ground, and occasionally the backs provided flashes of clever football, the third try notched by the winners being the outcome of a brilliant piece of work. THE TEAMS. Maoris. Amohanga Roberts Potaka Awarua . Peina Bell Kingston Jacobs (capt.) Pini Taiapa Matene Gemmell Bannister Walker Bevan Bailey South Canterbury. D. Fairbrother W. Angland R. Logan. A. Edgeler G. P. Lawson G. Mathieson M. Angland A. Scott (capt.) G. V. Gerard J. McLeod R. Stewart D. Stewart P. Ward, F. Doyle E. Fairbrother Referee: Mr J. O’Leary.

FIRST SPELL.

The Maoris opened from the southern end. From the first ruck Angland shot the ball to Mathieson; the pass was dropped, but the youngster | retrieved and the Green pack were ! in full cry under his kick when Bell I barred the- way by a good mark, i A mark by Jacobs gained a lot of j ground, the kick falling clear owj iug to misunderstanding between | Logan and W. Angland, and a forI ward kick sent the hall over the ! home line for a force. R. Stewart ■ picked up in the loose and hooted j downfield, and Amohanga failing to i field cleanly Logan and W. Angland carried play to the Maori 25. A kick through by Mathieson opened up possibilities, but the defence of the Blacks was sound and eventually a free game their respite. Lawson and W. Angland made another invasion of the Maori 25, and a kick went out at the corner, but the Greens lost the opportunity through an infringement, and the Black vanguard followed the free to midfield. Another forward charge took them to the South Canterbury 25, hut Ward very soon dribbled back to halfway. A lot of high kicking ended in Potaka putting up a high one which D. Fairbrother marked, but

the kick went out on the full and play settled near the Green 25 flag. ] Kingston made a clever opening 1 for Bell, but the Soutlilander did I not get far and offside work lost the ground through offside work. Amohanga sent a hefty kick into the Green 25, only to have it returned with compound interest by D. Fairbrother. Bannister and Matene were next prominent in a foot rush which was responded to by Gerard, and a penalty against the visitors enabled Scott to get the line in tlieir 25. High tackling by the Green forwards allowed the visitors to clear their line and get back to neutral ground. Ward and R. Stewart emerged from a ruck and opened up play, and Lawson carried on to near the goal. Just as a score seemed imminent a Maori back intercepted and effected a brilliant save, getting beyond the dividing line before Fairbrother pulled him -up. A well-placed scrum kick by IVI. Angland put the Blacks on the defensive again, and Edgeler increased the difficulties of the visittors by catching the full in possession, and South Canterbury continued to hold the upper hand, but the Blacks kept play tight and pre- ! served their line intact. AA r . Angj land fielded a big kick by Amohanga ! and with Lawson and Logan put in ! a passing rush to the corner. .A ; determined forward sally was nip- ; ped in the bud by M. Angland, and f for some minutes tlie Blacks were i hard pressed in the south-west cor- | ner. From a scrum on the line | ;\i. Angland passed on the blind side i fo W. Angland, who sent it on too ! hjo-h ’for Mathieson to take for an i almost certain try. A timely force i gave respite to the sorely-pressed ’ Maoris, but Logan made a great rej turn of the drop-out and P. Ward i followed with a new dash to the cor- ’ ner. Jacobs earned applause by a 1 splendid clearance, securing from a j throw-in and starting a rush which t went to the 25, and immediately making another burst past half-way. A fast forward dash by the Blacks was checked by D. Fairbrother near the goal-line, and Gerard and R. Stewart soou bustled back to neutral ground. W. Angland put up a kick in a dangerous position, but followed smartly and upended Awarua before lie could get moving, and Lawson, Logan. Scott and R. Stewart joined in a ground rush and invaded the other 25 again. By combined work the Maori pack got out to half-way. only to be sent back again by Logan, who put in one of ibis dribbles No the corner. The I Greens could not hold their advan!to go. however. and Jacobs and i Walker broke away from a line out {and made a big stretch of country before Ward and Fairbrother j checked tlieir progress. Up to this I point the Natives bad been comI pelled to act mainly on the defenI give, but they now made a great ! recovery, and rattled on eight points lin the next two or three minutes, i From about half-way Bell made a ! run up Die right wing, sending infield to Roberts. Thence the ball wen- to Matine. to Bailey, the lastmam ed letting Pini Trtiapa over in ■ a lair position ior .lucks to conveit. , yiaoris 5. South Canterbury 0.

Play had hardly been resumed before Jacobs made a great dash for the line. Fairbrother held him up near the corner, but from a scrum the ball went to Bell and a quick wriggie and lovely dive took him over almost In the same position as Taiapa had scored. inis time Jacobs’ kick went outside. Logan was prominent tor smart, following and Lawson came up and secured. A little kick wnich might have been fruitful was placed in Amohanga’s hands and a series of exchanges ended at the half-way hag. A sweet mark by Bevan checked a hot forward rush, but Mathieson and Logan drove the Blacks in on their 25. The Maori forwards regained some ground but got offside, giving Scott a chance from 45 yards out. The kick was a good one but went just outside. After some tight play in no man’s land a couple of ’narti kicks (which had not been a fault of the visitors hitherto) forced the Greens. The home team v ere next in the picture, Anglaud reaching the corner before being forced out, and the- Maoris had another close call from a forward charge. Ail attempt to bring their backs into play losi the footing, Ma htesor; tailing to hold the slippery ball and the Blacks slipping out to halt-vvay Ecgeler was tempo.arily winded in stopping a rush, but did not take long to recover. Just before the end of the .spell Roberts checked a dangerous forward rush by coolly passing % back to Amohanga, who put in a good line kick to beyond half-way.

Maoris . . . . . . 8 South Canterbury 0 SECOND SPELL. A strong run by R. Stewart was the first incident of the second spell. Scott had another long shot from a free, but this time the kick fell short and Bell got in a good return. Edgeler came back briskly and the home vanguard swept to the corner, where W. Angland secured and passed infield to D. Stewart. The latter forced his way across but lost the ball. The Greens attacked again, McLeod leading, but the Celtic man kicked over-hard and the defenders effected a force. Scott and E. Fairbrother started another rush which Potaka terminated, and a succeeding dash by Ward was stalled off by Peina. Again the Greens attacked, reaching the corner area and giving the defenders a torrid time, but the defence proved impenetrable and Potaka ultimately relieved. Bevan was conspicuous for a bright run, the ground being recovered by Logan. A scrum near half-way saw the Maoris in posses-

siou, and Kingston and Beil raced .xiougii, Logan stopping the rush very neatly neaT the line. Another onsiaugnt 'was checked by Logan, but the Maoris retained tueir grip and Soutn. Canterbury could not cross the 25. McLeod attempted to ciear from the corner, but kicked dangerously across tne goal. The wing man failed to take advantage oi urn opening and Scott booted out to half-way. Another Maori at-, tack was repulsed by D. Fairbrother, and Mathieson followed with a bright little run to half-way. A scrum followed, and from this Kingston gave possession to Bell. Tue five-eighths made an electric dasn before transferring to Peina. The latter handed on to Potaka, and the movement was topped off in brilliant fashion by Roberts picking up a wTetched pass and scoring a great try. Jacobs enhanced with a good kick. Maoris 13, South Canterbury 0. Gemmell returned a short kick-out and followed fast to the home 25, giving Fairbrother little time to effect a force. Fast, even play at midfield followed, a halt being called while Bevan had an arm examined. Bailey started a Black forward rush, but the Maoris’ offside weakness lost the opportunity. From near midfield the Native pack broke away again, and Bell joined in and was nearly across in the corner. Some straggling play in the home 2a developed into a Green forward charge which reached half-way before Roberts called a halt. Jacobs figured in a good run, but this time the übiquitous Bell failed to connect, and R. Stewart retaliated by dashing up, bowling over Amohanga ) and kicking to the opposite 25. Scott had a shot from a free at the touchline, his kick being narrow. The forwards had a breather while the backs exchanged several kicks, Potaka ending the rally with a fast, straight run. Scott, M. Angland and Edgeler put the Greens in an attacking position, and Scott and Lawson pushed on to the corner. Amolianga gave D. Fairbrother an opening by kicking straight out from under the goal, but the home full missed the pot by several yards. Ragged but very fast forward play brought relief to the Maoris;

: Lawson came back with a nice run I and short kick which compelled ! Amolianga to kick out behind. On | resuming Jacobs had to retire, liav- ; ing started an old knee injury, and I Bell took his place as rover, Kingi I going on to fill the vacancy. W. ! Angland and R. Stewart gained a j lot of ground by good fallowing. ! but the Maori rearguard responded | with a passing rush, Hingston, Bell, i Peina, Potaka, and Roberts linking | up, but Fairbrother grassed the

.wing at the 25. Amohanga ran Awarua into play and received a reverse pass, but was thrown out at the 25, and W. Angland speculated over the line-out and shifted play to half-way. The Blacks kept pegging away, Peina turning a Green forward rush and kicking and following across field to the corner, where Fairbrother kicked out in the nick of time. A pass back by Kingston was not accepted, and the home team stepped in and worked out to sate ground. Another stoppage was necessitated following a melee at half-way, Ward retiring witn a damaged nose and M. Angland limping away after a knock in the short rib. Ward’s place was taken by Ritchie. Potaka and Beil figured in a dash to the home line, but R. Stewart and Gerard retaliated with a spirited charge to halfway. Again the Maori backs flashed into action, Peina, Potaka and Roberts beating all the opposition but the reliable full-back wiio bowled Roberts over near the line. The Maoris got the ball across to the other wing, and this time a score looked a certainty, but Bell knocked on. Fast forward work, with Gerard and Stewart showing out for the home side and Gemmell for the Maoris, was succeeded by another hard battle in midfield. The Black forwards worked clear and indulged in a short-passing run, to which the Greens replied with a foot rush to the other 25. G. Lawson opened up an entertaining piece of play which, however, gained little territory. A long kick by Roberts was splendidly returned by Fairbrother, then Logan slipped away, passing to McLeod and Ritchie, who looked certain to score when a lightning tackle rolled him over just short of the goal. A force gave relief to the Maoris j but the Greens were soon back again. The Maoris’ defence was severely tested but proved equal to the occasion, and a penalty against the Greens enabled the visitors to clear. A forward movement by South Canterbury was carried on by the backs, who were blocked by an offside tackier. Shortly before tlie cnu the Native scrummers, moving as one man, swooped down on their opponents’ goal, calling on Fairbrother to do his best to save. The last hell rang just as R. Stewart forced his way back to the half-way flag. Maoris 13 South Canterbury 0

NOTES ON THE PLAY. The state of the ball and ground naturally took a good deal of sparkle out of the play, but it did

not rob it of all the pace, the game j being fast for a wet day. The | Maoris were resting three of their j star hacks in anticipation of a hard I tussle with Otago on Saturday, and one or two of their players had been j recruited since the ret rn from (Sydney. Taking Oiis fact and tne | weather conditions into consideration it was impossible to compare the 19 23 team with the one which played here in 1913, but Mr Parata, whose opinion is worth having, inclines to the view that with their I full strength in the field the present j team is superior to the first one. I Yesterday they were not often seen |in passing movements but on two t occasions they gave evidence of 1 more than average ability in this j direction, 'and that their defence j was sound was proved by their capa;ciiy lo withstand the charges of the : South Canterbury pack. Ot their | three-quarters Potaka, the centre, j was the best, and lie looks fit for j any company. Peina is a good five- : eighths, but yesterday the man who ; look the public eye was Bell, whose 1 diving try was one of the best of ; its land seen here for many a ~~y. i The Horowhenua veteran Jacobs is . scarcely so last as of yore, but still is a solid customer —in more ways than one, as he tips the beam at 15J stone. There were no giants in the Maori pack, but they were | by no means lightweights, and they include three or four men of good ! class. In the first half it was difi fieult to select one as outstanding, | but in the second Gemmell was reI sponsible for a lot of fine work. A striking feature of their play was I tlieir control of tlio ball in dribbling I rushes, the hard kicking which un- ! did much good work by the Green scrummers being seldom notic r ble in the case of the Maoris. The South Canterbury pack as a whole gave a creditable display, and for a good deal more than half the ninety minutes kept play on the visitors’ side of the middle line. One man can hardly be expected to retain his place, but there are not likely to be many changes in the scrum in the Canterbury match. The old fault of kicking too hard was noticeable, and there was too much high tackling, but the vanguard is apparently up to the average. . The honours of the day went to R. Stewart, who overcame his recent tendency to offside work and gave a sterling display. Gerard was always in the thick of it, and must be one of the fittest of the party, as lie was more noticeable at the finish than at any other time. Ward was going great guns all through the first spelP, in which he improved very greatly on his last two or three club performances. A forward who did not show up so prominently as was expected was D. Stewart, but holding the scrum on such a ground must have taken a lot out of him. The star performer among the Green backs was D. Fairbrother, whose showing entitles him to consideration for South Island honours. Fairbrother took the field in circumstances which would have put most men off their game, and this accentuated the merit of his display. In the first half the most conspicuous of the others was Logan, who followed fast and blocked many returns. For a back lie is smart with his feet, and on a wet day this is a great asset to a back or forward. One deficiency of the home rearguard was its apparent lack of speed, and it was noticeable also that in kicking there was not the same skill in placing as the Maoris showed. Time and again the ball was kicked straight into the hands of Amohanga, but it was seldom that Fairbrother was not asked to run for it. The backs were picked primarily for defence; there was no semblance of club combination, and no opportunity had been available to work up anything of the kind since tlie team was chosen. In these circumstances it was hardly to be expected that anything of the sparkling order would be shown, even on a dry ground, and when the strength of the opposition—which was of vastly different kind to that encountered in local club matches —is taken Into account, it can be conceded that the home side was not disgraced by its defeat.

AFTER THE MATCH. In the evening the teams dined together at the Grosvenor _ Hotel. After dinner a short toast list was gone through. The chair was taken by Mr W. Thomas, a vice-president of the S.C.R.U.. who apologised for the unavoidable absence from Timaru of the president (Mr H. H. Fraser). Mr Thomas congratulated the-Maori players on their excellent display of football, and referred to the two earlier visits of Native teams to South Canterbury. He mentioned the the fact that this year marked the centenary of Rugby, and pointed out the vast changes which had been made in the game. The Maoris, he said,, had clone a; great deal to bring New Zealand into prominence as a great football country. The toast of the Maori team, proposed by the chairman, was responded to by the manager, Mr Parata. Winning or losing, said the speaker, was a secondary consideration with (him; the spirit of the game was the main thing. He congratulaed the South Canterbury forwards on their sterling exhibition, pointing out that good forward play was an outstanding feature of South Island Rugby. He went on to say that if he were allowed to pick the South Island team South Canterbury would certainly get two men in. Mr Parata thanked the Union for its hospitality to his team, and said that South Island hospital-

ity to Maori footballers stood on a plane by itself. He expressed appreciation of the Union’s efforts to make their stay pleasant, and said that their quarters were the best they had been in since they commenced their tour. Mr Parata concluded with an assurance that so long as he had anything to do with arranging the itinerary of Maori touring teams South Canterbury would not be overlooked. The Maori vice-captain, Mr Barclay, also thanked the local Union for their cordial reception, and proposed the health of the South Canterbury team, which was honoured with musical honours in Maori. Mr A. Scott briefly responded on behalf of South Canterbury. The health of the referee was proposed by Mr Gemmell, and in responding Mr J. O’Leary voiced liis appreciation of the fine spirit shown by the teams, who accepted all his rulings in a most gentlemanly spirit. Later in the evening the teams were entertained at the Wentworth tea-rooms at a korero of the Savage Club.

The Maoris leave for Dunedin by express this morning, and will meet Otago on Saturday. NEW ZEALAND UNION. COMPLIMENT TO MAORIS. By Telegraph—-Press Association. WELLINGTON July 11. ! At to-night’s meeting of the New ! Zealand Union, a request was received from New South Wales for permission to bring to New Zealand 28 players and a masseur. —It was decided to adhere to the agreement for 27 players and a masseur. The New South Wales council also asked if a match with a Maori team could he substituted for that against Wairarapa and Bush districts.—This was refused. ‘ 1 Mr V. R. Meredith, the Auckland ; selector, advised that he would be unable ’to attend a meeting of the selection committee at Wellington.— It was decided to ask the Auckland t Union to make another nomination, i The Horowhenua Union advised the issue of a challenge to Hawkes Bay for the Ranfurly Shield. A motion was carried congratulating the Maori footballers on the way in which they had upheld Rugby traditions, and thanking them for their fine work in the Main Trunk disaster. !

The protests of Otago, Canterbury, and Wellington Unions against the scale of charges for the New Soutn Wales team’s tour were referred to the Finance Committee for report.

The primary schools senior competition match Main v. South, played yesterday at the Caledonian Ground as a curtain-raiser to the Maori game, resulted in a win for Main by 3 to 0. Mr P. Tutty was referee. At Ahzac Square on Tuesday Marist juniors defeated South juniors oy 26 to 0. Gaw and Gnrlick each scored three tries for the winners.