PLAINS RUGBY.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 17969, 19 August 1930, Page 5

PLAINS RUGBY.

SHAREBROKERS' CUP. Juniors beat Waihi. SENIORS SUFFER DEFEAT. POLAND CUP STRUGGLE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) NGATEA, Aug. 19. On Saturday Waihi juniors journeyed to Ngatea, where, after a fairly interesting game, they suffered defeat. From the kick-off Waihi were quickly on the attack and had Plains defending strongly. Keeping up the ■pressure and securing the ball they were rewarded with a try, which was converted with a good kick. At the pace the first spell was played it looked as if Waihi were going to have a runaway victory, . but the Plains team woke up and keeping up a good defence managed to weather out the first spell without further score, the points being: Waihi 5, Plains nil. On changing over Plains took a turn on the attack, Dawson dummying three of the opposition, only to be well tackled by the fullback right on the line. From a scrum right on the line Plains hooked the ball, the passing going straight across field, the wing being pushed out. The line-out saw Plains again with the ball, and a nice passing rush started, being spoilt by a bad pass which Jones intercepted, and racing away at top he scored a fine try,.the kick being unsuccessful. Play was confined to halfway for a spell, both sets of forwards playing close and tight, Waihi at last kicking through, the ball going to McPherson, who put in a run and short-punted, and, fol-,. lowing up fast, a certain try was missed, the ball being badly overrun. Returning to the attack Plains kicked too hard, Waihi forcing, but for some infringement which seemed to surprise everyone referee ordered a scrum on the line. A forward scramble followed, Hunter picking the ball up from the ruck and diving over for Plains' first score. Donaghy added, the extra points, making the score at halftime : Waihi 8, Plains 5. The third spell saw Plains again attacking, good forward play carrying the ball to Waihi's line; where Hunter again secured and went over for his second try, the kick at goal sailing nicely oyer the bar. For offside play Plains were awarded a free, and a shot at goal was taken but missed badly, Waihi forcing. Scraggy play followed, the Plains forwards being very slow to move back and support the backs, with the result that Waihi forced through and Hoyle, getting the ball, went over for a good try, the kick missing. Donaghy, for Plains, put in a go°od run, and short punting the ball just rolled over the line, Waihi touching down just in time. a line-out Plains secured, the ball going out to Caie, who clapped on the pace and scored wide out. The end of the third spell saw the score: Plains 13, Waihi 11.

The last spell saw Plains have all the best of it, play being well inside Waihi's 25 the whole time. Findlay and Hayward both scored, neither try being converted. The final whistle went with play right on Waihi's line, the ball going out: Plains 19 Waihi 11 Mr C. Stretton was referee. Notes on the Game. The play was far from first-class, but it was a fairly interesting game. A glaring fault on both sides, even more so on the part of the Plains, was the slow passing and the bad passes given. This is a matter both teams could well remember. Another fault was the play of the forwards who, once the ball had passed them, made no attempt to run back and support the ftaeks. The best back on the field was undoubtedly Dawson, playing half for Plains, the pick of the forwards being Donaghy, who played a really sound game. For Waihi, Jones and Hoyle played good games, the forwards being very even. POLAND CUP MATCH. WAIHI DEFEATS PLAINS. The Hauraki Plains seniors played at Waihi on Saturday, where they

were soundly trounced by the home team. This was only to be expected, as apart from arriving very late, the Plains only fielded 13 men. Being very late away the 'bus was supposed to pick up the playdbs en route, the Kerepeehi players all being missed. It apj>ears that these players were all ready and waiting for the 'bus, but as time went on and it did not put in an appearance they went their various ways, thinking some hitch must have occurred and the game abandoned. It was most unfortunate, as Waihi had given Plains a real good game some few weeks ago at Ngatea.

Continuing Plains' bad luck in not K having a full team was the mostr unfortunate accident that happened: to one of the players, Schofield, who plays for the Turua Club, havingthe misfortune to suffer a broken leg. The play itself need not be described, as it was too one-sided, Plains finishing up with only 111 men. ■»