THE RUGBY GAME.

Wairarapa Age, 30 July 1925, Page 2

THE RUGBY GAME.

WAIRARAPA’S FIRST HOME WIN. BUSH DEFEATED 40—12. The Wairarapa representative team scored its first home win of the season yesterday when the Busti reps., who have just returned from a tour north, were defeated by 40 points to 12. There was a moderate attendance, and the conditions were ideal, but the game was far from a good exhibition. A tough battel was waged by the forwards packs, there being little difference between them, and the Wairarapa backs threw the ball about liberally, but their handling was atrocious. Had they been more accurate at least another 20 points would have been seored in the first spell. The Bush backs were totally devoid of combination, and not once through either spell was a passing rush exploited. The Wairarapa forwards won the ball from the serum, were good in the loose, and played the short passing game well, scoring three tries by that method. The Bush puck were no less promi nent, being superior in line-ont play, Had clever in the loose, but they showed a total disregard for/their backs and never gave them the ball once. Perhaps it was just as well that they did not.

It would be difficult to single out any forward on either side, as all played splendidly. Olliver, Tyree and Moynahan for Bush, and Fairbrother, Donald, Garland and O’Dowd caught the eye always. Udy, at full-back, was safe for BuA, white Tait was the onlyother back to show any enterprise. For Wairarapa, Hoed made a good job of his first sexier rep. game, and only let one man past him. Of the others’ F. Booth, Stringfellow, Nunn, and at times Ferguson were the mainstays. A feature of the game was F. Booth’s good kicking, six out of eight attempts at goal being successful. The game might be summed up as a tussle between the forwards, and a picnic for the Wairarapa backs, who scored 40 points and threw as many away by their inaccurate handling. The game was full of incident, as the scores would indicate, but little of the work had finish. Though Wairarapa scored some spectacular tries they were from movements which could not possibly have succeeded against a strong defence. The teams were as follow:

Bush (White).— Udy; Humphries, J Galvin, Walland; A. Tait, P. Galvin; Humphreys; Ryan; Olliver, Burling, Tyree, PeteiS, Moynahan, Morrison, Pilkington.

Wairarapa (Green). —Hood; Parker, Stringfellow, Ferguson; Jury, F. Booth; Nunn; Donald; Desmend, Chapman, S. Willoughby, Fairbrother, Garland, O’Dowd, Wyper. Referee: Mr H. J. McKenzie. Wairarapa, winning the toss, took the advantage of a bright sun, and immediately set up a back attack until Ferguson knocked on. Olliver and Burling carried on a forward rush to the 25, where Wairarapa were hard up against it. Two Serums ensued on the line, Tyree being held up. From a scrum out tile Greens were penalised and Udy failed at goal. Booth returned to half-way, where Fairbrothcr knocked on. Donald opened up and the GrCten pack carried to the touchline, where a free kick relieved. Udy kicked to Hoed at half-way and the latter potted a beautiful goal. Wairarapa 4 Bush 0 Bush attacked from, the kick Off, but the Wairarapa backs secured. The movement was repulsed by the Bush forwards; then. F. Booth broke through to half-way. Jury, Booth anl .Stringfellow were prominent in a passing rush, which broke down in the Bush 25, where Wolland tackled. Play returned and Booth and Donald were overwhelmed by the Bush forwards. 8. Oliver picked and passed to Tait, who scored in the corner. Udy failed. Wairarapa 4 Bush 3

Wairarapa pressed from the kick-off and from a line-out Hood despatched Parker, who passed all the defenders till forced out by Udy near the flag. Nunn, with tricky play, made a good opening for Parker, who again just failed to reach the line. Booth, Donald and Parker were associated in a good movement, the latter being recalled for a forward pass. Booth, Ferguson and Stringfellow engineered a good movement, which was spoiled by off side, and Udy lined at half-way. O’Dowil Desmond were asssociated in a passing rush, and again violation of the rules nullified good play. Moynahan and Pilkington broke through from a line-out, but the rush was nipped by Nunn. Up to this stage the Bush backs had not initiated one rush, while Wairarapa’s handling was very faulty. Tyree, P. Galvin aud Tait looked like scoring, but Tait was ruled off-side and Donald relieved. Jury and Ferguson were changed by Donald, but the alteration made little difference to • the handling. Booth opened up a baek movement and passed to Ferguson, who cut in and transferred to Parker, who raced half the length of the field to score in the corner. F. Booth goaled. Wairarapa 9 Bush 3

The visitors were kept on the defensive for a while till Ryan and Tyree came through and caught Hood and Jury iu possession, but a penalty relieved. Donald and Fairbrothcr headed a rush to the Bush 25, where Udy, after losing position, regained bis place and savod well. Olliver, Burling and Morrison were prominent in the Green comer, bat ovoreagerncss spoiled the effort. The Gre-u forwards swept down till a promising movement broke down with Jury offside. Donah! lost a good chance by cutting in and leaving his pass too Into, Htringfcllow and Ferguson being unmarkc-t. Tyree broke through, bur a beautiful tackle by Nunn saved a, possible score. Then Humphries aud

Galvin attacked, but Hood and Stringfellow drew them together, aad Wairarapa forced. Patchy play up and down field followed, Wairarapa losing many chances through thoughtless play. Udy and Jury collided when both jumped to take a high ball, the former receiving a nasty smack which caused a temporary cessation of play. Just before the spell Booth opened up a good movement, which Donald carried on, letting Jury down the side line. He fended off three buck sand scored in the corner. Booth failed to goal, and the spell ended Wairarapal2 Bush' 3

Wybcr opened the second spell by dribbling right through, where the Greens swarmed round and Nunn was held up. A free kick eased the pressure for the Whites, but Wairarapa were soon back per medium of the backs. From a serum outside the 25 F. Booth secured and passed to Jury, to Stringfellow, the latter cutting cut three backs and scoring in the corner. F. Booth goaled.—Wairarapa .17—3. From the kick off Ferguson waited for the bounce and Olliver rushed up, secured and raced for thle line. Evading Hood’s tackle he scored near the cornel'. Udy foiled.—Wairarapa 17—6. A hot Bush forward attack followed, Moynahan, Peters, Tyree and Burling being prominent. Wairarapa drove the attackers out, but their backs were safely held in check by the visitors ’ forwards. From\a line-out Doneld sent Fairbrother away, Wybcr coming in to top the movement off with a try near the posts. F. Booth goaled.—Wairarapa 22 —6. From this out Wairarapa practically had. things their own way. Try as they could, the Bush forwards could not confine plasy tp the Green 25. When they did get there Wairarapa would as quickly turn defence into attack, and profiting by the Bush backs not keeping their positions they gave the visitors a merry time. A splendid scoring movement was opened up by Nunn, who sent. Donald away from half-way. In suecessien from Donald, Parker, Nunn, Fairbrother and Desmond handled, the latter scoring near th# posts. Booth’s kick was charged down.—Wairarapa 25 —g. From the next Bush attack Tyree forced play near the Wairarapa line, where a penalty in a scrum gave P. Galvin an easy chance to goal. — Wairarapa 25—9. Another .fine movement by the Wairarapa forwards saw Desmond, O’Dowd and Fairbrother 1 carry play to the Bush 25 with handling far better than that of the baoks. Jury joined in, and, after beating two men, passed to Donald, who seored near the corner. Booth goaled.—Wairarapa 30—9. Nunn was again pror.tinent in clever side-stepping and dispatched Stringfellow. The latter shot through the Bush inside backs and passed to Desmond, who handed on ts Donald, the Wairarapa skipper scoring bis second try. Booth again goaled.— Wairarapa 35—9. The big total was promptly added to, F. Booth, Dona’d, .’fury, Stringfellow and Ferguson forming an invading party, the latter passing in-field. to Stringfellow for a pretty try. Booth goaled.—Wairarapa 40—9. Shortly before the end the visitors were awarded a penalty near die Wairarapa goal and Galvin goaled, the game finishing Wairarapa .. .. 40 Bushl2

TEAM TO PLAY WAIKATO. The selectors last night announced the following team to play Waikato at Masterton on Saturday: — Backs: Hood, R. Booth, "Stringfellow, Ferguson, Jury, ,F. Booth, Nunn. Forwards: J. Donald (captain), Desmond, Chapman, S. Willoughby, Fairbrothei', Garland, Wybcr, O’Dowd. Emergencies: Backs, Neighbours, Parker, Cundy; forwards, Bambry, M. Willoughby, Reside.

REFEREES FOR SATURDAY. JUNIOR. Gladstone v. Masterton, at Carterton, P. Reid. Taucru v. Carterton, at Carterton, H. Matson. .Tuhirangi v. Featherston, at Featherston, G. Julian. THIRD GRADE. Masterton v. Y.M.0.A., at Masterton, W. Darvill. Featherston v. Carterton, at Carterton, V. Welch. High School v. Martinbofough, at Carterton, A. Taylor. FOURTH GRADE. Bed Star v. Greytown, at Greytown, J. Roche. Opaki v. LMasterton, at Mastertoil, D. Hagerty. High School v. Martinborough, at Carterton, AV. Spooner. Carterton v. Featherston, at Carterton, AV. Hudson. \ FIFTH GRADE, at 1.30. Red Star v. Carterton, at Masterton*, S. Munn. High School B v. Hikurangi College, at Hikurangi College, H. McKenzie. Wellington Colt beat St. Patrick’s. WELLINGTON, July, 29.—Wellington College defeated St. Patrick’s by 9 to 3.—(P.A.)