FOOTBALL

Waikato Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2398, 3 May 1921, Page 5

FOOTBALL

THE RUGBY GAME MATCHES LAST SATURDAY The football fixtures for last Saturday afternoon provided the lover of sport, with a varied and attractive programme. Tho grounds were in moderately good order, and altogether the standard of play in all the matches was remarkably good, when it is considered that the season has just opened and most of the teams are out of training. Some interest was " displayed in the League game at Victoria Square, but the Ponsonby team, through some mismanagement, arrived not only late but short of players. The spectators who had assembled were, however, awarded by a fairly exciting- game, after the visiting team had been arranged, which ended in favour of Cambridge with the score 9 —3. CITY 11 V. MATANGI 3. The teams were: City—Craig 5 jFletcher, Church, Inkpen, Marsh, Forrest, Schroder, Joyce, Aspin, McKee, Ingham, Campin, Williams, Entwisle, and Thorpe. Matangi Thompson (2), Cranston, Phillips, Johnston, Turner, Dumbleton, Savory, Slowe, Devine, Cave, Hicks, Keen, Christenson and Thompson.

Four spells of fifteen minutes each were played. City kicked off and attacked during most of the first spell, which ended in no score being registered by either team. Matangi defended well. Matangi then took the lead, and were awarded a free kick in City 25, but Cranston failed to co/ivert. When the whistle "sounded for half-time no score 1 had been made. After the interval both sides attacked well and City carried tho ball over tho Matangi line but the latter team forced. Matangi made a determined effort and swept into City 25, but the ball was forced. Inkpen from a lucky piece of work got the ball and scored, making the score City 3, Matangi 0. Matangi then made tho pace and attempted another shot from a free kick, but failed. L. Craig for City kicked a penalty goal bringing the score up to 6—o. The last spell opened well and after considerable cross play Matangi opened out in a brilliant forward rush and Keen crossed the line scoring a try. Johnston failed to convert. The \ game ' from then till the end of the match mainly consisted 'of passing rushes by the Matangi backs until City got control again in the last few minutes, and Aspin scored. L. Craig converted and time sounded with the score City 11, Matangi 3. Mr F. Walker was referee. ROTO-0-RANGI (23) v. MAUNGATAUTARI (3). / i This match was played on the showgrounds, and was, on\the whole, a fair exhibition, though many players were obviously out'of condition. The teams were: Roto-o-rangi—Fletcher, Moisley, Floys, G. White, Wiles (captain), R. Knight, Rowe, Brown, Dench, A. White M. Whyte,- Marx, Edwards, Tyler and Hodgson. Maungatautarr-—Joe. Hemapo, Jack Box, Tupu, Jacob, Latrobe, Hote, Tautc, Peake (captain), Tare. .Te> aute, Hill, Heke, Mana, Marakohi, Neti.

Four quarter-hour spells were played. .In the ,first, from an opening made by. Wiles, Moisley scored for Eoto-o-rangi. After unsuccessful pot shots at goal by Wiles and Moisley, -the backs (Rot'o-o-rangi) kicked across the line, and fumbling by Maungatautari Tyler to score. In the next spell Peake put in a very fine piece of play, making a good run, and kicking across field. Following up well, he smothered return and scored : Maungatautari's only "try, making the score 3 to 6. Up, to this time Roto-o-rangi ha'd the best of the play > but £°r a time Maungatautari made things very merry. However, the blacks rallied, and their opponents" tiring, they piled on the scores, tries being secured by A. White, Floyd. Wiles, Hodgson (2). The place kicking | was wretched, only one goal being re- . gistered, by Dench, though several kicks were in easy positions. The winners gave the best exhibitron Maungatautari lacking combination and" condition.. The two captains and Peake) were specially prominent <■ for good play throughout the match. Mr C. Miller carried the whistle. ' ■ / LEAMINGTON 16 v. HAUTAPU 6. The teams were:" Hautapu.—Thompson, Vincent Burke (3), Thorpe, Mortensen, Moar, Allwill, Vosper, Dunning Cubis, Holden, Tui, Putu. Leamington —Hall, Patterson (2), Kelly, Burke. McGill, Tatten, Fisher, Abbott, Harrison, Howarth, Wallace (2), Black and Duncan. . The undulating state of the ground, and the fact that both teams were out of practice and lacked combination, were responsible for a game wholly without brillance. Hautapu; winning the toss., decided to play with the sun at their backs., For the greater part of the game the ball was kept at Hau-

tapu's cud of the field, and at halftime the scores were: Leamington 10 t Hautaifu 0.

On resuming Hautapu tried hard to even the score, but missed" several good openings, owing to faulty handling, and through certain players keeping the ball too long. When time was called Leamington had added six more points to its score, making the,, *final score: Leamington 16, Hautapu 0. Tries were gained by Wallace and Patterson, while Tatten kicked a goal from the field. Mr L. McNeil was re* ferpe. JUNIOR MATCHES iCITY BEATS MATANGI Following are tro results t of the Junior games played last Saturday:— City v. Matangi.—The City team defeated Matangi the final score being 4—3. Mr Greenwood was referee. Leamington Juniors v. 6Sth Company Cadels.—The Leamington team com* pletely outclassed their opponents by 17—0. Mr W. Webber acted aa referee. „. ' UNDER.LEAGUE RULES CAMBRIDGE 9 v. PONSONBY 3. Tho teams were: Cambridge-—Mee* han, Webber, Kelly, Cooper, McMillan, Williams, Aspin, Collett, Appleby, Hawes, Hcmmingway, L. Stewart and Mclvor. Ponsonby—Delgrosso, Cook, Fellows, Crossin, Cornaga, Sutton, Ferguson, Cole, Squirrel, Halliday, Thomas and Moyle. The Cambridge team, although they scored well, had to be penalised several .times for faulty play in the serums. Aspin easily played the best game of tho Cambridge backs and Hemmingway also showed his usual good form. The scrum half, Mclvor, was generally successful in getting the ball away to the backs, but the good openings made by him were marred by the bad passing of the rest of the backs, otherwise a much higher score would have re* suited. Aspin was the first to push up the numbers for Cambridge, and scored a try under the post. Hemmingway failed to convert. Ponsonby then had a penalty kick but failed to convert. Cambridge fouled in the scrum and another free kick went to Ponsonby, but they again failed to convert.' Another rush by Ponsonby was stopped .by Webber and carried back to the Cambridge team, being marked by Aspin. The trial at goal by Hemmingway was a splendid effort'and he only failed to convert by inches. Stewart, Aspin and. L. Webber were responsible for the Cambridge scores; Stewart scoring on. tho corner. The whistle blew with the score Cambridge 9, Ponsonby 3. Mr Hampton (Frankton) was referee. "THE FATHER OF RUGBY'* "MR GEORGE DIXON HONOURED Mr George Dixon, tho ex-Auckland representative, was elected a life member of the. New Zealand Rugby Union at the annual meeting last Thursday evening. The chairman said .that Mr Dixon was the father of Rugby in the Dominion, and other speakers referred in very appreciative terms to his long* with the game and to his loyalty to the amateur principle. In the course of his reply, Mr Dixon said that he believed Rugby had contributed greatly to the formation of national charaacter in New Zealand. He hoped that it would continue to progress on amateur lines, the game being played for its own sake.