RUGBY FOOTBALL

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1779, 6 July 1926, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

LAST SATURDAY’S MATCHES.

WAIPA UNION CHAMPIONSHIPS,

The Waipa Rugby Union’s senior andl junior championships were advanced a further stage on Saturday afternoon, one senior and three junior games- being played ,on the headquarters ground, one 'senior at Pirongia,, and one at Te Kawa. The weather was good and’the grounds excellent. Results:— : JUNIORS. Te Kawa 8 defeated 'Ohaupo 6. For the winners Bingham scored a try, which was,converted by Pollard; Nga_ haho a try. For' Ohaupo Death scored a try and kicked a penalty goal. Mr R. Anschutz refereed. Pirongia' 28 defeated Parawera 0. Scorers—Tries by I. Beet (3), Woolston, Rowe, Kempthorhe, Ardley, two of them' being -converted, while Beiet converted two .'tries. Rev. S. Burrow had charge of the game. United 6-v: Pdahue 0. Brough scored a try for United-and a penality try ■for obstruction was also awarded that team. Mr H. Kelly was referee. ■ • ? " SENIORS. Parawera 20 v. United 0. For the winners Dare kicked three penalty goals and scored a try. Galagher and Bail lie 1 each scored a try. Dare converting' one. Mr E'. W. Gee was in charge. At. Pirongia Rovers were defeated by Pirongia, the latter getting a try in the last few minutes. Mr J. B. Ryan held the whistle.

At Te Kawa, Te Awamutu defeated ■the home team. For Te Kawa McLellan and Gugich' each scored a try, while for Te Awamutu tries were got by White, Clarke (4), and Winter. The latter try. was converted by Winter. Mr E. T. Crumps refereed.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. \' * ~ By winning the match at Pirongia last Saturday against Rovers, the Pirongia ..senior team has won the senior championship for the season. By all accounts, the game was a remarkably even one, and it was only in the last few minutes that a try was scored, giving the win to Pirongia. Pirongia team, alwa:y s a hard on e to defeat, has played some very ordinary games this season, but on occasions they have responded to all demands, and we'll earned , their right to .the position of champ/OjnsjuQf Waipa’s competition. ' .’i-f. , - A peculiar incident occurred in connection with, the Te Kawa v. Ohaupo junior match-last Saturday. A try was obtained -toyt player, and the resultant kick at goal was apparently successful, for the ball went safely over the bar, but it appears the referee (who by the Way only took the whistle:iin,.an’em.eirgehcy) was in some doubt as to whether the rules debarred a goal from being scored, as the plaoerof the ball for the kick kept his' hand between,the. ball and the ground. The referee pointed out at the time that lie would reserve his decision on the pdint. .He-rhas.?.since found out that the goal should not have been allowed, and has made representations to the Rugby Union 'accordingly. The result is that instead <ff Te Ka'wa winning by eight points to six, the match was a draw, six points all. For .the benefit of all players, it may be mentioned that the rule on this ,point is not generally known—though it should! be — and we have seen some referees allow goals under similar conditions. Actually the ball must make contact with the ground before it is kicked. The placer can keep the hall on his hand until the kicker has- it sighted to his liking, and just before the kicker approaches to kick thel-placer has to remove his hand to allow the ball to touch the ground. When it touches, an opponent can charge from his hack line. So far this season quite 'half-a-dozen goals have been awarded, on Albert Park under wrong premises.

The Pualiue ,v.: United junior match was a by no means' interesting contest, when compared with earlier exhibitions by these two teams. Part of the failure was due to the absence of prominent .players from each team, but spectators commented during the progress of tliei game that.there was too niuCh 'whistle. No doubt the referee was enforcing the rules correctly, but lie gave spectators the opinion that' he did not allow' the advantage rule to operate, thus slowing the game considerably. Thera is some doubt as to which sid§ f . won the Pirongia v. Parawera juiflnr match. It appears that the time for starting was 2.30, and when the Pirongia team had not appeared twenty minutes later and the Parawera team Avas on the ground, ready to play, the r’efereie told them to kick off and he thereupon awarded them the match. Immediately thereafter three 1 of ParaAvera’s best players were called upon by their senior team to make up shortages and they at once complied!, soon being in the thick of the fray against United seniors. Within a minute the Pirongia juniors drove on to the ground, and when the position was explained to them a match Avas arranged Avith the- remaining Paraivera juniors. Writing before the Rugby Union has dealt with the referees’ reports, Ave can only say that the game ended in an easy victory for Pirongia, bu;t do not knoAV whether the match was just a friendly practice or intended, to count for junior championship honours. The senior match at Te K&wa served to introduce a "very promising recruit to the Waipa players, 'Clarke (Te Awamutu) putting up a very fine display. and incidentally scoring four of Tei Aivamutu’s tries. Clarke: is an experienced Rugby player, with rep. honours, but though lie has been resident in Waipa territory for some time lie, hr fh not previously stepped out for a club team. On one game it Avas hardly likely that the, rep. selector av ou hi give him a place in preference to players proved and'found capable, hut if he continues in his present form he Avill have to be seriously considered for future rep. matches. Incidentally it may be remarked, that the Waipa rep. team-will have three or four matches yet this season if they are successful in holding the Finlay Cup as the fixtures include challenges from Morrinsville, Matamata, Putaruru and Raglan, while if the Cup is lost there are inter-union contests in pros-

pect with Pukekohe, Putaruru and Maniapoto—the first two at Te. Awamutu and the third probably at Te Kuiti—-while surely a match with Waipa’s old opponents, Hamilton, will be arranged. No doubt, also, 'Cambridge reps, will- like to again try conclusions with iWaipa before the season closes.

It has been suggested that the Waipa junior reps, shouldl be got together for a match against the next best fifteen in this grade. As there ere six " teams there should not he much trouble in getting a good contest if it can be arranged, though club contests must not be delayed. In such a contest, those who have already played rep. would have to be at their ..very best to defeat the “B” team, for there are several who have not been .honoured, yet who deserve an opportunity to show their ability. * The suggestion to send the Waipa third grade reps, to Hamilton to play the third grade reps, there was not favoured by -the Waipa Union—and wisely, for observers of play at - Hamilton are agreed that the standard in the minor grades of the two unions is in favour of Hamilton. Waipa owes a match to the Hamilton third grade reps., and perhaps the Hamilton Union will accept a'Waipa juptiior team; but that does not give Waipa. thirds a game as desired. Maybe Hamilton fourths could be pitted, against Waipa thirds. . The weakness of the minor grades: in Waipa is due to the fact that the Union has encouraged all young fellows to seek higher honours at - the earliest opportunity. A dozen good juniors were promoted to seniorvgrad.eat the beginning of last season, and at the beginning of this season two teams (United and Rovers) who had previously played junior, elected to enter the senior competition. That their move was warranted is shown by the fact that several of these players have won rep. honours this season, while Rovers have invariably provided a stirring contest-- against their older adversaries. United also have played, clean, clever games throughout, and though not high on the chamjpionship ladder have won . many admirers, who predict 'better things next season. Similarly the, present juniors have been very largely recruited from third grade ranks — many of them very young and inexperienced, but game and keen withal. The thirds are nearly all school boys, , the three teams being fairly evenly matched, particularly Old Boys and Ohaupo. High 'School should do better next season.

A suggestion has been made that the Waipa Union should next season provide for a fourth grade, allowing school hoys in the various districts to play in that grading, while those not up to junior standard (next year’s juniors will be practically identical with this year’s players in this grade) will play third!, thus affording opportunity for a considerable number of lads too heavy for present third grade and not good enough for juniors to play regularly. At present these lads only get an occasional game, mostly as emergencies.