RUGBY FOOTBALL

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2148, 24 April 1928, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

WAIPA UNION’S COMPETITIONS.

AN AUSPICIOUS OPENING.

Rugby will be the vogue during the next few months and the Waipa Union’s senior competitions, which promise to be very keenly contested this season, were commenced on Saturday last in fine weather. There was a fair attendance at Albert Park, and the playing area was in good order, though somewhat hard. The senior competition match, Rovers v. Te Awamutu, was the star attraction, and at times the interest was very keen for some flashes of very exciting and good class play were witnessed. The game had not been. long in progress when from some loose play the ball came out to A. Spiers, who rushed upfieldfi beating three or four opponents, and then transferred to Davis, who drew his man and sent the leather to P. Quin, who raced round and scored a few yards from the corner. The kick at goal was a good one, but it went outside the uprights. The pressure was kept up, but the defence was too solid. Play was gradually worked down field and Rovers were almost over. After changing ends Rovers kept up the attack and eventually were rewarded, for Tickelpenny, racing up to cover his neighbour in a passing rush, secured and'dashed over at almost the same place as Quin had ten minutes earlier. The attempt to convert failed. This equalising of the scores caused much interest, and both fifteens improved their play appreciably. First one side and then the other instituted and pressed attacks, but each was beaten off, and the game ended in a draw, three points all. Mr Mclntyre was in charge of the game.

OTHER GAMES. Three other matches were played on Albert Park. United senior's played Technical Old Boys (Hamilton), but before they had got really started an unfortunate accident, in which Banks one of the visitors, sustatined a broken leg. •dampened their spirits. Soon, however, each side was putting forth every effort. For an infringement by a United forward, Mitchell had a penalty kick and registered a neat goal. A few minutes later O’Halloran equalised for United with a wellearned try. Technical soon gained a lead again, Gillies scoring a try which Mitchell converted and three minutes later Mitchell added three more points with a penalty goal. United’s prospects did not look too good at this stage, but they stuck doggedly to their task and as a result of clever manoeuvring Rogers secured and scrambled over for a try. The kick failed. McCarthy added another try. A few minutes, later Shpherd secured in midfield and he streakd over at the corner, fending off a couple of ppponents and then went on round, towards the goalposts before grounding the ball. He converted also, thus plasing his team three points in the lead. The visitors tried hard to equalise but they were beaten off repeatedly. The game ended: United 14, Technical Old Boys 11. Mr T. Moisley was in charge of the game. No. 3 ground was occupied by United juniors and Marist Old Boys (Hamilton) thirds. The high wind prevailing made accurate kicking difficult, but the game was very even throughout. Just before the first change over McGee kicked a nice goal from a mark, the result of a rather foolish high punt by a United forward in his own 25. After changing ends the Uniteds pressed hard, and Marists had to force several times to obtain relief. C. Bowden had an easy shot at goal from a penalty, but failed. Later, however, he redeemed that failure by snapping up smartly ond scoring a try. The kick at goal was unsuccessful. No further score resulted, and he game ended in a draw difficulty was experienced through both teams appearing in identical colours. , , Y 0 The fourth match, also on No. 3 ground, was between Te Awamutu juniors and Technical Old Boys thirds with Mr S. Smith in charge of the whistle. This game opened rather scratchily. but soon livened up and it was found the teams were well matched. Ten minutes after the start r iyger scored a nice try (unconverted) for the visitors, but B. Spier's equalised before half time. Then Masters and Flyger each scored a try, nuttinec Marist 9 —3. Crozier scored for Te Awamutu in the fourth spell, and the way they we™ pressing it seemed likely that they would at, least make a di’awn game of it but Flyger raced through and, kicking past the fullback, scored just in side the dead ball boundary—his third try for the day. Play continued for about five minutes. but the scores were unaltered, the visitors thus winning by 12 points to 6.

AT OWAIRAKA. The second match in the senior competitions, was between the country teams, Huimai and Karamu on the former’s homeground at Awairaka. The visitors had# all the best of the play, with occasional sessions of staunch defence, and when the final whistle sounded Karamu were winners by 24 points to 8. Mr J. Williams was in charge of the game.