PATEA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 196, 20 August 1934, Page 3

PATEA

RUGBY FOOTBALL. SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP CONCLUDES PATE A THE SEASON’S WINNEj Although the honours of the Ta uaki senior championship were still doubt before the matches on Saturd Patea proved to be the leaders, fini ing out in the competition two poii ahead of Stratford and Okaiawa. Lo interest was detracted from the Blacks to the all blues’ win. Tukaj who were the challengers to Pate; position, were well beaten by Kaponj This and the Patea-United Old B< matches attracted the interest of Rug followers throughout Taranaki. On 1 appear right in that Stratford w< present state of the ladder, Stratfi is two points behind Patea, and 1' the only team to hand out a defeat Patea. Two matches were not played Saturday, that of New Plymouth (. Boys and Waimate being postponed account of the school match in New P mouth, and Inglewood defaulting Empire Old Boys. The Patea team’s return home fr( the match at Stratford was a triunipl procession, the Patea Municipal Ba meeting the footballers’ cars at the t trance to the town and conducting the to the Central Hotel where Mr. D. Qu kenden was host at a dinner for t winners. The keen interest taken the townspeople in the game was sho\ by the huge crowd which were waiti. with the band to welcome the team. . the dinner a lengthy toast list was he oured and the speeches all congrat lated the team on their season’s sple did record. Fir the first time in the h tory of the club, it was stated, t Patea seniors had won Taranaki ho ours, although for many years past had been hammering very close, aj during the past three years only fo matches had been lost. Following are the results of 11 games on Saturday:— Patea 9, v. United 6. Okaiawa 21, v. Hawera 6. Star 12, v. Clifton 12. Kaponga 11, v. Tukapa 6. Stratford 9, v. Eltham 3. These final games leave the char pionship ladder as follows: P. W. L. D. P Patea .14 .11 1 2 i Stratford .14 11 3 0 1 Okaiawa 14 11 3 0 t Tukapa 14 10 3 J. : Eltham 14 <S 4 2 1 Hawera 14 7 5 2 1 Opunake 14 7 6 1 1 Old Boys 13 7 6 0 1 Kaponga 14 4 7 3 1 Inglewood 13 3 1 4 1 Clifton 14 4 S 2 1 Star 14 3 9 2 Waimate 13 3 9 I United 14 3 10 I Empire 14 1 12 L Patea v. United. The large crowd of Patea supjiorter A’ho travelled to Stratford for the las natch in the competition were disap •ointed in the game with United. Hear; ain had fallen on the football field th ireceding night, and the heavy state o he ground proved difficult for th ?atca boys. This fact, together wit] he playing of the United forward lown on the Patea backs, robbed th rame of any individual sparkling play fhe United forwards tried hard not t illow the visitors to open up the game 1. was surprising to the watchers tha Jnitcd were not higher up the ladder i: he splendid game played by their for yards was their usual standard of play On the day’s play, honours for goot day were divided between C. Wills Baldwin and McTaggart of the forwar* flues, and to Roberts, who played I ound defensive game on the wing; Ammerman for his dependable game a: outre; ami to Edwards for his fine soli ry and also to the tiy scored by Zim nerman and him. Of the United team he Lash brothers played sure if slov fames on the wings, with a solid at ,acking centre in F. Adlam. Little Jen ;en at half handled well, while th< lookers wore getting the ball from thi ’atca. men with almost steady regular tv. The game on the whole was of : agged nature, neither side having ter ■itorial advantage for long, and botl ’orwards striving hard to keep the ball fhe sticky nature of the ground ham jered the speed of the blue backs, whih he tackling was a. glaring weakness ii >oth sides. The teams lined out as follow: — Patea (blue): D. Hunt; L. Edwards Y. Zimmerman, J. Roberts: J. Craw 'ord, P. Bourke (1st); C. Gudgeon; K Sourke; Wills, Bremer, Baldwin lichards, McTaggart, Chas. Gudgeon, P .’ra.wford. United Old Boys (white): W. Cook ’. Lash, F. Adlam, L. Lash; R. Barlow Icnry; Jensen; S. Sheppard, H. Good .an/O’Keefe, A. Adlam, J. Murphy lughes, Hunwick and Thurston. Patea won the toss and Unitec :icked off against the sun but w’ith n< rind to contend against. Patea at acked, but penalty kicks for off-sid< day immediately allowed United to g( lown on to Patea’s line, where A Ldlam narrowly missed gaining points rom another free kick. Patea at empted to break' away with a move nent among the backs, but were helc lown until the ball came from a line .ut to Bourke, to Crawford, to Zimmer nan, who, handling nicely dummied his cay through with a burst of speed witl Edwards in support, handing on to Ed rards, who finished to score well out pith L. Lash on his heels. Bourke’f lick failed. From the kick-out, the whites wenl o the attack, until Gudgeon, securing an round to punt over Barlow’s head >ut K. Bourke failed to pick up and the whites ran up and Henry kicked t( ouch at the blues’ twenty-five again L free kick taken by Adlam just misse< ioints once more, and Hunt sent away o half-way with a good touch krk the line-out Wills and McTaggari Bd a dribbling rush. Lash market cell, but the blues were right on the ttack, and the blue backs figured in s assing movement which was stoppet •hen P. Bourke was caught in possesion, and the United forwards brought lay back to Patea’s twenty-five. Hare orward play continued in Patea’s ter itory. K. Bourke here had to come off rith his upper arm muscles strained nd J. Couch went on. After a few linutes on defence, the blues were re eved with a kick by Edwards to near alf-way, Bourke finding touch soo*

after in United ’s territory. From the line-out the blue backs were away but a forward pass halted the move. From a line-out at half-way Gudgeon sent out to Bourke, to Crawford, to Zimmerman, but a scrum was called. Coming round on the other side, Gudgeon fed Zimmerman and Edwards who gained ground only for the whites to intercept and a United forward push saw the blues put on the defence. Adlam received from Hughes and finished the forward move with a good try, F. Adlam’s kick failing. The blue forwards now came hard •town on the United’s defence and ensuing play was very willing right on the whites’ line. C. Wills forced his way but fell just short, and from following scrums the whites’ defence held well. From a penalty kick . from Bourke *s boot F. Adlam fielded and found touch at half-way. Again the blue pack came down on United’s line and Richards and Roberts went away, outpacing the white opponents for Roberts to go over. Hunt’s kick failed. From now until the call of half-time play centred with Patea attacking and play swung between half-way and United’s twenty-five. The white forwards once carried play down on to Patea’s line, but Hunt made a good save and Richards and Wills were seen in a good dribbling rush bringing play to half-way again when the whistle sounded. Patea kicked off in the second spell, and the blues wont to the attack, carrying play to United’s twenty-five, with both packs rucking well, until Roberts, McTaggart and Chas. Gudgeon dribbled the ball down to the white’s line, from where the white forwards broke away, led by Hughes and Adlam. The whites now pressed down on to Patea’s line, Patea having to force- From the kickout, a punt kick by Gudgeon was taken by Edwards' following up fast, but Cook fielded and sent down inside Patea’s twenty-five. Wills and McTaggart brought play to half-way where Edwards and Bourke gained possession to figure in a 40 yards run for Edwards to go over but a touch in goal saw a kirk-out at United’s twenty-five. From a forward struggle Lash came away to gain valuable ground and the ball went into touch at Patea’s twentyfive. From dangerous ground Gudgeon secured to send on to to his forwards who went to half-way. From a line-out Bourke sent to Edwards who raced away with a dash of his speed to outpace all opposition, punting over Cook’s head to score a brilliant try. Bourke’s kick fell short. Patea kept up the pressure until United retaliated with a series of forward rushes 'slowly gaining ground. From a mark close under the posts, Roberts found touch at Patea’s twentyfive. From the line-out the w r hite backs figured in their only real back passing movement, Jensen finishing off neatly to score half-way between the posts and corner. F. Adlam’s kick failed. United attacked with vigour and were right down on Patea’s line, when two attempts at potted goals only just failed, and play continued down in Patea’s territory until the whistle went two minutes later. Mr. A- E. Spratt refereed.