WANGANUI RUGBY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 181, 5 August 1935, Page 5

WANGANUI RUGBY

K4IERAU INVINCIBLE OLD BOYS FAIL AGAIN MA It IST BL AT WAVERLEY ANOTHER WIN FOR RATANA Kaierau established a conclusive grip on the Metropolitan Rugby championship on Saturday by defeating Wanganui and Old Boys by 11 points to three, in a ma ten which distributed territorial honours evenly. The maroons' ladder positioning was further improved by Marist defeating Waveney by four to three. Racana accounted for Pirates by 14 points to 11 in a match which the blacks lost through their own shortcomings rather than because of Ratana s good play. Saturday s matches place Kaierau in an impregnable position so far as the Cup is concerned. They have a clear five points’ lead of Waverley and three matches have yet to be played. Waverley must win a.l its engagements and the maroons can allord to lose two out of three and still be a point to the good. The teams now stand in the follow-

QUICK SPOILING HOW KAIERAU SUCCEEDED OPPOSING BACKS J? AIL A policy of frustrating the opposition no-in playing tne bail won Kaierau tau iuulcli against Old Boys. That, plus an ocasronal finding of weakness in the defence of tne Old Boj s backs, justly entitled tne ma roons to the victory gained, thougn, from a territorial standpoint, the g.uuu was remarkably even. Jacit Morgan’s ability as a kicker, though it lias certainly faded a good deal mis year, was responsible for swelling the margin of points. He converted two tries Horn uilticult angles and Kicked a penalty. AH three kicks were hard. There was one exceptionally bright move in the match, ft occurred immediately after the second spell opened, the bail travelling alc-ng die chain of Old Boys’ backs xor JNTcholis to register in Inc corner. It was reminiscent of Old Boys at liieir best, and was the one occasion on whicu Kaierau failed in the poucy of Lustration it had entrusted lu such playeis as bimpson, Lockett and Co. Jl Old Boys hooked the ball, tne quick fanning out of the maroon pack and the wondvrful backing up of the Kaierau back line, set Old Boys far too stiff a task to get through. It was like Hammering at a rock. Only once throughout tne whole match was Olliver, me maroon full-back, called upon for anything in the way of ticklish play, so effective was the defence in irout of him. Whenever Old Boys moved away in a passing rush Kaierau would spcii, and, having spoiled, D. Jones, the maroon first live-eighths, or Congreve, second, would quickly turn defence into attack. Jones and Congreve both found gaps in the opposing defence, and those discoveries led to tries. The first try of tire match was due to such an opening by Congreve ami the last to a run-away sprint, by Jones who was let clear. The teams were:— Kaierau (maroon).—Olli ver; .Smith, -Morgan, Burgess; Congreve and D. Jones; Spoonei; Lockett; .Simpson, Firmin, Pleasants, Le Levre; Scrconibe, Stewart and 1., Jones. Wanganui and Old Boys (red and black). — Oldham; Dickie, BullockDouglas, Farley; Nicholls ami Sharpe; Hunter; Cave; Moffett, Mclntyre, Bt’eere, Pleasants; Halligan, Clay and M eGregor. Kaierau scored a nice try five minutes after the start. Congreve broke through and made a clean opening. Oldham tackled him and the bad travelled across to- the corner, where Burgess fell on it to score. Al organ's

kick failed. —Kaierau 3, Old Boys 0. Kaierau attacked solidly for tire next ten minutes, and. following an attempt to pot a goal by -Morgan Lockett and Stewart were nearly over, Old Beys gelling out, of difficulty Avith a free kick. A penalty to Kaierau gave Morgan his chance and, from well out, with a splendid kick he found the the uprights. —Kaierau G, Uld Boys 0. Old Boys opened the second spell with a brilliant back movement, the thrust to which was brought, by the presence of Dickie in the five eighths line. He badly locl-ed the opposition and provided the overlap for Nicholls to finish strongly wide out. The kick failed.—Old Boys 3, Kaierau 6. The maroons came away with a dribbling rush which went right to Old Boys’ line. Bullock-Douglas retaliated with a short dribble and play was transferred to Kaierau’s twentv-live. A free kick came rhe attackers’ wav.

but Bullock-Ddfigtas failed from an easy position, limned lately after the maroons set up another dribbling rush which went right back to Old Boys’ twenty-iive, where Firmin broke away and was hauled down on the line. Two live-yard scrums resulted, and Old Boys were lucky to force. Flay fluctuated considerably and Morgan had his inevitable pot at goal, which fell .short for Mofiitt to clvar. Lockett, retired with a head injury ami was replaced by M. Jones. Five minutes later, when Old Boys forwards were thrusting hard in Kaierau territory, D. Jones was let through and he ran more than half the length of the field to score. Dickie, Bullock-Douglas and Oldham set off in pursuit and Dickie flopped on him as he grounded the ball. From awav cut on the side-line Morgan goaled.— Kaierau 11, Old Boys ”, Old Boys tried hard to reduce the leeway, but the game ended without, further store. Mr. N. Reid was the referee. THEIR OWN MISTAKES WHY PIRATES FAILED DROPPED PASSES, WLAK KICKING Weak tackling in the first spell let Ratana estab.ish a solid lead against Pirates. The blacks simply stood and looked at the Maori bucks moving into action, and there could be but one result from inactivity of that type. Ratana players were out to profit by every mistake made, and to confirm the fact Sam J’aki, that veteran genius, playing on the wing, scored a runaway try, beating the whole field with a turn of speed which must have made many a younger player wonder about his own form. In the second spell the Maoris tired considerably, and when Pirates had chances more or less their own way they suffered from an epidemic of dropped passes and weak goal kicking. Time after time the handling let them down. Selfishness at wrong moments, badly flung passes, erratic holding of the ball —it, was mistake after mistake, and, in one sense, the blacks were lucky to pull to within three points of the winners.

Jack Duncan made a we.come reappearance behind the black pack, and but for him the score against Pirates in the first spell wouh have been considerably bigger. He made a big difference to the black on attack, too, and it was ironical that after such fruitful feeding from the base of the scrum, the other blacks should fail to make good. The teams were:—

Ratana (red, while and blue). — I’anau; S. l’aki, Alaihi, Tanirau; Meremere, I’ene: Taretana; Itatahi; Erueti. Kakau, Teie,. E. Hui (capt.); llaapu, Uruangina, llauparoa.

Pirates (black). —Stewart; Berryman, McPike, Inglis; McGrath, Rowan; Duncan Head; Ped ey, McNeil, Grayson, Kcnch, Lind, Thompsdu and Howes.

Katana scored immediately following the kick-oil', Kakau getting over aftei a forward scramble. Eu roti’s kick, from away out near touch, was h beauty.—Katana 5. Pirates 0. The blacks stood and watched the Maori backs function, and Alaihi, with two men outside him, scoied near the corner. The kick failed.— Katana S, Pirates 0. The blacks infringed in the scrum two minutes later and Eureti kicked another goal.—Katana 11, Pirates 0. Sam Paki distinguished his return to Rugby by gathering in the ball on the bounce. following a wild pass to Ing.is. The Maori winger deiied the deience and scored wide out. Eureti’s] kick failed.—Katana 11, Pirates u. The blacks had really had the best of the game from ‘a territorial standpoint, and tu prove the fact they scored just before half-time. McGratn made an opening, and following two or three attempts to change direction, the most effective of which was handled by Grayson, Berryman went up to the goal, lie lost possession when over the line, but McPike flashed up and scored. The kick failed.—Pirates Katana 14. Such was the score at halt' time. lhe blacks set up a series of long attacks in lhe second spell. The third free kick at goal came Pirates’ way, but Inglis, who relieved Head and Lind, could do no better than they. Duncan, McNeil and Inglis handled on the blind side of the scrum for the winger to score under the cross-bar. The scorer’s kick was successful.— Pirates 8, Katana 14. Pirates had the beat of things territorially, but. threw away two tries by lault handling. Another penalty came the biacks’ way and McNeil succeeded where other ‘kickers had failed.— Pirates JI, Katana 1-1. Inglis had another shot at goal from wide out but it tailed like the others and the game ended without further score. Air. G. Thrush was the referee. MARIST’S NARROW WIN GREEN FOEWARDS TOO GOOD HOME HACKS HANDICAPPED Mnrist forwards were too good for Waverl-ey. That was t lie real factor which governed the green victory on Saturday, though it must net be forgotten that Waverlcy lost a ridiculously easy kick at goal which would

J have given the home team victory by a point. It was out) of those “too i easy” shots waich cause good goalkickers to doubt whether txiey were ever worthy of the name. Playing to instructions, the Marist backs had the home rearguard well buttled up. Whenever the bail reached Campbell he was “in tne bag” al the same lime. A further handicap to Waverley was an injury suft'ereu by Thomas uarly rn the game. He strained a ligament, ana had to play on the wing. Eventually he had to leave tne held altogether, and his absence badly unaid tire combination in the Waverley back line. Connelly f who played a great game for Marist full-uack, aiso siinered injury to an ankle half-way through the second s r eil. He expects it to be sound again by to-day. ihe outstanding player on the Marist side was Connor, who lillvd three positions at different times throughout the game—wing threc-quairrr, live-eighths and, finally, iull-oaclc. In all lie did remarkably well. Campbell and Petersen figured in a stylish piece of passing which led to Waverley’s try, out the back attacks were nearly all frustrated by quick Marist spoiling. The move which won Waverley reward was one of the exceptions. Petersen and Campbell did a great deal of work on defence. Petersen scored Waverley’s try right under the cross-bar, ground the bail as he was hauled down. Instead of taking the kick himself, he felt that it would be better to entrust it to Campbell. It failed I Connelly had a shot at goal from a penalty, tho ball hitting a post -and bouncing the wrong way. It fell io T. McCashin to win the match. Time after time the Marist backs tried to get through, out they lacked penetrative ability. McCashin, at this stage drop-kicked a neat goal and the score at hafl-tima was.—Mai its 4, Waverley Both teams attacked and defended in turn throughout a scoreless second spell. Mr. W. Molan was referee.

ng order: — p. W. 1.. D. Pts Kaierau 9 S i) 1 17 Waverley .. .. 9 (> 0 .12 Old Boys 9 4 4 1 9 Marisl* 10 4 3 1 9 J 'i rales Hl P. 5 2 <S Katana .19 4 6 0 S Tech. Oiti Boys 9 17 1 3