COMBINED RAILWAY RUGBY TEAM DEFEATS SOUTHERN DISTRICT

Wanganui Chronicle, 21 August 1950, Page 2

COMBINED RAILWAY RUGBY TEAM DEFEATS SOUTHERN DISTRICT

MARTON, Last Night (OC).— The unusual spectable of a player scoring points for both sides occurred in the railway Rugby trial match at Marton Park this afternoon, when the combined Western and Middle Districts team defeated Southern Districts by It points to nine. The player responsible for this extraordinary feat was Remihana (Haivera). Remihana took the field as the full-back for the combined team and in the first few minutes of the game kicked a penalty. Later in the cpell he switched to the full-back position of the Southern side and finished the game as the centre. It was in the latter position in the last minute of play that he kicked a penaly goal for Southern. Actually the game was not a true indication of the relative strength of the two teams. The selectors, in their endeavour to sort out the best of the material rung on the changes at frequent intervals and gave all the reserves a game. The players chopped and changed their positions throughout the game and to add to the confusion, some of the combined players played for the Southern side after half time and vice versa. However, the talent paraded disclosed that the southern portion of the North Island will be able to field a formidable side. The game opened at a cracking pace but after the first ten minutes, the standard of play deteriorated. While the players were fresh the ball was thrown around in grand style to the enjoyment of the spectators. The combined team owed their victory to the superiority of their threequarter line. Parkes (Taihape), McClenaghan (Hawera) and Pearce (Taihape) were a formidable trio. The tall McClenaghan, at centre, had ample pace and an eye for an opening, and twice he made brilliant breaks for the wingers to clap on the pace to score. The combined team m!"ht easily have improved their tally had the centre not been troubled with slinnery fingers. Western opened the scoring when Remihana kicked a penalty goal and this score was advanced to six when Pearce, on the wing, scored after McClenaghan had made the opening. The first five-eighths, Akaplta (Ohakune), made a fine break up the centre of the field, passed to the forward, Head (Wanganui), who showed surprising speed to outpace his opponents in the race to the goal line.—Combined 9. Southern 0. This was the half-time score. The captain of the Southern team, Gardiner (Napier), playing at first flve-eirhth-. slipped through an opening after receiving possession from a scrum and waltzed his way over for a pretty try. A few minutes later, from scrambling play beneath the combined posts, he forced his way across to m"l:e the score: Combined 9, Southern 6. The final try of the day was tlie result of another fine effort by McClena- ” ghan. who made the opening and Parkes, on the wing, had sufficient speed to race to the goal line, where he scored under the posts for Mumm (Te Kuiti) to add the extra points. Right on time, Remihana, now playing for Southern, kicked a good penalty after Wilson (Wairoa) had missed with two earlier shots. The find score was: Western and Middle Districts 14, Southern 9. Mr. R. Penn was the referee.