BRILLIANT REP. GAME.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17485, 20 August 1928, Page 4

BRILLIANT REP. GAME.

HAMILTON VICTORIOUS. MATAMATA THREE POINTS SHY. BRISK, OPEN PLAY. In a game Which, in its opening stages, looked a moral for Hamilton, the visiting Matamata team made a splendid recovery and lost by only three points at Rugby Park on Saturday. The Anal score was 17—14. The first half was characterised by patchy play in which the home side were patently superior. They had the best of the scrums and kept the pace fast. After the spell, however, the Matamata hacks opened up wonderfully and both sides piled -on points, the local players -wearing the visitors down in the last quarter. , ;The teams lined up as follow's: — Hamilton (black and gold)—Hawke, Sterrett, P. Clarkin, Collins, Fitzgerald, Gunn, Tuck, Brough, Priscott, H. Charleston, Reynolds, Robinson, Boneham, Ford and Mitchell (rover). Matatama (black). —Stewart, Story, Vosper, Kneebone, Egan, -Reisterer, G. Brown, Ayres, Oliver, Murray, Ensor, Main, Hope, Flutey and Baker (rover). The Opening Stages. Play opened warily, two line-outs following on the grandstand side. Vosper, the visiting centre, made a line rush upheld on receiving a clearance but the ball went out. P. ' Clarkin was rushed when In possession but relieved with a side-line kick. Fitzgerald and Mitchell were tracking for home in the Matamata twentylive hut Story grassed Gunn on the wing. ’The Hamilton backs lookeo promising and were watching the openings keenly. Securing from the tight, Gunn, the local half, kicked soundly upheld. Fitzgerald had eloped with the ball on the side-line when Stewart, the visiting full-hack, pulled him -down. Mitchell was called to take a penalty hut the oval went wide. Egan, first five-eighths for Matamata, shone out witti a well-placed line kick. Hamilton Open Account. Vosper took a mark from Mitchell’s penalty kick hut the local backs galloped goahvards. After a brief sortie H. Charleston was found oh the hall over the line. Mitchell converted brilliantly. Hamilton 5 Matamata 0 Obstruction tactics on Hamilton’s part saw Main taking a free kick, the ball sailing between the bars. Matamata • § Hamilton 3 Egan sent Vosper away after this and Story was nearly away on the wing but Sterrett brought him low.Main’s Second Goal. Clarkin was off-side following some spoiling movements and Main kicked another penalty for the visitors. Matamata. 3 Hamilton .. - • 3 Story shone out tn a dive up the line but again Hamilton -forced the ball out. The .visiting backs showed evidence of promising -combination but Reisterer proved a weak Jink twice. There was a brief spell of forward play in neutral territory until Clarkin sent the home backs away, the hall going out to -Collins, who was nabbed before he got his kick in As suit of a line-out Main led the visiting forwards up the 'northern touch. Hawke failed to stop the ball and the attackers were dangerously close but the visitors cleared safely. Local Backs Handle Well. ' . Hamilton made a wonderful break following an interception by Collins. H. Charleston received and Fitzgerald was heading for the goal but the ball was disappointingly knocked on. The setback, however, was only temporary. The local backs watched the ball like eagles and P. Clarkin allowed Tuck to gather in and fall on the ball for a try at the north-western corner. Mitchell failed to convert. Hamilton : 8 Matamata 6 Home Side Still In Lead. Collins, who was' -plaring cleverly,

nearly nipped through -on the side-line again but the collaring proved effective. The Hamilton rear division indulged in another snappy passing bout but Sterrett, on the wing, let the ball go over his shoulder. The local forwards were pressing solidly. Stewart received hut the hall .was smothered as the bell went. After the Interval. 1 Hamilton kicked off after the intermission and desultory play was evident until the Matamata rear brigade, refreshed after the breather, handled the ball well. Hamilton, however, adopted spoiling tactics and made a spirited assault on the Matamata defences. An infringement brought play back to midfield. Visitors’ Hot Attack. Vosper, receiving from Egan, sent Kneebone, who has a reputation for speed, out on . the side-line. However, the wing went out on the corner. A minute later Flutey was nearly through and Hamilton began to be seriously worried. Hawke was forced to clear twice and Matamata kept the pressure up.' Collins raced magnificently upfield hut was downed in the Matamata twenty-five. Matamata had not yet lost sight of scoring possibilities, and attacked yet again. Matamata Turn Tables. Flutey heat two men and flew over at the north-western corner. Main’s kick was abortive. Matamata 9 Hamilton 8 Hamilton had it all their ora way in the next brief spell. Fitzgerald sped towards the uprights but the movement was unsupported. Gunn took a shot at goal from a mark inside the Matamata twenty-five hut the -ball veered from its destined course. Rapid Scoring Continues. 11. Charleston and Mitchell made several efforts to work the blind side. Finally Priscott nipped over the goal neatly. Mitchell -failed with an easy short kick. Hamilton 11 Matamata 9 Vosper opened up play from midfield and presented the leather to Reisterer who, speeding upheld, transferred to Kneebone on the wing who went over at the south-western corner to run round and s-core,behind the posts. Main converted with a fine kick. Matamata 14 Hamilton .... 11 Offside play on Matamata’s part gave the home side occasional advantages which were not ignored, a virile fol-lowing-up movement eventuating. The Hamilton backs looked like scoring once or twice hut Matamata managed to cause a reverse—play resuming in midfield. Fitzgerald and Tuck were sweeping upfield majestically but Mitchell knocked on and the movement was frustrated. Kicks were exchanged liberally, until the play settled down. Story showed up well - following a hook-out from the scrum. Three Hamilton men endeavoured to grass him but-he got in a fine kick before going over. Flutey and Vosper were exchanging passes neatly, the latter kicking- to the other side. Hamilton Make Honours Even. The Hamilton backs were in the picture shortly after and were determined to equalise. Finding the ball unattended about five yards from the line, Collins gathered up and ducked in and went over at the corner. Clarkin was unable to -convert. Hamilton 14 Matamata 14 Collins Again In Picture. A couple of long clearing kicks saw Stewart -making for the ball to return in the Matamata twenty-five. Baker hindered him and the ball bounced over the goal-line into the corner. Collins followed up swiftly and fell on the leather. Hawke could not convert. f Hamilton 17 Matamata 14 Hamilton had not tired of attacking but the visitors on the other hand were beginning to feel the pace. Sterrett was -prominent in a speedy dash and Gunn cut in nicely and was almost over the fine. When the bell went

Hamilton we-re-still ready to score. The final tallies stood at—--7 Hamilton 17 Matamata 14 The referee was Mr F. Tooman. NOTES AND COMMENTS. In view of the fact that the forward and rear divisions of the Hamilton pack -contained several strangers, the team did very well. Matamala, on the other hand, was unable to field some of the forwards selected. The rover and half-back, also were lastminute men. The home backs, Fitzgerald, Collins and Tuck were ever in the running and put in some fast, pretty field work. Main, Vosper, Reisterer and Story did most for the visiters. The play w#s mostly of an open nature and kept the spectators at a high pitch of excitement. THE BINNIE CUP. WON BY CITY (HAMILTON). The City Club (Hamilton) met Rovers, Waipa’s champion club, for posession of the Binnie Cup, and won as they liked. It was only a question of how much they would win by after the flijjt quarter. For the winners Courtney, Brown (2), G. Christie (2), Skeet (2), and Buckingham scored tries. Allen converted one and Going kicked a penalty goal. Mr D. G. Freeman was referee. WAIPA v. OTOROHANGA. ! There was some good football in j Albert Park, Te Awamutu, on Saturl day afternoon, when Waipa senior j reps, met Otorohanga. Waipa won by 13 points to nil, but were somewhat lucky to come out of it so well. Otorohanga played well, but had no luck at all. For Waipa, A. Johnson potted a goal in the first ten minutes. Later Aspin, Rodgers and Head scored tries, none of which was converted. Mr J. W. Williams was referee. MORRINSVILLE v. CAMBRIDGE. A friendly rep. match between the Cambridge and Morrinsville seniors was played on the Cambridge ground on Saturday. The weather was fine, but the gathering of' spectators was -not large. The game was not particularly interesting, the greater part of the'plyay being confined to the forwards. The visitors did not put up such a good showing as was expected, considering they came fresh from the victory for the Peace Cup against such a strong combination as the Hamilton team. The game resulted in a win for the visitors by 18 points to 9. Although the Cambridge soore was only half that of the visitors, they had quite an equal share of the game territorially. Thomas and Anderson were not included in the visiting team. The teams were as follows: Morrinsville. Marshall, Harnett, Robson, Campbell, Mallett, Mulcahy, O’Brien, Howard, Leeson, Haycock, G. Cameron, Turner, A. Cameron, J. Brown, 'Griffiths, Cambridge.—Foster, Morei-ce, Bluck, Thompson, Seabourne, Sbaw, T. Dagg, W. Bourke, Wallis, J. Dagg, D. Bourke, McLeish, F. Shaw, Miller, Tyer. ~, For the visitors tries were scored by A. Cameron, Robson, Howard (2). Marshall converted three of the tries. W. Bourke and R. Shaw scored a try each for Cambridge, and W. Bourke kicked a goal from a -penalty. Mr W. Webber was referee. The visiting team was entertained to dinner by the Cambridge Rugby Union. THIRD GRADE. CAMBRIDGE v. OLD BOYS. A very good match, between the Cambridge Third Grade fifteen and the Hamilton Old Boys was played as a curtain raiser to the senior game. The play was interesting throughout, both ■ sides opening up the game. The O-ld Boys proved too good for the local team and won by 13 points to 8. Wilkes, Wilson and Missen scored tries for the visitors, the first two • being converted by Nelly and Wilson i respectively. Death scored for Cambridge and Cowley converted. Cow- : ley also kicked a penalty goal, t *Mr Vause was referee. I L AT MORRINSVILLE. MORRINSVILLE, Saturday. Morrinsville junior representatives, : 3, beat Cambridge, 0; Hamilton fourth • grade, 3, drew with Morrinsville third grade, 3. j GAMES AT AUCKLAND. ‘ AUCKLAND, Saturday. In the Pollard Cup match— Manukau 22 beat Tramways 0. j 1 City 7 beat Ponsonby 6. Marlsts 41 beat Newton 3. Grammar 39 beat Shore 0. Technical Old Boys G heat Suburbs : 4. ’ College Rifles 14 beat Marathon '3.