ARMY RUGBY

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 1, 3 May 1940, Page 4

ARMY RUGBY

Trial Match Played Ngaruawahia Team • Wins VICTORY OVER PAPAKURA A Rugby trial match between teams representing the Papakura and Ngaruawahia Military Camps was played at the Show Grounds on 23rd April under ideal weather conditions and in the presence of about 4000 spectators, a large majority of , whom were soldiers from the respective camps. The Ngaruawahia fifteen proved successful by 14 . points to 3. In view of the fact that both teams were depleted through the absence of players suffering from the effects of vaccination the standard of play was good. The teams filed on to the field to the accompaniment of loud cheering, jSecond-Lieutenant C. S. Pepper leading Ngaruawahia and 'Corporal S. Hadley captaining Papakura. As the teams reached the centre of the field the Papakuia Military Band, under the conductorship of Captain J. Buckley, played a verse of the National Anthem, an impressive spectacle being the standing to attention . of the teams, the soldiers and the spectators., ( • The trial was confined to soldiers 1 of the second echelon, with but the < few exceptions of third echelon men being called upon to fill vacancies ] caused by the arm soreness of those < who would otherwise have been in- ] eluded. ( The Ngaruawahia team, which wore red and black jerseys, thoroughly deserved its victory. The forwards were (

heavier and did better in the rucks and on the line-outs, while the backs were a superior combination. They passed more accurately and found gaps in the defence and but for a tendency of the inside men to hold on a fraction too long and kick when openings presented themselves, the side would have scored more points. The most prominent backs in the. Ngaruawahia team were R. F. Kinder (fullback) whose handling of the ball and line-finding were very accurate, J. Campbell (centre), who made some nice openings, one of which led to a try by a forward, and R. Paterson, wing-threequarters, formerly a Wellington representative. C.-S. Pepper, H. O. Crawford-Smith and H.. Jonhson were conspicuous in a hardworking pack. Compared with the opposing, backs the Papakura rear division was weak. The half-back, M. Shalfoon, and centre, K. J. Hanna, did good individual work, but there was a lack of understanding and too much kicking, with the result that the wingers, D. Flett (former Auckland representative) and J. R. McKenzie, had no chances on attack. Flett did some-good defensive work, his speed and sound tackling saving his side several times. The Papakura forwards worked hard under the , able leadership of Hadley, who outhooked Johnson, the ex-Ponsonby front-row man. The pack gained a lot' of valuable ground only to see it repeatedly , lost through mistakes and weak, tackling of the inside backs. Tries for Ngaruawahia were scored ' by Watson, Crawford-Smith and Cossey. Evans . converted one try and • kicked a penalty goal. Shalfoon kicked a penalty goal for Papakura. Major J. G. C. Wales was referee. ' Chaplain-General G. V. Gerard, an ex-South Island representative, and

Second-Lieutenant A. G. BullockDouglas, Sergeant-Major F. Solomon and Gunner W. Batty, three former New Zealand representatives, who assisted in the selection of the two teams were close followers of the form of the players, Sergeant-Major Solomon being one of the line umpires.