RANGITAIKI WINS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 56, 30 August 1939, Page 8

RANGITAIKI WINS

GAME AT PUKEKOHE LOSERS MISS OPPORTUNITIES Be a ten by two points—l wo tries, one converted, and a penalty goal, to three unconverted tries —not by a better tcani 5 but by a lack of gen. eralship the employment of tactics which played right into the hands of its opponents and the failure to accept opportunities which "were handed to it. These were just some of the reasons why the South Auckland Rugby team went down to Rangitaiki representatives on Satur(say, says the Franklin Times of August 21. The visitors came from the Bay of Plenty with a great reputation for winning matches and on Saturday that reputation was not besmirched. They returned with yet another scalp in their bag, collected in a new coun try for it was the first occasion that a team from the Bay had stepped on to the potato patch. The Bay was not at full strength, at least two of its Maori All Blacks having to stand down on account of injuries and illness. Eddie Howell, captain of tlieMaori team which toured Fiji last year, and a mercurial was nursing ar. injured ankle, while W. Kaipara who exploits the dive pass to perfection was unable to play on account of an attack of boils. Their presence would have made a great difference, but without them the visitors, especially in the first spell, proved that they are capable of staging .brilliant "Rugby. Tn, the lirst half they had much the better of things and piled up 11 points. The work of the Rangitaiki forwards appeared much more businesslike than that of the South Auckland pack. Carter, a big rugged forward, excelled in line out and loose vrork and frequently sent his backs away, while Whiteley (the team captain) , was another grand forward who gave a good all-round exhibition. In tlie backs M. Lees, Rati ma, Renata, and Francis were outstanding. The firstnamed when he scored his try made the South defence appear very feeble He raced between Loughrin and Piekanl and when approaching Dew changed direc'ion tc score a great solo try. First to score was Rangitaiki, when C. Francis kicked a lovely, goal from over .HO yards out. Rangitaiki went into action like tradesmen and for a time the forwards consistently won the ball from scrums and lineouts, with the result that the backs were seen in some sparkling movements. Eventually, alter a good run by Renata a ruck formed from AvhicU the Pukekohe forwards cleared brief- ' ly, but T. Leeg got the ball from the line.out and sent on to R. Howell, who -whipped round the blind side and passed to Renata, the winger selling a perfect dummy and going on to score. Francis missed. (6-0), Rangitaiki still adopted aggressive tactics and threw the ball about In grand style. It was entertaining Rugbv. From a scrum near halfway the ball shot out to who swung a long pass to Ratima, to M. Lees, who ran past the opposition, and when confronted by Dow, chanted direction infield and raced away to score under the bar without n hand having been laid on him. It was a brilliant effort. The scorer added the extras and at half-time the score was Rangitaiki 11 South Auckland ....... 0 South Auckland claim to be able to give any . team ten points and beat them on this field, and th -y showed their claim had sorue substance in the second half. However, they were not quite good enough. They scored three tries, two to Dunn 'Uid one to Vosailagi.