RUGBY FOOTBALL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 202, 21 August 1940, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SOME NOTES AND COMMENTS SHIELD GAME REVIEWED Opotiki's victoi'y over Rangitaiki on Saturday should indirectly assist Bay of Plenty football. For a long time now Rangitaiki has held the Ilurinui Shield and while that Union should be congratulated on its long-term run of success in continually staving off challenges throughout the years, a monopoly does nothing to encourage competition. It was because of this that the Rangitaiki Union so sportingly handed the Shield back last year.' In the four Shield games this year, that is before Saturday's contest, Rangitaiki was hardly extended to retain the trophy and indications pointed to yet another year's retention. Rangitaiki has the right of challenge and the game, if it eventuates, will be worth travelling a long way to sec. ' at » # ■ Opotiki's win was in no small measure due to the inside backs, Lendrum, W. Moore and Mihaere. These three players revealed a great understanding, combining well *at all times. Lendrum is one of the best half-backs in the Bay of Plenty at the present time and enthusiasts would look forward to the forthcoming Auckland game with a deal more confidence if he were behind the scrum. This player is about as. easy to hold as an eel. On one occasion during the Rangitaiki match he collected the ball and was immediately swamped by a loose scrum. About fourteen footballers struggled in a heap and Lendrum was presumed to be underneath the pile. Ten seconds later he appeared at the rear of the Rangitaiki portion of the forward mix-up—and he had the ball. W. Moore is an ideal attacking first five-ieighth and in this role he was seen to advantage on Saturday. His defensive play had £een said to be of doubtful standard but he showed u» well in this department. He tackles solidly and is not afraid to go low for his man. Mihaere combined almost perfectly with Moore, but this, at times appeared to be at the expense of a better and more profitable movement through the centre, and wings. However, a heady player, Mihaere, turned on a splendid exhibition. % Koopu, Opotiki centre, played u good all round game. The wingers, Sheeran and C. Walker, were also responsible for first class displays. The pack got through a solid afternoon's work in highly creditable style. Whatman, Poihipi and Albert showed' to advantage, with veteran Newth also plugging along in work manlike fashion. *• » For Rangitaiki, Francis played his usual solid game and his touch finding was well up to the hign standard which he has set himself. In this department, at- least, he is the pick of the Bay fullbacks. m »• - • • Renata did not. get i* chance to- do much but he put in one good run in the final stages,, when Rangitaiki was pressing hard. R. Lees and Gardner also lacked opportunities, making the best of a bad position. M. Lees was responsible for a consistent exhibition but McCraclcen has plas r ed better games. This player has the makings of a first class five-eighth, never standing flat-foot-ed, but his cutting-in, which has paid a dividend many times;, was out of order 011 Saturday. Two or three times he swerved through but each time found himself up' against an impenetratable Avail of what must have appeared to him like three Opotiki teams. Several times more might have resulted had he sent the ball away to the wingers. * * + »• Howell was sound at half and 1'; Lees once again drew attention to his right of inclusion in the Bay of Plenty team. Woods was a tireless I worker and jDlayed a game much on the lines of that against Tauranga, on which performance he 1 was deemed class enough for th? I

Bay reps. Phillips is a good type of forward and showed, out avcll. Some times he showed out too well and the referee would need to have keen very short-sighted to allow i-'ie offside business. Eagerness for the fray was responsible for this ■ fault, and there were worse forwards on the ground than Phillips. » * « « Schooner, Whitely, Tama, Conn, and Kakalio played their usual solid games, and these players are known well enough to dispense with elaboration on that point. With one or two exceptions Rangitaiki could still field a pack good enough for the Bay of Plenty. • * « » Summing up, no excuse can be made for Rangitaiki. Per-> haps if the factor of luck were measured f>potiki might have had! a shade the better of the balance', otherwise it was a straight-out win. It seemed that Rangitaiki took their opponents too easily to start bull it might be that the. superiority; of the Opotiki boys created that impression. If nothing else, the defeat will do Rangitaiki a lojj of good.