RUGBY FOOTBALL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 97, 10 August 1943, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

HURINUI APANUI SHIELD

ROTORUA BEATS WHAKATANE

Rotorua successfully staved off a challenge, by Whakatane, Avhen they played their first game in defence of the To Hurinui Apanui Shield, which they won from Tauranga a lortnight ago, at Rotorua on Saturday. The game Avas played in ideal weather and there. Avas a large crowd present. The standard of play was slightly disappointing, but the final score, (J-3 in Rotorua's favour Avas a fairly good indication of the play. The teams Avcre: —■ Rotorua (bladk): Johnson, Chillis,, Carroll, Spivey. Davis Steven, Hooper, Muir, Hapeta, Robertson., Henderson, Jacobs, Rauwhero, Rope, Kyle. Whakatane (royal blue): Sykes,, Hill, Mitchell, L. McCready, Boyntoh, Kahu, W. McCready, Marra,, Moore, Haumati, Angus, Cleland, Hayward, Merito, Dunstan. . Rotorua kicked off in the face of a strong sun and a stiff northerly wind, and Avith these against them were kept on the defensive for the greater jjart of the final, spell. The Whakatane forwards broke up very quickly from the scrums and W. McCready, the halfback Avas feeding his backs .well. Penalty (kicks A\ r cre being awarded freely but. none Ave re taken advantage of. Near the end of the. lin4; spell Boynton snapped up the ball and dived over wide out after a line dribbling rUsli d.OAvnlielil by the Whakatane forwards. Mitchell missed the. kick. Hall-time came soon after Avith the score: Whakatane 3, Rotorua 0. With the Avind anil sun behind them in the second spell Rotorua began to slioav more dash and enterprise and slowly began to gain the upper hand. Rotorua's first points came at the end of a brilliant, back movement in Avhich the whole back line handled the balj, culminating in running very determinedly,, scoring wide out. Kyffe failed to convert. Whakatane 3 Rotorua 3. The Rotorua backs Avere now getting much more of the ball and they lodked, likely to go over again a few minutes later but a promising movement broke up Avhen. Carroll sent a poor pass to Spivey, when in a scoring position. Then Hooper,, the Rotorua half, gathered the ball in,, sent it. on to Davis, avlio was being well marked, and so through the Avhole rearguard for Chillis to finally race, round, anil score a line try. Steven missed the kick. Rotorua 6„ Whakatane 3. Whakatane made strenuous efforts to score in the closing , stages, and excitement ran high Avhen Kahu,and Mitchell engaged in a fine passing bout beat their Avay past the Rotorua defence and with no one in front made for the Rotorua line. Chillis rapidly overhauled. Mitchell, however and grassed him. live yards short of the. line. Again Whakatane attacked and Angus Avas unlucky, Avhen talking a pass from/ W. McCready, he was. pushed into touch a fcAV yards short of the line. At this stage Robertson, one of the Ro- i torua front row men Avent 6ff Avith; an injured ankle. He avus replaced by Laybourne. There AA T as no further score and played ended, on the Whakatane 25 yard mark with the. score-' board reading:— Rotorua • Whakatane :i Mr T. Donovan (Te Puke) Avas

referee. Fox- Whakatatie, Mitchell was the best back, getting through a wonderful amount of work. MeCready brothers both played consistently well, while Sy'kes was sound at fullback, though perhaps a little slow. In the forwards Merito, Moore, Hajward, CI el and and Matui worked like tigers throughout. Moore showed a tendency to play offside, but has won a place in the Bay lU'Ji 1 • team to meet Waikaio on Satuidaj next. THE BAY v WAIKATO BAY TEAM SELECTED The following team has been , selected to represent Hay ol Plenty against Waikato at Rotorua on Saturday:— Fullback: Sherlock (Tauranga). Three-quarters: Childs (Rotorua), Davis (Rotorua), Jacobs (Tauranga). Five-eighths: Stevens (Rotorua). Mortimer (Tauranga). (Continued in neit column)

Halfback: Hooper (RotoruaX. Front Row: Muir (Rotorua),. Hapata (Rotorua),, Ross (Tauranga). Middle Row: Rope (Rotorua), Jacobs (Rotorua), Mills (Tauranga), Moore (Whakatane). Last Man Down: Stevens (Tauranga). Emergencies (forwards): Hauwhero (Rotorua), Hay ward ("Whakatane), Henderson (Rotorua). Badis Te Ivani (Tauranga), Tata (Tauranga),, Carrol (Rolorua). WHAKATANE v OPOTIKI NEXT SATURDAY'S MATtJ? Whakatane team to play? Opotiki at Waimana at 2 o'clock next Sat-v urday:— ; Sykes; Hill, Mitchell,. H. McCready, McCready; D. Boynton;.' Matiu, Angus, Gardiner; Dunstan, Haumati, Hughes; 4 Majra* Emergencies: H. Nv^ u » Barlow, Jim Brown. ' ' ■ ' Jl , Referee, A. K. Bell.,