LOOKING BACKWARD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 39, 30 January 1946, Page 8

LOOKING BACKWARD

RUGBYITE TURNS CRICKETER ALL-ROUNDER ‘BONES' ROACH Says the Star in its sporting edition last Saturday:— ? J Back in the palmy days of Wairarapa when the Ranfurly Shield, emblem of provincial supremacy, was on show in Bert Cooke’s shop in Masterton Wairarapa’s well-per-

formed fullback was tall, rangy Lambert Roach. Nowadays, Roach, after service with the New Zealand Division in the Middle East, is stationed at Whakatane and although ? 9 Ills football days are over, he is still playing a decent game of cricket. Opening bat for the Bay of Plenty representatives last season Roach lias been showing good form again this year and he should have little difficulty in retaining his place, in the representative team. In the heyday of Wairarapa Rugby when the district could held eleven All Blacks in its representative side, Roach was rated as one of the finest fullbacks in the country. His physique was against him but throughout his long club and representative career he rarely if. ever left the held through injuries. Roach figured in many exciting Ranfurly Shield matches, but probably the most sensational was the famous “Battle of Solway” in 1927. Wairarapa /had. lifted the Shield from the Hawke’s Bay men in the first match of the season after Norman McKenzie’s Magpies had set a new record by withstanding 24 consecutive challenges. Cooke, “Bull” Irvine

and Jimmy Mill, incidentally, had transferred from the Bay to the Wairarapa that s. sson. Hs wke’s Bay beat Wairarapa 21—10, Roach scoring one of. Wairarapa’s two tries from fullback. Apart from other things the match was notable for the fact that H. J. McKenzie the 9 well known referee, took a lirm hand and ordered off the i.c*. two famous All Blacks M. J. Brownlee Bay 9 9 captain, and Q. Donald, Wairarapa. Wally/ Barclay an old Bay representative, who had played in Auck-i land earlier-in the season, however 7 # 9 had not fullilled his residential qualifications and Wairarapa won the Shield on a protest. Roach, who went overseas with an early reinforcement draft, continued to take a keen and active interest in Rugby when he. finished his playing days, and lie served as coach referee and 9 junior selector for Wairarapa.