DUNDERDALE CUP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 82, 5 June 1946, Page 5

DUNDERDALE CUP

HIGH CLASS RUGBY GAME WHAKATANE CAPTURES TROPHY TENSE CONTEST AT TE TEKO All roads led to Te Teko last Monday afternoon when before a crowd estimated at eight hundred people, one of the finest exhibition games of Cup football was witnessed in the annual encounter for the Dunderdale Gup between the Whakatane and Rangitaiki Unions. The result, a well-deserved win to Whakatane has brought the coveted trophy to the local Union after being held for many years by the stalwart Plains reps.

Whakatane fielded the best rep. team seen from this end for many years, and there can be no doubt, but that if the same combination, or something approaching it can be preserved, the representative fixtures should reach an excellent standard as Club football tapers off. Rangitaiki missed many prominent men from their ranks, and at all times were badly bustled by Whakatane’s pack of spoiling forwards. Determined rallies by the defenders, alone saved the score from mounting to cricket proportions, but the Plains pack was no match for its battling opponents, who were backed by a spectacular line. The Rangitaiki backs were, in themselves, worthy of better support from the van, but they too, with one or two notable exceptions, appeared to lack the sting of former years. The narrow margin between the points was not a true indication of the play, which was waged for sev-enty-five per cent of the time in Rangitaiki’s half. Outstanding in the back line for Whakatane were Laurie, Cave and McCready. Fowell gave an excellent exhibition at half, whilst in the forward division Harawira, Cleland and Semmens were prominent.

For Rangitaiki, Lees 'gave a spectacular exhibition in the back line, ably supported by Jacobsen and Ngaheu. Raureti saved his team on numerous occasions whilst the best men in the pack were Burke, Waldergrave and Gardiner. The Game The teams lined out as under:— Rangitaiki (blue and black): Pope, Ngaheu, Lees, Pinker, Jacobsen, Anderson, Raureti, Edwards, Kakaho, Gardiner, Hall, Woods, Waldergrave, Burke and Nathan. Whakatane (blue): Te Hau, McGougan, Laurie, Cave, Goodwin, W. McCready, Fowell, Harawira, Thom, Wilson, Cleland, Hii, Awa and Semmens. Whakatane attacked from the kick off, carrying play deep into the opposing half where a brace of scrums went down. The game was developing into a fierce forward struggle when Fowell securing from the tight merely reached over and touched down for first blood. Semmens kick failed to rise. Keen marking at midfield made progress either way an impossibility until with Raureti prominent Rangitaiki swung to the line. Jacobsen carried on and ail but scored after selling a beautiful dummy.

A penalty kick brought relief to the visitors, but immediately after the Whakatane forwards took a hand and in a deluge of weight and brawn carried through to the line. Cleland scored in a handy position. Semmens was handicapped by the sun and failed once again with the kick. Whakatane 6, Rangitaiki 0.

Lees gave the highlight of the afternoon when in succeeding play he gathered the ball from Cave’s toe and outpacing all opposition scored in spectacular fashion in the corner. P. Burke failed to convert. Whakatane 6, Rangitaiki 3. At this juncture B. McGougan received a nasty head injury and was forced to retire. He was replaced by T. Riini. McCready made good territory and a moment later Cave and Harawira led the whole of the blue pack through. Only Nathan’s fine defensive work saved another certain try. Cave and Fowell sprinted down exchanging passes until the latter, ran out. McCready booted through, opening for Goodwin to follow up swiftly and touch down. Laurie missed narrowly with the kick. Whakatane 9, Rangitaiki 3. Rangitaiki made better ground in successive play, Ngaheu side-step-ping his way through in fine style until felled by a dozen tacklers. Laurie restored Whakatane’s position with a beautiful line finder. Fowell next opened up and sent the blue forwards to the line where a penalty award taken by Laurie missed by inches. Halftime arrived with torrid forward exchanges at midfield. The new half found Whakatane clapping on the pace and sweeping the Rangitaiki defence into their last quarter. Successful attempts to score were made by Fowell, McCready and Laurie but were met by a dogged defence. Slowly the blue and blacks won to the open. Three free kicks on end came to Rangitaiki’s rescue, but the visiting pack was not to be denied and hunting together were ever dangerous. The final ‘free’ was narrowly missed by Pope. Harawira retired hurt. Back to the attack again, Cave opened for Fowell to sprint behind, but the ball travelled into dead country and from the new kick off, Rangitaiki took a hand, the backs handling in splendid fashion. Ngaheu made a desperate bid to cross but was grassed by Riini on the wing A battle royal ensued in Whakatane’s last quarter. Offside play cost Whakatane another penalty which Burke lobbed dangerously close to the upright from an acute angle. Out in the open field Rangitaiki showed a new spirit, attacking with a vim and penetrating Whakatane’s defence to a dangerous degree. Hall secured and actually crossed but with half a dozen hands on the ball the referee ordered a scrum from which Whakatane secured and cleared. Hard give and take followed until Ron Lees carried through beautifully, threading the defence and actually crossing the line, only to be recalled for a forward pass. Rangitaiki was now playing like a machine. Their forward rushes were not to be denied and Kakaho slipped across from some desperate play in the corner. Burke converted with a beautiful kick from an almost impossible angle. Whakatane 9, Rangitaiki 8.

The concluding few minutes of play was crammed full of exciting incidents. Rangitaiki strained every ounce to improve but could not penetrate the dogged Whakatane defence. Mr J. Thomas was referee.

THE JUNIOR GAME A STOLID ENCOUNTER Rangitaiki easily outclassed the Whakatane Reps, on the Junior field at Te Teko on Monday. There was little sting in the whole encounter, and but for a few flashes of bright individual play the game would have been dull indeed. Rangitaiki fully deserved its win, though a more happily balanced team would have knocked up a cricket score against the appalling lack of combination displayed by the ' Whakatane boys. The game however was the first Rep. match of the season and we confidently look forward to better play as the season progresses. The teams were:— Whakatane: Horne, Tarau, Harawira, Addison, Tiepa, M. Riini, Hill, Green, Martin, Ruru, Brown, Lafferty, Goodall, Dines and Fraser. Rangitaiki: Mexted, Newdick, Whitney, Savage, Marks, M. Davis, Titirahi, Olsen, Baldock, Noko, Gardiner, Rama, Black and Iti. Rangitaiki kicked off and made immediate country. The backs led by Titirahi were quickly on the offensive. The Whakatane pack with Goodall prominent retaliated but Marks kicking high sent the blue and blacks deep into the Whakatane quarter. From a tentative scrum Savage gained possession but was pushed out in the corner.

Martin and Brown figured in a hard forward defence but it was not until Goodall breaking clear carried play to half-way and gave the blues breathing space.

The game settled down to a dull type of give and take with Rangitaiki handling again and again but being unable to make headway against the good marking of the defenders. ■

The first try came in answer to ■Savage’s (Rangitaiki’s winger) persistent efforts to penetrate. He obtained the overlap and swung round to touch down. Davis’s kick failed. Whakatane bustled through from the new kick off but Gardiner snatching the ball from an oncoming back sent through for Newdick to score again. Davis failed to convert. Rangitaiki 6, Whakatane 0.

Tarau saved a certain try when he grassed Newdick in the corner. Whakatane was wearing badly but occasional bursts from the pack relieved the drab picture. The backs played with lack of confidence and a complete absence of understanding.

Whakatane opened more propusingly in the second half with Harawira fighting in a quick forward invasion. The tables were swiftly reversed however when Titirahi initiated a splendid solo run, handing on to Newdick and scored in the tane full standing 'and scored in the corner. Newdick’s kick was a farce. Rangitaiki 9, Whakatane 0.

Blundering by the Whakatane forwards who seemed more intent on keeping the ball away from their waiting back line, than feeding them ruined many fine chances. A series of hard scrums right on the Whakatane line concluded with a timely penalty against the invaders. ' Whakatane recovered slightly and with Harawira and Goodall in the van made to half-way. Tiepa infused new life into his side by bursting through the defence and with Rutherford in attendance set sail for the line. Rutherford carried on in a solo drive but was recalled by the whistle.

The blues now put a new vigour into their game and for some minutes looked like scoring. The effort however was too belated and the game ended with the scores unaltered. Mr T. Whitely was referee.