RUGBY FOOTBALL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 2, 22 July 1946, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

HURUNUI CUP RETAINED RANGITAIKI DRAWS WITH OPOTIKI A HARD SOLID GAME The most important fixture last Saturday in the Whakatane area was the Hurunui Shield challenge by Rangitaiki which resulted in a further drawn game, the score being 11 all. The match played at Opotiki before a large enthusiastic crowd was not a spectacular game. It was from the first a forward tussle of a grim character with penalty kicks awarded every few minutes. From the point of view of clean scientific Rugby, it was a poor show in which the defending backs were starved, and in which the goal kicking was puerile as far as Opotiki was concrened. Up till the eleventh hour Rangitaiki appeared the certain winners, but an easing up in the last five minutes gave the holders an opening in which they secured a converted try, which sent the sideliners into hysterics of joy and relief. Rangitaiki on the day was the far and away the better team and they were particularly unlucky to lose. THE GAME FORWARDS TAKE CHARGE .The teams were: Opotiki (black and white): Walker, Moore, Delamere, Morris, J. Koopu, T. Koopu, T. Moore, Rua, Mokomoko, Te Ohaere, Te Kani, Poihipi, Gage, McLaughlan and Withers. Rangitaiki (blue and black): Peni, Ngaheu, Lees, Pope, Burt, Shuster, Rauriti, Black, Burke, Hall, Waldergrave, Woods, Gardiner, Kakaho and Nathan.

Opotiki kicked off against the sun. Fierce scrummages took place at midfield in which Rangitaiki had the advantage, hooking well, and in spite of the superior weight of the

opposition, more than holding their own. The active pack of the challengers, soon engineered close to the defenders’ goal where a penalty kick taken by Burke, lobbed cleanly over the bar. Rangitaiki 3, Opotiki 0. Almost immediately T. Moore retaliated with a nicely placed penalty for Opotiki, and the score read 3 all. Opotiki initiated its first forward invasion and with Mokomoko and Gage prominent carried play to Rangitaiki’s quarter. The visitors accepted a force and from the succeeding kick off the blue and blacks clapped on the pace. Opotiki went down before the attack. R. Lees gathered in and shot for the corner but was forced out. A scrum was ordered on the line and a battle royal ensued in which Waldergrave snapped up and bullocked across to touch down. Burke missed the goal kick. Rangitaiki 6, Opotiki 3.

The second half opened with an exchange of kicks which gave the homesters a slight advantage. Glenn Burt opened by taking on the full but Walker was safe for Opotiki.

The Opotiki forwards infused fresh vim into their game and led by Gage made good ground. Waldergrave caught offside gave Moore a reasonable chance at goal which missed nai’rowly. Opotiki however remained on the offensive until a counter penalty relieved the pressure.

At midfield the packs commenced a torrid battle which was to continue for the major part of the spelk Offside play gave the challengers several grand openings but the opposing forwards proved, a tough set and the defence remained unbreakable. Penalties rained to either side at this juncture but Moore had left his kicking shoes" at home and the homesters points remained stationery.

Opotiki swept in when J. Koopu opened for D. Moore to clear the opposition and score in the corner. J. Koopu missed with the kick. Rangitaiki 6, Opotiki 6.

Rangitaiki was not long in retaliating for Hall breaking clear shot through in possession. In the melee that followed Burt sold a perfect dummy and dashed across in the corner. Burke had no trouble converting. Rangitaiki 11, Opotiki 6.

Succeeding play was tense with exciting incident. Burke missed narrowly with a further penalty shot but the black and whites were desperate to equalise and turned on the pressure until Rangitaiki were defending in their last quarter. Another free to the challengers brought relief. Opotiki remained on the attack however and by holding the game tight maintained a grim pressure which strained the blues to the utmost. Offside play gave the holders plenty of openings but they decided to kick high rather than to try and find the goal. Forward rushes became the fashion but little ground was made till Delamere in passing to McLachlan sent that man away to score between the uprights. Moore converted. • Opotiki 11, Rangitaiki 11. The game ended two minutes later. Mr R. Haycoch was referee-

WHAKATANE v OPOTIKI B HOME SIDE’S VICTORY The representative match between Whakatane and Opotiki B which was played at the Whakatane Domain on Saturday, resulted in a win for the home side by 15 points to 8. Throughout the match good hard Rugby was witnessed. The teams were evenly matched, Whakatane being slightly superior in the back line. Laurie playing at full was again one of the most useful men in the team, and time and again saved an Opotiki break through.

The teams which took the field were as under: —

Opotiki (black and white): Abbott, Boyftton, Burton, Carlson, Smith, A. Abott, Walker, Lingman, Brown, Rewita, Pearson, Helmbright Apanui, McMillan, Dods. Whakatane (blue): Laurie, McGougan, Sisam, Doolan, Cave, Goodwin, Fowell, Wilson, C. Merito, Harawira, Wahapanga, Ranapea, Awa, Moore, Bluett. Whakatane took the opening kick and Opotiki promptly set their defence in motion. Whakatane . tried several thrusts and swept to Opotiki’s quarter. C. Boynton saved a dangerous situation with a kick in.field, and a 25 resulted. Whakatane came back almost immediately, and from a scrum right on the line, Fowell dived over giving the home side first blood. McGougan’s Kick was just outside the post. Whakatane 3, Opotiki 0. Whakatane kept up the pace, and the visitors were fully employed defending their own territory. A kick by C. Merito initiated a move which put them in the open for a few minutes, but McGougan, gathering in took play to the opposing quarter again. From a set scrum the Opotiki line gained possession, but a high pass spoiled the move, and the leather found the line. A set scrum followed. Whakatane secured and Doolan gathering in, went straight dowti the line to make an excellent try in the corner. McGougan’s kick was short. "Whakatane 6, Opotiki 0.

A forward struggle at halfway ensued, and play gradually crept down to the visitors 25 line. Suddenly Doolan appeared, and repeating his former run, swept down the line to notch another try in the corner. Ranapea’s kick was short, and the score stood at

Whakatane 9, Opotiki 0

A dangerous period for Whakatane followed, when the Opotiki pack took the ball to the try line. A set scrum went down in front of the posts from which Whakatane managed to clear, taking play downfield. From a free kick which Apanui

sent up in the air, the forwards swept on, at the last moment Smith (five-eighths) taking over and diving across the line beneath the goal post, notching Opotiki’s first points. J. Dod’s kick was sound, and the score read Whakatane 9, Opotiki 5. After the change-over, Opotiki maintained their aggressiveness but the Whakatane defence, and Laurie (fullback) in particular proved sound. A penalty kick which Apanui sent short of the goal gave Laurie a chance to clear, and play came up to midfield. Suddenly the leather went out to the Whakatane line and across to Cave who spotted an opening and ran through to score. The kick was wide. Whakatane 12, Opotiki 5. The visitors next took the initiative and kept Whakatane pressed against their defence line. Laurie saved a certain try by forcing, but Opotiki gained possession again, and from a mix-up of arms and legs, Smith dived across for a try. The kick failed. Whakatane 12, Opotiki 8. Keeping the pace up, Opotiki pressed downfield again. Laurie was safe however, and initiated a back move which reversed the position. Three times the hopes of home fans were raised and dashed, as Whakatane men just failed to score. The climax came when Goodwin gathering in after a passing rush dived over to score in the corner.^

The kick was low, and the final whistle brought the contest to a close, points being Whakatane 15, Opotiki 8. Mr J. Keepa refereed. THE JUNIOR FIELD WHAKATANE REPS DEFEATED THORNTON CLUB’S VICTORY An all-round surprise was the result of the Whakatane Junior rep. team v Thornton Club team match played at the Whakatane Domain on Saturday when the visitors took the honours by 8 points to 6. Thornton put up a particularly good display, and although kicking was too free for really good Rugby, the match on the whole was quite a fair display.

In the first half Thornton showed a well-trained pack which hunted together and worried the leather all the way. Whakatane had a nicelygroomed back line, but it saw too little of the ball. Thornton particularly was very unlucky not to cross the line in the first spell while Whakatane also on several occasions severely tested the opposing defence.

The second half opened with Thornton attacking strongly. The hard-working pack took the ball by degrees downfield till Whakatanefairly had their backs to the wall. From a set scrum Simpson gathered in. In the act of diving over the line the ball fell out of his hands, but Newdick was there, and the try was completed. Marks’ kick was good, and Thornton showed a lead of 5 points to nil. A few minutes later., Lafferty (Whakatane) attempted a long penalty kick at goal. The 100 to 1 chance came off; the leather bounced squarely on the crossbar and fell' on the other side.

Thornton 5, Whakatane 3

Inside Thornton’s quarter, an infringement gave Lafferty a chance for a penalty shot from an easy position. To the disappointment of home supporters, the ball was just outside the upright. But almost immediately another infringement on the part of Thornton supplied the same man with a second chance. This time the kick was good. Whakatane 6, Opotiki 5.

The score board was again changed when Newdick- kicked a penalty goal, and once more Thornton (8) was in the lead by two points. The final whistle sounded with, the points unchanged, declaring Thornton the victors. Mr A. Breward refereed. SAY OF PLENTY v POVERTY BAY MATCH AT OPOTIKI NEXT SATURDAY The following team has been selected to represent Bay of Plenty against Poverty Bay at Opotiki next Saturday:— Fullback: J. Clarke (Tauranga). Three-quarters: Morris (Opotiki), Delamere (Capt. Opotiki), Tapsell (Te Puke). Five-eighths: D. Seton (Rotorua),. Gardiner (Tauranga). Halfback: Hooper (Rotorua). Forwards: Downie ' (Tauranga), J. Seton (Rotorua), Waldergrave (Rangitaiki), McGuigdn (Te Puke), Ranapea (Whakatane), P. Murray (Tauranga), McLaughlin (Opotiki), Woods (Rangitaiki). Emergencies (forwards):- Gage (Opotiki), Jacobs (Rotorua). (Backs): T. Koopu (Opotiki), Moore (Opotiki)..