Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1947 INTERSCHOOL GAMES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 51, 9 July 1947, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1947

INTERSCHOOL GAMES

WHAKATANE v OPOTIKI RUGBY AND BASKETBALL An interchange of visits between teams from Whakatane and Opotiki District High Schools took place last Thursday when the first fifteens and A- basketball teams met at Whakatane, and the lightweight football teams and B and C basketball teams at Opotiki. The weather forecast for the day caused a good deal of anxiety, but the games were completed without any interference from this source.

The Whakatane first fifteen, playing its first match of the season, found itself against a heavier team, but soon settled down and carried the attack into its opponents’ territory. From a lineout Chadwick secured, sent out a long pass to the centre and wing three-quarter, Coker, who made a determined run to score in the corner. Though both sides strove hard, there was no further score in the first spell. Early in the second half Carter kicked a goal for Whakatane, and though Opotiki made several attempts from handy positions, all failed. Whakatane’s half-back improved as the game progressed, with the result that their backs saw more of the ball, and from one good movement in which four backs handled Skelton scored. Another try .went to the credit of the half-back, Hohapata, who reecived the ball from a scrum about 15 yards from the goal line, made a dazzling run, and touched down almost before the opposition realised what had happened. The Opotiki team made very determined efforts to score in the last few minutes, but the Whakatane .defence just held, and the game ended 12—0 in their favour.

The lightweight match played at Opotiki proved a very good contest, the home team winning by 12—3. The deciding factors in the game were the deadly tackling of the Opotiki boys, and the bustling tactics adopted by their forwards, which proved very disconcerting to the visitors. After about ten minutes’ play the ball was passed smartly along the line of the Whakatane backs to Perkinson, the wing, who ran strongly to score a good try. From then on Opotiki took the upper hand, and except for a few spasmodic sallies by the Whakatane forwards, remained on top. The form of the Whakatane team was disappointing, the handling of the backs being weak and the efforts of the forwards spasmodic; however, with more experience they should become a much better team.

The A basketball match played at Whakatane resulted in a win for the home team by 15—2. The goalthrowing of the visitors was not very effective, and the local girls were better in their positional play and in the speed of their passing. Although after a very close game the Opotiki B’s won by 20 goals to 15, the Whakatane team was complimented by the Association referee on its clean, speedy play. The two B teams proved to be of almost equal strength, the scores being close throughout, but towards the finish the Whakatane team maintained the lead sufficiently to win by 16—14.