PILE CUP GAME

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 91, 17 October 1947, Page 5

PILE CUP GAME

PAROA TEAM’S SUCCESS . OLD BOYS DEFEATED In a challenge match for the John Pile Cup, Paroa, the champion Whakatane Rugby team, beat High School Old Boys in a match at Tauranga last Saturday. Old Boys, who won the cup the previous Saturday from the leading Opotiki team, found the odds too great and went under by ‘nine points to five. Though not spectacular, the match between Old Boys and Paroa was one which held the keen interest of the spectators until the final whistle, because of the closeness of the scores. The heavier Paroa pack an active one, won the day for the challengers, who, after opening the scoring, were down by five points to three at half-time. Six points were scored for Paroa within 15 minutes of the end of the game. In the opening stages, the Paroa pack consistently fed the half-back from the scrums, and a number of near tries resulted, but the first points came from a penalty after 17 minutes of play, when J. Dodd, Paroa’s half-back, was successful with a penalty kick. Paroa 3, Old Boys 0.

' Old Boys now became more prominent, and play swung from one territory to the other, with no change in the score until after 25 minutes of play. B. Kahotea, Old Boys’ second five-eighth, was then seen’in one of the best scoring movements provided at Tauranga this season. Securing the ball in Old Boys’ territory, Kahotea brilliantly cut through the first line of defence, and, in turn, cleverly avoided the fullback to score between the posts, after covering three-quarters the length of the field. B. Te Kani added the extra points. Old Boys 5, Paroa 3. With such a narrow margin, and neither -side showing any definite advantage, the final result was still one of conjecture. However, after 30 minutes of play in the secondhalf, H, Ranapia, a breakaway, who played as a lock in the New Zealand Maori team, which has recently completed a tour of the Dominion, scored. This followed a period of strenuous scrummaging near the Old Boys’ line. The Old Boys’ pack was .forced back, and ..as the ball crossed the line.'Ranapia dived on it to score. The kick failed.

Old Boys retaliated, but with little time to go, play again moved up into their territory, and from a scrum, the second five-eighth, N. Goodwin, received the ball, and dived over to score after a short run. Despite renewed attacks, there was no change in the score, the game ending:— Paroa 9, Old Boys 5' • . Mr C. Donovan (Te Puke) was referee.