Fast-Moving United Forwards Carry Team To Victory Over Poroporo

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 43, 4 May 1948, Page 5

Fast-Moving United Forwards Carry Team To Victory Over Poroporo

Hard tackling and a fast moving pack supported by the outstanding play of Huta the fast side-stepping fullback gave Poroporo Seniors an advantage over United Seniors in the first half of the match at the Domain on Saturday. In the second half, however, United forwards hooked and backed up fast, .disconcerting the Poroporo team and giving United victory “with a 19 to 3 margin.' -

Opening play in the first half the Poroporo forwards attacked hard and fast putting the United team on the defensive. Rucking from the line-outs was mostly in favour of the United pack but any attempted back movements were well smothered- by the Poroporo forwards who kept well on the ball. When the ball came out on the Poroporo end of the scrum it would get past the half and out to the back line, but on nearly all occasions chances were muffed by bad passing. The United backs were all handling well with the exception of McGougan who let a few easy balls go in scoring positions. The cutting-in and dummying of Hohua at second five was brilliant, thbugh he was a little inclined to hang on too long, leaving his centre and'wing with a clear field and no ball. The hard tackling of the Poroporo team stopped most of the United scoring moves. The score in the first half was 3 all thbugh Poroporo was ahead on actual play.Working on a scheme of fast hooking, breaking and following up, United soon had Poroporo thinking. Gardiner, Rolfe and Mundy were forwards that worked hard opening up for some really good scoring play. The speed of the following up was emphasised by the two forward scores,..-, and the forward.-sacks-on--the-mill score in l the corner. Rutherford in his first day in senior football made two spectacular moves but otherwise was a. bit cautious. The Poroporo team seemed to. collapse during the last quarter of the play,' Huta making hard play of it on account of the sun in his eyes. The forwards were completely baffled by the fast play of the United team and

let them run through to compile .a 19 to 3 score in a short while. '> Scorers United (19 points): Hohua and Gardiner a converted try each, ■ Ruffles and Morpeth a try each (unconverted), McGougan a penalty goal and two conversions. Poroporo: “Smoky” an unconverted try. s Other Whakatane Sub-Union Results Seniors: Paroa 27 v Waimana 6 at Waimana. Juniors: Waimana 5 v Poroporo 3 at Waimana; Paroa 13 v Taneatua 3; United 26 v Wairaka 0 at the Domain, Whakatane. Rangitaiki Results Seniors: Mafata 11 v Thornton 3; Te Teko 3 v Edgecumbe nil; Matahina 19 v Otakiri 3. Juniors: Matata 5 v Edgecumbe 3; Te Teko 13 v Otakiri nil.