DUNDERDALE CUP RUGBY: WHAKATANE WIN BY ONE POINT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 53, 9 June 1948, Page 5

DUNDERDALE CUP RUGBY: WHAKATANE WIN BY ONE POINT

By a margin of) one point, Whakatane retained the Dunderdale Cup in a somewhat patchy match against Rangitaiki at Te Teko on Monday. Final score was 9—B. Whakatane established an early lead and held it until fairly late in the game, when Rangitaiki challenged strongly and very nearly won. Teams:—

Whakatane Welch ' McGougan Rutherford Laurie T. Riini, R. Crapp Hurran

Rolfe Gardiner, Ranapia, Ratahi, Ball Hona, Merito, Jensen. Rangitaiki Anderson Newdick Franks Mexted K. Sullivan, Ratima Raureti

Black Beasley, Smith, Woods, Waldegrave Mulligan, Falwasser, Johansen. Whakatane started with the wind at their backs, and took full advantage of it, though McGougan had hard luck with his early kicks, even when Rangitaiki’s carelessness gave him good opportunties. Hurran, behind a good pack of forwards, was playing sound Rugby, but the fiveeighths line was weak early in the game. Crapp was not handling as well as he can do, and Riini only struck form in flashes. Laurie, was good when the chances came his way, and the. same could be said of Rutherford and McGougan, but they lacked real opportunity. Crapp went better later in the game when he changed places with Hurran who continued to put on a good show. Welch was safe throughout.

Whakatane’s forwards had the advantage in most departments of the game, though Falwasser shaded Merito as a hooker. Ranapia, Ratahi, Gardiner, Rolfe and Jensen were frequently in the picture. The way they got amongst the opposing backs helped Whakatane considerably in maintaining the lead until a late stage of the match. Rangitaiki fielded a team that showed flashes of real brilliance and a disposition to throw the ball about, but failed to settle to real work in the early stages. The half, Raureti, was* one of the outstanding backs on the field, and got good support from Sullivan and Ratima, but the latter often failed to co-operate with the three-quarters and spoiled a lot of promising movements, though his kick and follow-up gained ground at times. A late re-organ-isation of the backs, when Anderson was brought up from the full back position, where he had been playing a fair hand, to exchange with Ratimaj put fresh drive into the back line, and established a lead for Rangitaiki. Newdick, Franks and Mexted all showed out at times.

The forwards were a pretty even lot of honest toilers, with Black, Waldegrave and Smith most frequently prominent in the loose. Scorers:—

Whakatane (9 points): McGougan, a try and a penalty goal; Gardiner a try. : . / Rangitaiki (8 points): Franks and Smith, a try each; Newdick, a conversion. r • Mr Wallace,’ Rotorua, was the referee.

B Grade Game To Rangitaiki By 3 —o

Rangitaiki won the B grade game 3—o by .virtue of throwing the ball about more and making fewer mistakes than their opponents. Still, it was not a particularly good display of representative Rugby. Teams:—

Whakatane: B. Huta; B. Hudson, Sisam, K. Wana; D. Black, McCready; Takau; K. Merito, Semmens, Hunt,* Cain, T. Crapp, Ruffles, Te Pou, Bluett. Rangitaiki: Pope; Tari, F. Wetene, Hunia; Beasley, N. Shuster; M. Davis; Ahipene, S. Davis, Dodunski,< Falwasser, B. Wetene, B. Edwards, D. Shuster, S. Edwards. Rangitaiki played the open game from the start, and were given good chances by M. Davis, at half, who was the outstanding back on the field. But there was a lack of combination further along the line, where dropped passes spoiled good moves. Pope, at full back, showed a useful boot, but this tackling and handling left a lot to be desired. The three-quarters showed out in flashes, but lacked solid defence. Leaders in the forwards were Ahipene, who broke fast and got in amongst the opposing backs to advantage, Dodunski and S. Davis, always on the ball. D. Shuster, hooking for Rangitaiki, a shade of the advantage over Te Pou. Huta played a safe game and kept the score down against Whakatane.

Of the other backs B. Hudson was probably the pick, with Sisam and Wana getting few opportunities and McCready playing with determination and dash, but lacking that finish that a five-eighths needs for real results. The substitution of Debreceny for Takau in the second jhalf strengthened the attack, but the backs were still lacking in combination. Leaders in the forwards were often Ruffles, T. Crapp and Bluett. Generally, in the line-outs and the rucks, the Whakatane forwards had a shade the better of it, but the backs lacked the penetration needed to turn the opportunities into points. Scorers: —

Rangitaiki (3 points): S. Edwards a try.

Juniors Draw, 3 All

The junior representative fixture produced good, clean Rugby, with little to choose between two keen teams. The final score, 3 all, was a fair indication of the relative merits of the two sides. Though both goal lines were hotly besieged at times, neither side succeeded in crossing, and both scores were pen-alty-goals. Rangitaiki scored first, and led about ten minutes from the end of the game when Whakatane squared the account. C. Davis kicked Rangitaiki’s goal and M. Keepa Whakatane’s.

Superior Team Work Gives Paroa Fairly Easy Win Over P.W.D.

Superior team work, though not up to the usual standard, gave Paroa a convincing win by 32 points to 9 against P.W.D. in the only senior Rugby match played at Whakatane on Saturday. P.W.D. showed the need for training and coaching, but produced some promising material. Teams:— Paroa: J. Dodd; C. Hakopa, A. Martin, K. Wana; J. Lafferty, H. Ranapia; C. Keepa; W. Wharewera, R. Cleland, P. Ratahi, R. Hakopa, R. Kingi, M. Jensen, D. Nathan, T. Hona. i P.W.D.: McGarvey; Marshall, C. Tiopira, Rewi; Atarau, Mak&maka; Tawera; J. Teepa, W. Haumate, E. Haumate, S. Ereatara, H. Ratana, T. Hakeke, P. Paruru, Fraser. In the first half of the match, the P.W.D. forwards got a little the bet-

ter of the set scrums, thanks to Paruru’s steady hooking, but it was apparent fairly early in the match that Tawera, at half, had taken the field again too soon, after his recent leg injury, and he was unable to take full advantage of the chances given him. Both five-eighths, Atarau and Makamaka, played fairly sound football, the former standing out as one of the few P.W.D. players who handled and tackled reasonably safely. H. Ratana, Paruru and Fraser were consistent workers in the forwards, and the side was considerably weakened when Paruru was injured and unable to play the second half. Tawera also went off. Replacements were Anderson (half) and H. Tiopera, who put up a fair show on the wing. Paroa won on their merits. They definitely had the better team, but have played better football this season. P. Ratahi was the leader of the forwards throughout, closely backed up by Jensen, Kingi and Cleland. But the pack lacked its usual combination. Of the backs, Martin, centre, and J. Dodd full back, played consistent Rugby, with both the wingers shining at times. Ranapia, at five-eighths, again proved himself a first-class forward. His rucking was excellent, and he had the usual eye for ah opportunity, but spoiled a lot of good opportunities with rough passes and a tendency to take too much of the responsibility. Over-confidence cost the winners a lot of points. Scorers: —

Paroa (32 points): Ratahi and C. Hakopa, 2 tries each, Nathan, Wana, Martin and Kingi, one try each; Dodd, 3 conversions; Hona, one conversion.

P:W.D. (9 points): Makamaka, 2 tries; Paruru, a penalty goal.