FROM THE WORLD OF SPORT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 91, 6 September 1948, Page 5

FROM THE WORLD OF SPORT

PAROA TAKES SENIOR RUGBY HONOURS: W AIR AKA BEATEN BY UNITED

United, fielding a team made up half of juniors, beat Wairaka 11—8 at the Whakatane Domain on Saturday in the match* that decided the senior competition in Paroa’s favour, .Wairaka’s defeat giving Paroa the honours by one point. Wairaka’s backs played well, but the forwards, with some of the usual players absent, made a relatively poor showing. United team on the other hand, was reinforced rather than weakened by the juniors. Wairaka’s backs started confidently, but found the opposition ! strong, though in the early stages I of the first half, the forwards were holding their own. Halfway through the first spell, Wairaka looked like sure winners, throwing the ball about in a way that was really pretty to watch. They were a bit i unlucky that their half time lead 1 B—o was not greater. Up to that i time, United’s backs were not seen to advantage. '> j After the interval, United pepped ; up, particularly in the back division, where the junior Shapley made his presence felt. But star of the line of the day was De Lacey, who, after a rather patchy showing in the first half, played really classy football. With the score standing at B—6, United took the initiative, Wairaka’s team being weakened when Ben i Hudson retired injured (replaced by Lawson), and the forwards, never strong, started to wear down. | United’s forwards, with the junj iors Taylor, Howat and Mundy often prominent, had much the better j of the day. Of the regular seniors, jA. Mundy and Stewart were frej quently in the picture, with Rolfe showing up in flashes, j Wairaka fielded a good threequar•ter line, M. Riini, M. Bluett and R. | Hudson, and the fullback, R. Crapp, : got through a hard day’s work. Scorers:— United (11 points): De Lacey, a try and a penalty goal; Howat, a try and a conversion. I Wairaka (8 points): M. Bluett and ,M. Riini, a try each; T. Riini, one conversion.

PAROA WITHSTANDS PILE CUP CHALLENGE: O.M.P. DOWN s—o

\ At Taneatua Paroa beat O.M.P. (Opotiki) in the Pile Cup challenge Rugby match s—o. It was anybody’s game up to the last minute, with Paroa’s solid defence \holding a lead established about 20 minutes after the interval when Harawira gave Jensen a try which Joe Dodd converted. Both packs-of forwards played well, and a feature of the whole game was the solid tackling. The Opotiki side fielded a dangerous back line, but' the Paroa boys tackled hard and low to keep them in check. Delamere, Opotiki’s star, was given no chances.