W.H.S. Plays Best Rugby Of Season

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 86, 23 August 1950, Page 5

W.H.S. Plays Best Rugby Of Season

Whakatane High School played its best Rugby game of the season against Thames High School on Monday. Although the score finished 12-3 against Whakatane, the result was in doubt until the final whistle.

Thames High School’s record is a frightening one. Its first fifteen has not been beaten since 1946. It has been winning recent matches by handsome margins. However, Whakatane High School, by battling forward play and quick inside defence, forced Thames into frequent error and, had it not been for the superior experience, pace and weight of their three-quarter and full back, Thames would not have kept its unbeaten record.

Although the local team played with great heart, there was not the same sureness in defence as shown by Thames and it was this weakness which lost Whakatane the match

Whakatane forwards who caught the eye for consistently honest toiling were Lyon, Pryor, Hunia and Massey In the backs, Woods and Armstrong were outstanding. Team work was good in covering defence and, because of this, Thames found penetration difficult. Two of Thames tries came from really hard sideline running by Nield. The other six points came from a try scored by Percy, whose general play in the forwards was consistently good, and a penalty goal by Wells. Whakatane’s points came from a penalty goal by Hunia. Mr H. H. Craig was referee.