WANDERERS TOO STRONG

Chronicle (Levin), 20 May 1946, Page 4

WANDERERS TOO STRONG

ATHLETIC JUNIORS BEATEN Athletic met Wanderers in the junior game at Levin Domain on Saturday. Wander.ers were t.oo good for their .opponents, who neverthjeless put up a fair defence. The l.ack of pace and the number pf passing movements which started .only to bre.ak d.ow.n thrpugh faulty handling made the game dull at tim.es, but there were bright intervals of keen forward play. The tejams topk the field as follows: — Athletic: Law, J. Bond, E. Eccles, J. Shirkey, G. Rippen, Prendevilie, Hinckesman, P. Bond, Lancaster, JCameron, Nic.olson, Hudson, Hill j J. Eccles and Tamihana. Wanderers: Ropata, Remini, Simeon, Graham, Broughton, T. Winiata, Sciaseia, Short, C. Winiata, King, Marshall, H. Winiata, Jones, B. Simeon and Hughes. Wanderers lost no time in taking the ball well into their opponent's half after the kick-off. Several determined efforts to score were stopped when Gameron gained possession of the ball in the Athletic half and took it through witn a good run mto Wanderers' twentyfive. For the next few minutes there was undecided milling about on the hqlf-way piafk, in spite of several att.empts by the Wanderers pack to break through to the Athletic line. The game dr-ifted up and down the field in this fashion until the Wanderers backs got away in promising movements that were spoilt by faulty passing. The first try came when, after a determined attack-' by Wanderers' forwards led by Jones and Simeon, Broughton gathered in the ball from the loose play foliowing, and scored between ihe posts. Ropata converted, makmg; the s.core .5 — 0 in Wanderers' favour. - . The next points, were scored very soon after, when B. Simeon took the bai'l .over between the posts and the touchline, aftqr battling his way ' through the defence. Tfiis brought the score to 8 — 0, as the attepipt at - conversipn failed.,From .his' period o'n rain fefl, whicli'sdon inade handling difficult, and several free kieks to both sides, failed oqcause of this reason. Dull play foilowed for the next ten minutes, the :monotony being relieved by some good def ensive play by Cameron for Athletic. Just oefore half -time Wanderers' forwards attacked strongly, and came close to scoring in the corner. Hughes was prominent in this phase of the match. There was no further scoring in the first half, so chat when the whistle blew the seore was Wanderers 8, Athletic 0. The second half began in a somevhat aimless manner, with both sides milling about the centre of the field and no advantage to either. Eventually Wanderers again pressed hard,, and foliowing up a kick from a ruck on the Athletic -iwenty-five line Sciascia took the pall to score between the posts and the touchline. This increased Wanderers' lead to 11 — 0, the kick failing. Wanderers continued their gttacks, and caine close to scoring again on a few oceasions. Tne game was on the Athletic line for some time and it was only a Spirited defence that prevented the attackers from adding to their total. Howeyer, a good run by Lancaster, with the ball at his toe, sent the game back to half-way, where the desultory nature of the game was resumed. The final points were made -when Ropata took the ball, after a serum in the Athletic twenty-five, and dived over the line. The try was not converted, and soon after the referee's whistle blew, with Wanderers the vvmners by 14 — 0. Mr. E. Laeey controlled the game.