HUI MAI DEFEAT SHANNON

Chronicle (Levin), 4 June 1946, Page 8

HUI MAI DEFEAT SHANNON

■ In a battle for senior rugby honours on the Shannon Domain on Saturday, Hui Mai outpointed Shannon by six points to nil in a hard-fought game, where the forwards used more sheer weight than rugby strategy. Hui Mai over-ran most of the set scrums by weight alone. Back play by both sides was good, and when they got the ball there were one or two good passing rushes. Generally the game was not up to the standard of that expected in senior football. Corbett, the visitor's full-back, played a safe and sure game, while Pedersen, _ the home full-back, also played a good game. Mortimer would have played better football had he not been suffering from a leg injury. The teams that took" the field were as follows: — , Hui Mai: Corbett, Cook, Bevan.; Ransfield, Rangiwhetu, Wallace, Te Hewi, McCashen-. Lauder, Mather, R. Robihson, n&taples, Robinson, Hepere and Fratllier, > Shannon: Pedersen.. Rauhihi, Aitchison, Mortimer, Higgett,- Cole, Gadsby, Pratt, Chester,- Rolston, Callesen, Cowley, S. Chester, Wood and Speranza. The Game Three minutes from the kick-off Shannon were down in the visitors' J twenty-five and from the ruck which foliowed, Shannon were ] awarded a free kick, Mortimer taking a kick at goal, but the ball fail- j ed to go over the cross-bar. Huil Mai, with a passing rush, brought j play to the Shannon line, but Ped-j ersen cleared. However, play was ; soon back on home. ground, but an interception by Wood brought play into "the visitors' territory. From a i ■^et scrum on the Hui Mai twenty- j five yard line they were successful in getting the ball, and in a pass- j ing rush they were back in Shan-| non ground again. An infringement gave Shannon a chance to clear with a free kick. From the kick, Chester and Cole brought , play well inside the visitors' territory, and it was here that Shannon .had a chance to gain points from a free ' kick, but Pedersen 's kick failed. An infringement in a scrum on Hui Mai's twenty-five line gave the visitors a free kick and from the open rush which foliowed, Rangiwhetu went over to draw first points in the match. Staples failed to add the extra two. " From the kick off, Shannop pressed into the visitors' ground, where play lingered for some minutes, Mortimer finally getting the ball, but his drop kick at goal failed to pass between the uprights. Hui Mai forced. From the drcpout piay wenitto Shannon territory, but Aitchison cleared by finding touch on the twenty-five yard line. From the line-out the ball went up field, where Rauhihi was nicely taken in pdssession by Matfrer op

■■■iuimui.il.. "x 7. the half-way line. A fine passing rush brought play into tne liome twenty-five, but a free kick saved the position. From a series of lineours around the half-way flag, Shannon broke into tne vishoi^ ground, but Rauhihi kiqked hard and the visitors forced. From rhe drop-out Cole brought play back to Hui Mai's twenty-five,1 but Corbett cleared. Half-time sounded soon after with the score unchanged at Hui Mai 3, Shannon 0. Early in the secona speil, tne visitors brought play into home territory, the ball going over' Sliannon's line, but Pedersen cleared, finding touch midway between his half and the twenty-five vard fiags. Mortimer, with a fine run, brought play' into Hui JVJai ground, but Corbett once again cleared. Play moved up and down the field, with oue lineout following another, until Mortimer and Aitcnison. came upneid tp bring play into th'e visitors' twenty-five. An interception took the ball into Shannon's area, the home team forcing. From the dropout the play was soon back in tne home soil, and following a fine drop kick • by Rangiwhetu, Shannon again forced. The visitors were soon on the attack again and \toilowing a passing rush Staples went over to add more points to Hui Mai's score. He failed to convert his own try. With the score at Hui Mai 6, Shannon 0, play moved up and down the field. Shannon were on the attack and about ten yards from the Hui Mai line when Mr. C. E. Wiseley, who controlled the J game, sounded the final whistle.