RAGGED GAME AT LEVIN

Chronicle (Levin), 15 July 1946, Page 8

RAGGED GAME AT LEVIN

HUI MAI BEAT WANDERERS A strong wind and heavy showers of rain made conditions unpleasant for both players and spectaoors at the Levin Domain on Saturday, when Hui Mai beat Wanderers by 12 points to 6 in a somewhat ragged ga'me. Both sides scored.only one try each, the Lemainder of the points coming from penalty kicks. This itseif is a good indication of tlae standard of play, there being a decided lack of definite scoring movements by either forwards or backs. For the most part the game was entirely without spirit, and with little handling of the ball. Only in the iater stages of the game, when tne points were even, did both sides oegin to play with any apparent denermination. By this time several heavy showers had fallen, vvhich made handling difficult. The teams were fairly evenly-matched, ■ind had it not been for the number of penalties awarded, there may have been a different result. There was only one call for the ambuiance man, so that the pro- • gress of play was not held up ati

all, except for the fact that there was only one ball available, which caused some delay during lineouts. Some of the players who were prominent were Donald, who got the ball away from the scrum for Wanderers in very good style, and was sound both" in attack and defence; Cook, of Hui Mai, who played a fast and intelligent game, Laking advantage of any opportunities that were presented; Seymcair, altliough mot outstanding, was one of the hardest workers on the field; Hapeta, who gave lris Uhual good display of safe handling and well-directed kicking; and Rangiwhetu, who was always prominent and showed his ability as a kicker. The teams were: — Wanderers: P. Winiata, L. Winiata, Seymour, McCready, Edmundtsoii, Hapeta, Donald, Milroy, Hob".on, Nepia, Morgan, Hooper, , Lineom, Adams and Price. Hui Mai: Staples, Bevan, Cook, Rangiwhetu, Ransfield, Corbett, Waliace, P. Mather, Robinson, IJeperi, Lewis, Lauder, B. Mather, McCashin and King. Wanderers kicked off into thc wind, and the first try came soon after when McCready scored wide out, following loose piay in the Hui Mai twenty-five. Donald's kick failcd. Wanderers 3, Hui Mai'0. For the nexr fifteen minutes the game was very dull, except for. one o1 two strong attacks on the Wanderers' defenc'e by Hui Mai. On one oecasion Waliace followed a kick riglit through and feli on the ball, which, however, w^as out behind. A successful penalty kick by Cook then made the scores even. Wanderers 3, Hui Mai 3. This was foilcwed very quickly by another penalty for Hui Mai, a Wanderers player being off-side in front of the posts. Rangiwhetu 's kick was successful, raising the score to Hui Mai 6, Wanderers 3. There was no further score in the first half. The second half began at a fast pace, with Hui Mai on the attack. Wanderers were hemmed in behind their twenty-five line for a while, but broke out with a determined forward rush, which developed into an attack:-: A penalty in fi'ont of the Hui Mai" posts presemte.d no difliculty to Donald. Wanderers 6, Hui Mai 6. Shortly after Rangiwhetu was able to do the same for Hui Mai, putting them in the lead once more. Hui Mai 9, Wanderers 6. At this stage there were several attempts by Hui Mai to get their backs away, but with a heavy, greasy ball to contend with, the Hui Mai backs did not get into their stride. The Wanderers forward pack went hard at it too, and ituck together very wrell to batter away at the Hui Mai defence. With five or ten minutes. to go, Wanderers fought hard to raise their score, and Hui Mai fought just as hard to hold their lead. The final points were Hui Mai's however. The Hui Mai forwards took the ball all the way down the field, and Cook wcn the race for it to score near the corner. His attempt at conversion fell just short of the bar. The final whistle blew soon after, with the score Hui Mai 12, Wanderers 6. Mr. F. Carrington was the referee. " j Grandstand Locketl i Things were not made any more pleasant at the domain by tho fact; that the grandstand was locked. j This meant that spectators had toi stand in the cold and heavy rain, | and pay admission for the doubt- j ful privilege of doing so. Although; the sand is being renovated. ifcj would not have been impossible to, allow the public to have made use of it. It is unlikely that any dam- ' age would have been caused. Many spectators voiced their disapproval of the locking of the i stand in decidedly uricomplimcntary terms. j