PRE-COMPETITION RUGBY

Chronicle (Levin), 15 April 1947, Page 4

PRE-COMPETITION RUGBY

TEAMS LACKED FlTNESS IN SATURDAT'S GAMES Taking advantage of the fine weather and the last weekend before the official start of the championship matches, severdl district football teams piay.ed frie'hdly games with other teams in and out of the union on Saturday. The lack of combination in hafidling the ball andin rucking was evident, while there' was also an absence of physicai' fitness among many of the team members. However, these will diSappear as the season progfesses and football in the Hor oWhenua UiliOm this year should be on a fiigher plane than it has been for a number of years. • The greatest surprise result of the matches on Saturday was the defeat of Hui Mai, ruhners-up in last year's senior competitio'h, by Wanderers, a team With very few victories to its credit last season, fco the tune of 13 points to five. The points for Wahderers came from , tries by Lincoln and W. Winiata, both of which were converted by Stackhouse, and a penalty by StackhoUse. A converted ory by H. Cook, the Hui Mai Winger, was the source of Hui Mai's points. Wanderers this year have iiitroduced younget blood into their teain and this, combined 'with the godd physicai cohdition of the team's players, has made the senior fifteen a potential championship Winner for the 1947 season. Athietic sehiors did iiot show cohesion on Saturday in their game with Hui Mai (Sanson), and more by good luck than godd management did they mUnage to win by a small margin, The gslp left by Blenkhorn, the team's half-back, who was also the HorOwhen.ua rep. half, was obvious and his place Will be hard to fill. The beam l'acked physicai fitness ahd fche paCk had a hard time keeping on the ball. Fitness will no doubt come to, the team with further games. Teams nominated in. the Horowheniia Rugby Union's competition So far this season are:— Seniot: Punahau, Hui Mai, Shannon, Otaki, Athietic, Wahderers and Foxton. Juniof : Hui Mai, Shannon,', otaki, Paraparaumu, Athietic, Wanderers, Foxton, "Tokomaru, Rahui and Waimeha. Third gtade;' oid Boys, shannon'} Otaki, ^thietie, Foxton, coiiege , and Rahiii. Fdufth grade: Pafaparauhiti, Foxton, Ooliege 12) and possibly Oid BoyS. Siibject to the gfouhds being feady and silfficrent refcrces -available, the chafiipicnship matches will begin, next Saturday, April 19.