Horowhenua Beat Bush In Exciting Rugby

Chronicle (Levin), 12 July 1948, Page 4

Horowhenua Beat Bush In Exciting Rugby

Fifst class footbalx, piayed under ideai Weather conditions, was witnesse'd at Pahiatua on Satiirday Wheri Horowhenua defeated Bush 'by six points to thfee, thus ,Wihhing the Bebbingtoh Shield. . The game was equal in standard to pfovincial represshtative football. Horowhenua appeared unlucky not lO make the score higher, . this. being due to the excehent defenceof sthe BUSh back line. Horowhenua's defence, howevef, probn. iy oUoshone their - opponehts, astheir solid tackling made. it almost. iiiip„ssidie ior Bush to bf eak through. There were no tries.. Hotowhenua's points came ffom two penalties kidked by W. Galloway. C. Humphrey kicked a penaity. fot Bush. Horowhenua set . the " ball in motion and for five rninutes ,wildr play tobk place, with hardly ahy combinatioh work by either team. The gamb tfaVClied from one end of the field to the other and after a scrum dn . the half-way mark, the Bush backs started a passing rush but gained littie ground. and Mortimer sent the ball into tOuch after intercepting a pass. From a lineout, the - Hof owhenua backs Were seen in action. Tritt sent a long pass to G-orddn Sciascia, past Mortimer, and forward play followed on the Bush twenty-five. Ffom a free kick Bush reversed the play and McKay sent the ball into touch just on the half-.way mark. , From a scrum Horowhenua received the ball and the first flash of good passirig was seeh, but Galloway, who was looking for a clear run, was brought down just short of the five-yard lkie. Horowhenua backs again got the ball ahd Mortimer, who appeared over anxious, misSed the ball. Riddell intefcepted and made a break, but Gordon Sciascia grassed him. From a lineout on the Horowhenua twenty-five, Woods and Milroy piayed well to take the ball ,to the centfe. Mortlmer again missed a pass and, rucking hard, Horowhenua again got the ball, but good defensive work by Hotop and McKa^ stemmed the movement. • Bush pfessed hafd and for a time it looked as though they might break through, but Galloway appearing oh the sCene pUt the issue beyond doubt. Heremaia also did fine work in defehding when Bush tried again, but found Horo.Whenua's defence hafd. to penetrate. Horowhenua's First Points Shortly af.terwards Horowhenua were awarded a penalty aboUt fiVe yards inside the BUsh twenty-five and five yards from the side line. Galloway kicked Horowhenua into the-lead. Hofowhentla 3, Bush 0. ■ After 20 rninutes „of • play the home "teahi again tried their best to break through, but I. Robinson and "Selby were fast to break up the movement and hard play followed on the .visitors' tWentylfiVe. Nola, getting the ball to Humphrey, lopked ceftain trouble for Horowhenua, but Sciascia pursued fa&t and grassed him on the five-yard mark in Horowhenua territory. Rucking followed when Bush were awarded a penalty and the seores were made even when Humphrey sent the ball over the bar. Hof owhenua 3, Bush 3. The forward play which followed was prPbably some of the best witnessed for somp time, and Horownenua's good work was done by Liti"frn, Woods and Fletcher, all playing on the ball all the time. Lead "Again Taken Getting the ball from the scrum, Nola sent a long pass to Muller on the blind side, but it was thrown forward and Galloway again took Horowhenua into the lead by kieking the penalty. Time and. again the Bush backs tried every movement, but brilliant defence by Horowhenua kept them puf. Every player ih the visitors' baCk liiie was playing -a fine game; At this stage Kight came off and was replaced by Schroder. With* five rninutes to go, Muller feceived the ball on the blind side but, finding it hopeless to get through, centred the ball and Hotop sent it out right across the field to Humphrey, but Hefemaia caught him and kicked the ball intP touch witliin five yards of the goai line. From the liheout Mortimer received the ball from Tritt and sent a long kick, the ball lahding just outside the Horowhenua twenty-five. The half-time whistle blew as ruckihg was taking place on the half-Way mark. The Second S^ell The second half stafted just as fast as the first, and it was not long before Horowhenua backs had the ball. From Tritt, through Mortimer's hands to Galloway the ball travelled freely, and Geoff. Sciascia, on receiving it, made a determined dash for the line. While being grassed he managed to inpass to Galloway, who centred the ball. Selby gathered it in and put it to his feet'. Solid scrum work followed with neither having the advantage. | From a iiileoi.it on the, half-way mark Nola seCtifed the- ball from Gunn' and sent it to Hotop, whoi was surrounded by oppositioh | before he had tirtle to* kick. Tritt j sent Gordon SciaScia a pass * and , play travelled to the Other erid of the field. Rucking -hafd, Buah fof- j wards desperately attempted to , screw the scrum, but Fletcher and Milroy bfoke aWay and took the ball along the sideline, Nola got possession ffom the lineout and the ball travelled through the thands of McKay and . Riddeli to HiimjDhrey, now piaying at cehtre. The Biish backs made a vefy stubbofh attack ahd actuaily I broke StWay, and ^ it Was only bhrough a fOfWard pass that their i bhriiSt was . stemmed. 1 Mortimer, now playing , a muchj"

better . game at first fiVe-eighths, isent play back to Bush territory, 'with Robinson and Lincoln follow-j i ing up fast. Muller, howevef, Seht ' 1 the game to the half ,way mark, ; 'where rtiCkihg took place. The' hoihe team's forwards brOke through this time ' and had not Gordon SciaScia fallen. on the ball and stopped the attack there might have beeh d score. A long kick by Galloway, Who feceived • the ball from Mortimer., looked beheficial. On the contrary, however, it set the Bush back line in action and in this movement was seen the besst passihg of the day. ' Heremaii ahd GallowaY' taCkled soljdly and Geoff. j Sciascia, securing the ball, - darted j along the line- and threw.it over the j Bush " play ersf heads to - Ngatana, | Who was brought down -short 'of the I line. Using , new tactics with the j backs and forwards combinin'g, the \ Hof owhenua rforwards were caught !dff guard' and again determined jefforts by Bush.td eveh the scores jwefe fruitless. Muller bfdke away, Ibut was grassed by Galloway /and Woods picked up the ball Ahd kicked for touch; . Scrumming on the Bush twenty-five saw the home team's forwards make a solid effort, ahd with the ball at their feet thev swept to the half-way mafk. Tritt, hoWever, received the ball from his forwards and Set the backs iri

action again, when Heremaia, who ihad received the ball from GalloIway, tried to head for the line. His tSwerving and side stepping was j clever, but he was tackled about ten ■ yards from the line. j Play returned to the half-way mark and it was not long before" the finai whistle blew, with the scores Horowhenua six, Bush 3. The referee-was Mr. Waterhouse. Scfums-: Horowhenua 20, Bush 14, Indecisive 2.