Horowhenua Beaten In Fast Rugby

Chronicle (Levin), 9 August 1948, Page 4

Horowhenua Beaten In Fast Rugby

In . what was elaimed tq be the oest game played in wanganui toi uwo seasons, Wanganui defeated Horownenua on Saturday by 22— iis. Aithough the score gives the idea. uhat the game was.an.easy victory for Wanganui, bh the contfary the nome team was not butclassed and out. for the. opposition's strong pack of forwards the result mignu nave oeen a diiferent story. The star of the game was P. Henderson, the Wanganui winger, who seems certain to oe selected for the All Biack trials. His strong -peneorating. runs were of- an outstandmg or'der-. , • . Horowhenua played wellf but mcked the combination which was che main fe'ature of the Wanganui team. The ball was slightiy greasy out not sufHeiently so to make it iifficult ,-to handle. The Game Takingr 'the- kick, the Wanganui forwards followed .up fast and, gaining control of the ball, sent it jut tj their backs,.but goo'd intercepting by Mortimer and Wallace itenimed" the * attack and play ■eturned to the half-way. mark. Packing hard, it was soon evident ;hat Wanganui had the superior .orwards, but Tritt sent the ball but to his ba'cks when he intef cepted a pass and aithough the ball went out u0 Riss Smith, iittle ground was gained. Again forward play took place from a lineout. Wanganui forwards broke through and Horowhenua were 'defending hard on their twqnty-flve. when Lincom and Ngatana sent the ball to Tritt, but it rolled into touch. Atta~king again, Wanganui broke away .and Galloway forced down. ' The fast and furious play Which followed was football at its best, with ibrwards and backs of both sides throwing the ball around.-.The visitors sloWly broke through and, from a dribbiing rush, Bryant fe.x on the ball, drawing first blood for Horowhenua, Galloway eaS-ly converted. Horowhenua 5, Wanganui Within ' five miniites, however, Wanganui ha'd pscbred a try when Gudsell went over. The kitk by McGafthy failed. Horowhenua 5, Wanganui 3. • From the kick-off Wanganui forwards again gained the ball and sdlid rucking took place about fiye yards from Horowhenua's line/.but a grand defence, ih. which Selby ahd Milroy were noticeable. slowly forced their opponents back. Then Tritt shot the bail to Mortirper and he sent a long ikick, the ball.fanding on the 25 yard mark in Horowhenua terfitbry. Again _ ;Tritt feceiVed the ball ah'd kicked it into touch on Wanganui's twenty-nve. Wanganui's backsi however, . cpmbineTd well with 'their forwards and had the visitors -baffled till Heremaia brought Henderson down and Galloway fell on the ball, forcing it. Strong attackipg by . Horowhenua's forwards, in: which I. and R. Robinson ' were prominent, followed and play was centred around the halfway mark. Smith, however, received the ball and, running to . the other side of the field, passed to Mortimer, whose kick was muffled and Wanganui gained a break from which Galloway brilliantly saved the 'day. Wanganui tried their backs this time and Henderson, on receiv'ng the ball, ran from Wanganui's- twenty-five to score under the posts and take Wanganui into the lead with five minutes to go. The kick failed. Wanganui 6, Horowhenua 5. Dashing through, Robinson gave a long kick and getting his opponr ents out of position took the ball to the ten .-yard- mark,- where Smith, who wa^;'TfUhUwmg',. d^h#' °yur-Gail6>^|y^*'-Mbk.'.-'i^iied. f palf-tjme soundea ' With scoro; HbtPr whenua 8, Wanganui 6. Galloway, taking the kick sent the ball deep into Wanganui territory, where solid rucking took place and play for the next five minutes was centred on the Wanganui twenty-five. It was not long, however, before wanganui backs had got possession of the ball and each man in their rearguard .received it. Wallace, however, intercepted in fine style and kicked for touch, the ball landing bn the halfway mark. Wanganui showed their superiority in the forwards and on receiving the ball Gudsell scored. Miller converted. Wanganui 11, Horowhenua. 8. For the next ten minutes. the game see-sawed, with the ball travelling from one end of the field to the other. After solid rucking on the Wanganui five yard 'mark, Tritt sent the ball to Gordon Sciascia, but his kick was muffled and Bryant, picking it up, almost.scored but Was grassed. Fihe passing along the Wanganui back line saw the position r'eversecT for Horowhenua Henderson, on receiving the ball, raced for the line and scored, taking the score to Wanganui 14, Horowheiiua 8. " Showihg good determination. Horowhenua forwards fought hard to hold their opponents from breaking thrOugh and Woods,. -Bryant ahd Ngatana were playing great football-. Wanganui looked like ScOrihg from a scrum on the Horowhenua .twenty-five, but Trift' "saved and sent the ball out on the halfway mark. The Wanganui backs theh participated in a fine passing rush and McCarthy had a clear run to score. Wanganui 19, Horowhenua 8. From this stage on the game was even mor'e e'xciting than previously and the crowd was standing up all the time in the stand. . From a solid ruck near the Wanganui line, Tritt and Smith both jump'ed- for the ball where Tritt scored. Gallo-

way kicked in ,great style to make the score Wanganui 19, Horowhenua .13. Within a few. minutes of time, however, Wanganui scofed again, Henderson making a great run, and the full-time whistie blew with Wanganui the victors by 22 points to 13. • The referee was Mr. J.. Ross. Scrums: Wanganui 19, Horowhenua 8, indecisive*3.