Hui Mai And Athletic Turn On Fast Rugby In First Game Of Season At Levin

Chronicle (Levin), 28 April 1949, Page 7

Hui Mai And Athletic Turn On Fast Rugby In First Game Of Season At Levin

Some goocl, hard rugby was seen at the Levin Park iJDomain on Saturday when Athietic and Hui Mai semors met" j in the first competition game of the season. ^ Play was at a fast, open clip and both teams showed surprising fitness for so i eariy in the 'season. The game was fairly even as the score^ i 11-all, indicates.

| The Hui Mai forwards were : superior lo Ath.etic, but Athietic on fihe other hand showed superiority iin the baeks. If Athietic had been jable lo hook the ball in the set Svi'ums, the score would have been more in its favour. I The Hui Mai forwards, Ian and Roy Robinson and Ngatana, stood oul on their own, being at the head of al. their rushes. The forward ,play genera.Ty was of a good bustlmg type. Wallace, at half-back, was the best Hui Mai back without impressing loo greatly. He is in- ■ clincd to run too much from the scrum. The Hui Mai inside backs and three- quarters were not up to a high standard, their handling : Leing poor. Of the Ath'elic forwards, Doyle

took the eye with Lyver and Scjascia not far behind. Geolf Sciascia was the best loose forward on the ground and his 'following, up was rewarded with a try — the first scored. Athletic's half-back, Webb, was incfined to stanfi too close to the scrummages and rucks. He should be careful and watch that he does not take the ball out of the scrum. The Ath etic inside backs played. he right game, acting as links when they received the ball and. passing on quickly. They did not, however, show the anticipation &hey shoulfi have on the run of the game on Saturday. The ball was •■onsistently sent out to Smith, when with a little anticipation either of the two-five-eighths could have cut s.raight through. A move ike this should not be repeated t&o often, but it was warranted once or twice on Saturday. The forwards iost a fcry, too, when one of their number attempted to pick up the. ball during a fast dribbling rush. | The three-quarters played very well, Ross Smith being outstanfiing, I scoring two brilliant tries. Tom Lancaster, who deputised at fullback, played well. Bruce Lind, on the wing, showed good promise for his first senior game.