FOOTBALL.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 636, 27 May 1921, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

HAMILTON 13 V. FRANKLIN G. A FAST AND EXCITING GAME. The representative Rugby football it.- Fitch between the Hamilton A and Franklin teams took place on the Show Grounds on Saturday in the presence of about 2000 spectators. The Hamilton team came with a reputation. having' defeated the Auckland B team last year rather comfortably. Three of the visiting team’s beet in Hamilton, Johnstone and Cassells were not available, while Rowe, Higginson and Dromgool were not available for the Franklin team. Nevertheless a good game was witnessed throughout. The teams were: -

Franklin —W. Crum: Matthews, R. Smced, C. Noble; H. Leighton (capt.), Wray; Joe Adams; J Markham; W. Short, T.. Balme, W. Bilkey, S. Marshall. A. Logan, C. Wilson, 11. Bremner.

Hamilton— Matheson: O'Sullivan, C Clarkin, Marks: Warren. Buckingham Rowe; S. Clarkin; Shaw, Hooper Devine, Bevan, Christie. Warren, Far relly.

Hamilton set the oval in motion against the sun and set up a vigorous attack, taking the ball to Franklin territory. Farreliy was penalised for offside and Leighton transferred j play to half-way. Hamilton came j away again, Buckingham, Marks and Devine indulging in some vapid passing. Devine dropped a pass and Balme cleared cleverly, leading the heme forwards down field. From a scrum Buckingham secured and sidestepped his opponents. He transferred to Marks who in turn threw to C. Clarkin, but the latter failed to hold and missed a moral try. Franklin forwards cleared, but Hamilton returned with Buckingham swerving past his opponents. He was well brought clown by Joe Adams and the home forwards, headed by Short and Balme, transferred play to neutral territory. The team were well toge .t-r, especially cite forwards, while Matthews, Crum a: ci Smeed were very safe in defence and time and again saved their side from disaster. Balme followed the kick and was instrumental in putting Hamilton on the defensive, but Euck- ; ingham, Marks, Devine and Hooper | came. away. Hooper knocked on and j from the subsequent scrum a Frank- ! 1 In forward was penalised for hand- : ling the leather in the scrum, and a dangerous position was relieved. Wilfred Bilkey led the Franklin forwards in a loose rush and they swooped : down field only to be sent back again 1 by the unbearable Buckingham. Short 1 obtained and led the home for- ! wards in a beautiful rush. Hamilton 1 backs were set in motion, O’Sullivan being pushed out in Franklin’s 25. Franklin were penalised and Matheson had an unsuccessful shot at goal. The Franklin backs set up an attack and were seen to advantage in a passing bout, Matthews finding the line in Hamilton’s 25. A score looked certain but Hamilton forced. The visitors followed the drop out but Noble saved by finding the line. From the throw in Rowe secured, and passed to Bukingham, to Clarkin. to Marks, who knocked on. The first quarter ended with no score. Hamilton Scores, 1 Buckingham, received the bail from the kick-off and wriggled his way through the Franklin team, eventually being grassed by Smeed. The Hamilton forwards worked hard and dribbled the ball over the line. Hooper touching down. Matheson failed to convert. i Hamilton .. •• 3 j Franklin .. • 0 ! Short broke away and supported by Bilkey, Logan, Balme and Bremner, took the ball to Hamilton’s line where Logan knocked on just as he was gathering in to cross the coveted line to even the scores. A Franklin forward was penalised and the kick brought relief to the visitors. Matthews secured and made a dash for the line being pushed out near the corner. From a serum Adams passed to Leighton, but the Franklin skipper was rather slow in passing to Wray and when he did pass it was rather wild and the old Bombay five-eight missed it, allowing Hamilton forv/ards headed by Christie and Farreliy to transfer play to Franklin territory,' but Crum rose to the occasion and made a brilliant save. The yellow and black backs set up an attack but j Wray smothered them before they got far and Bilkey was seen to advantage in a so’c effort which transferred play to the visitors’ 25. From a scrum Adams passed to Leighton and again the Tuaknu man threw a wild pass to Wray, but Smeed neatly j snapped up and made a bid for the line, eventually finding the touch line. The visitors wore penalised and Leighton with ?, good kick evenc-d the scores. Hamilton .» «» 3 F-.MD n .. •• 3 Half-time w*s then sounded. Franklin Leads. When play resumed. Hand'con made the pace a cracker but Wray saved

by a beautiful mark. The home, forwards broke away and took the ova! to the visitors’ territory where, for an infringement, they were penalised and Leighton put Franklin in the lead by a magnificent kick. Franklin . . .. (> Hamilton .. . . k Hamil ton attacked hotly and Franklin were compelled to force. The visitors returned again, but Matthews obtained and streaked down the field finding the line in Hamilton territory. The visitors returned but Crum secured in his own 25 and punting high and long, followed up. He beat the Hamilton fuil back and was away on his own but the speedy Hamilton backs caught him before he had gone far. The visitors returned with Buckingham, Warren. Devine and Christie in the van. Near the gos.i line Christie fed Devine, who slipped it back to Christie, but the latter missed and Crum obtained and found the line near half-way. The home forwards were holding their own in the tight but in the loose they were too many guns for Hamilton. The Scores Evened. Buckingham picked up near halfway and side-stepped his opponents. He passed to Clarkin but the latter dropped, Christie, who was handy, kicked hard and Clarkin, who was stiii in front of Christie, followed up and touched down. He was without doubt offside, but in a position where the referee could not see him. his view being obscured by a bunch of forwards. Warren failed to enhance. Hamilton ~ , , ~ 6 Franklin ~ .. G The third quarter ended shortly after. Condition Tells. The home team were beginning to show signs of fatigue, the game to this stage being - particularly fast and interesting. The forwards were •fairly even, but the Hamilton backs were too quick and nippy for the lie me backs. At times the blue and "■•Hites indulged in passing tactics, but they will have to adopt the run straight method if they desire to effect good results, and also to pass quickly. Hamilton out-classed them in this respect, but on the other hand the home backs, besides being sure to accept the ball, were deadly on the tackle, and it was their safe tackling that saved them from ruin. The final quarter four.cl a weak spot, their condition and the final twenty minutes was mostly in I Hamilton’s favour. The visitors broke away from a line out but were driven back. W, Bilkey obtained in the loose and forced his way through the opposition right to the goal posts. He looked a moral to go over but as he was about to touch down the opposing forwards held him up. Had he been in good football condition nothing in the world would have stopped him, it was so close. Hamilton were awarded a free kick for Bilkey holding on—he could not get lid of the ball—and play was transferred to Franklin territory where Matheson secured and potted r. beautiful goal; Hamilton ». ~ 11.) Franklin . . . , 6 Franklin were defending hard now, but Bilkey repeatedly broke away only to be sent back. The visitors still pressed and just on time O'Sullivan got over. The kick failed and p good game ended with the scores: Hamilton .. .. Fd Franklin ... .. G Mr Joe Reynolds refereed. On the whole the Franklin team played very well indeed, considering it was the first time they had ever played together. The Union has the material at last and with a little hard training a really fine rep. team could be got to-gether to play country unions. Of the backs Roy Smeed, Matthews and Crum were the pick, while Leighton, and Noble both played well. A, Wray and Joe Adams (both of whom were out of their usual places) shone out at times, but evidently had a day off as neither played their usual brilliant game. The forwards were a bonny lot, all. working like trojans, and outside of Bilkey it would be difficult to sort any particular one out. The team should be heard of to better advantage towards the end of the season.