BRENNAN CUP TO CELTIC

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 61, 30 March 1937, Page 5

BRENNAN CUP TO CELTIC

m ^ w Hastings Success In Spiflnne Rugby DRAW FOR MAIN TkO?HY Playing to A soorelees draw after i fin© ©xMbition of Rugby, St Patrick's (Palmerston N.orth) pnd Gisborne Celtie shared th© honours jn th© Spillane Uup contest finalised at th© palmerston North Showgrouads yesterday afternoon. Each team vrill hold the trophy for six months. Th© Brennan Cup? for the winnlng team in th© second division of th© tOflrnament, and th© Marau Cup for the team diSpl^ing th© bOst defeaisiV© tiOs tics, wero both annexed by Hastings (Jeltidj Playing convineiingly as a team, Hastings Oeltio won the Brennan Cup by defeating Gisborne Marist, last year's Winiiers, Who eleoted to remain in the second division again this year, by 15 points to three. Always ready td handle the ball, and combining to good purpose in their rushes, Hastings deserved success, Th© teams were.: — • Hastings Celtic: Harvey, Garvey, Pullen, Halligan, Thompson, Brown, Tomoana, Colebrook, McCarthy, Piper, Maaka, MoCarthy, Gi^eUing, J, Mataira, B. Mataira. Gisborne Marist: Fisken, Ryan, hexton, Duckwcorth, Qujn, Swinburne, Morrison, Doyle, Rigney, J, Bean, Griffin, Wilkins, Green, O'HaBoran, HarriSon. With th© grdtuid heavy end the ball far frdm ideal for handliiig, it was left to the fof.wafds to lauUch th© game, and Gisborne shoWed an early superidrity in loo.Se scfambles. Thirty-five yards out Hastings wer© penalised, and Bexton mad© an ©xcelient job of the kick to give Gisborne an edvantage of three points. Maintaining the pressore, Gisborne returned to th© attack, and Ryan Wa| thrown otit right by the cbfiier flag after" th© ball had travelled th© Whol© hne. Then Hastings broke through repeatedly and actually crossed the Marist line, only to b© recalled for off-sid© play, Garvey made a determined bUTst on th© outside, but Was hopelOssly Orowded, aiid Tomoana, despite numeroUS attOmpts, cOuld Siot get his lin© UWay sUccessfully before th© inteXval, when Gisborne remained thr© epoints ahead. With th© resuihptiott, the game at once took a different turn. Pullen, from near half-way, broke through clevefly, side-stepped th© defene©, and covered valuabl© grouud befor© h© tent Garvey away to score near th© pOsts. Tomoana oonverted. Pursuing' open tactics and haiidliiig the ball with increasing freedom, Hastings wer© now. in charge, revealong eOflsiderable Style in their play. iU-and-OUt handling saw Brown go across, and Pullen this time added the major points. Th© climaX of th© gam© saW fofwards and backs combining in devaStatitig movements, and one of thes© bor© fruit in a crossing by Piper. Converting from a difficult angle, PUllen mad© the flnal score 15—3. Mr A. Ward relereed,