Rugby MAC. IMPRESS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 93, 6 May 1937, Page 14

Rugby MAC. IMPRESS

"Omni.")

Played Like Prospective Chunpions ; LIGHTER CELTIC PACK

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' The three unbeaten senior fifteens continued on their winning -way last Satcrday, when bright football wai the order in Hastings aad Napier.- Marist won well in Napier and they impress as a- side 'yet to show its best. Tlie outgtanding performance, however, Wa that o t EAiC, in their match Witb Hastings H.S.O.B. On tb® day the Maori team played like prospective champions. • Possibly the 14r—3 margin in favour ©f Marist in their -match with Napier H-.S.O.B. was flattering. The Greens were fortunate in scoring two of their .tries, but all the same they were fullv entitled to -victory. The game was not without ite spectacular features, but taVftn by and larger it was not quite up to expectation*. Xmpreeslve Side. Yigorous play predominated, with Marist superior in the forwards, .and the H.S.O.B. rear-guard giving a great exhibition of taekling,. This is the hrst occasion that 1 have had a good opportunity of studying the Marist mde, and they imprese me as a fif teen eapable of producing much better football than they showed last week-end. The three-quarter line ds a speedy one, but the service at half and first fiveeighth is too erratie to produce the best results, On Saturday half-back Moss Mcked the bali more often t.Van any other back on the field. I v tnderad does he know the duties of a halfbackf Benson, at first five-eighth, did Bome good work, but he got out of touch with his second five-eighth, and jf he did not do that failed to recog»ase Ihe right time to send the ball on. Tn conseqnence the three-quarter line had to.make their own play, and it was •urprising the number of times White, ithe new winger, got the ball, and every ylmft he gave the erowd. a thrill, The goal-line is his sole objective, and he heads for it by the shortest route. He is a left wing three-quarter and a definite . acquisition to Hawke's Bay football. Hansen, Marists' fast centre got little opportunity, and the qnicker the Greens xecognise that a player giffed yrith his great pace must be provided with an express delivery service of the ball the better it vtfl be for thfe wingers. The best forward in the Marist pack was Gnffin. X should say he enjoys the game and he certainly is no shirker in the heavy rucking, while he gives assistance to any team mate who might have the ball. 'Hext to the North Auckland forward was yoang lTp.Tdgraves, a silent worker, but «n the spot all the time, He has superseded Mat O'Brien as the No. 1 goal-kicker and is putfing np a reeord for consistency.

JTorrying Forwards. The Napier Old^Boy forwards worxied their heavier opponents all throngh the game-, and Bdshop was a fna leader, with -Ennor and CrawfordBmith good supports. Yery early they -Tccognised White as a menace, and there were always two coming across' to stop the determined dashes of the Maori lad. , Clothier and Bradley were too closely watehed to get iar, and these two, with Macey, Marr and O'Rourke, tackled in great style. O'Rourke is a thirteen-stone youth, as yet green, but a very determined runner when in possession of the ball, and certainly most promising. Althongh they have been defeated twice in succession Old Boys will win many more games before the competition closes. Celtic y, Tech. O.B. On No. 2 ground Celtic and Technical Old Boys commenced at 2.30 p.m. in dxder that. several of the Tech, men could get away in the anterrupted pnrsuit of the elusive wild duck. Celtic did not turn on one of their good exhibitions and for most of the game the Grey forwards were all over them. Had the home backs taken fuil advantage of the opportunities afiorded them the ecore wohld have been doubled, bnt their ideas of passmg were crude. L. Kauter did the best of the inside Teeh. backs, but" Peterson is too slow and draws all the defenee across before he passes the ball on. Herbert, 6n the wing, did well with limitcd opportunity, and his two tries wSre the result

Tech. had a busy qnartette of forwards in Bowman, R. Johnson, Brooks and McAnslin, with W. Johnson dbing effective work as a sort of rover. Best of the Celtic fearguard were Haligan, Simon and Pullen. The forwards missed Hannigan, who retired early to be followed by J. Mataira, who also was doing good work. Of tho reminder Maaka and Bowera were the most promlnent. The Celtic pack this season is much lighter than usual, and judged on their two appearanees dn Napier are not nearly so effective as those of past years.