COLOURS LOWERED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 114, 31 May 1937, Page 9

COLOURS LOWERED

M.A.C. Call the Tune for Marist , SIX-POINT MARGIN The ponipetition leaders, Marist, ' danced to the tupp played by the M.A.c, fprwards in the main at- . traction at McLeap Park, Napier, | before a record crowd of 35po spectators. The Maori pack was too heavy and too active for Marist, | and the Marist back line was use- | less for want of the ball. Although in the finai stago? of the gamq they . thftde dopperate efforts to score and for a timp gained the - upper hand, the defeat w$3 plear-cut, and M.A.C. well-deserved their win. The teamp were:— , Marist. — Hannan, Davis, Melvpr, White, Benson, Robins, Moss, AH?n, Sorenson, M. O^Brien, Griffin, Arm • Strpug, Ii eland, Exeter. ! M-A.O.— S. Jackson, A. Walford, N. Staplps, P. Meafou, Ifurupo, T. Walford, Newton, g. Crawford, S. T. Reid, Kingi, J. Thompson, J. Greening, E. Jackson, Marino, Purcell. The game started off at a rattling clip, the forwards sotting a terrifia pape, and fqr g^me timo breaking even in tlie mattpr pf get scnims. Soon, howeYer, the superior paeking and weight pf M.A.C, began to tell, so that upon the few occasions that Ireland hooped the ball his men were pushed ofl it. Newton was very prominent in starting ofl? his backs, and although Marist taclcled solidly, the visitors gained ground and spent a majoril.y oi their time in Green territory, Marist 's passing was lamentably weak, and dropped passes from Benson to Robins broke down several promising move ments. Meafou reaohed the line in one run, but was held up and finally thrust baek. first blood came to Marist, when Jack Q'Brfen caught a pass on hi» chest, snapped up the rebound', and dashed about 40 yards to the line. H6 was tackled by S. Jackson, but was ro leased before ho dropped the ball. Robins added the pxtra points with a good kick from the sidelinc. Then came an epidomic of attempts to pot goals by Marist, some of them! going clope tp thoir objestive. Benson, Allen and M. 0 'Brien a}l triqd this, but tirpd of it when Robins kicked a, penalty aftef the referee penalised M,A,0. for off-side play. M.A.C. returned to the attaek, and their forwards reached the line in a ruph that Marist were powerleBs to stop. From an ensuing scrum, Newton secured and potted a-fine goal. Disaster tnen overtook Marist. A high kick came well back, and whilo Davis and Hannan were wrestling foi the ball, S. Crawford galloped up, secured possession, and grounded the ball noar tlje cornor as he was grassqq by Benson. S. Jackson misspd the kiclt, and soon after Robins missec] a penalty for Marist. Tlie sccond spell saw M-A.C, playiug harder than evpr, and the Marist pack was obviopsly c flagging, Reid and Staples botji crossed the line, only to logo possession,. but the efforts pf the team. were rewavded when Greening secured and racpd tUrpogh for a gecond try, Jackson converting. At this stage Ihe Maoris were definitely en top, and the ieaders had tq exort themselves on defence. Newton missed two attempts at a field goal, and then Jackson missel a penalty. {3oon after A. Walford made a smashirjg run down the line, but dropped t'm ball when gtopped by Whilo. Marist drew a sigh of rclief, uut E. Jackson came at top speed from the rear, pickcd up wonderiirlly, ancl ' crossed. Jackson converting. Although Robins kicked anothpr penalty, Marist were unable to make up the aeneit. tscorerg: — M.A.C. (17): S. Crawford (try), Newton (field goal), E. Jackson (try), Greening (try), S. Jackson (two cpuversions). Marist (11): Robins (two penalties and n convereion), J. O'Bricn (try). Mr. E. D. Borry refereed.