CENTRAL H.B. RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 117, 3 June 1937, Page 15

CENTRAL H.B. RUGBY

'Referee. ")■

Takapau's Defeat Causes Surprise OLD BOYS DO WELL

(By '

Last Saturday 's senior resuits in Conr;ii Hawke's Bay were as follow: — Old Bo.Vs (8) beat Takapau (nil). Porangahau (12) beat Te Aute (10) Omakere (16) beat Onga (nil). Otane (28) beat Tikokino (nil). In. a brilliant match at Gentral Pai'kj Old Boys defeated Takapau, prcviouaiy

unbeaten since 1935. On thie season 's form, Takapau were thought to be at least fifteen points better than Old Boys, and the result came as the biggest Rugby surprise in years. While the Teturn of the Bay representative, C. Wilson, made a big differen.ee to the Old Boys' forwards, the whole team showed a marked improvement. With the increased confidence which will come with last Saturday 'a win, they should be forniidable eecond-round opponents for any of the leading teams. At Porangahau Te Aute had an unlucky .day. Leading 10 — 0 at half-time, Te Aute then lost in quick succession their half-baek hooker, and the wing three-quarter, Northcroft, who was to have played against Hawke's Bay on •Wednesday. l(,or the last twenty minutes the College had only fhirteen sound players on the field. The injuries were purely accidental, two of them being due to the rough st4te of the ground; the game was played in an excellent spirit. The Porangahau fullback Baesett, who is to represent the sub-union this week, was not up £0 his usual standard, but Ross, secoiid fiveeighths, was ond of the best backs on tho field. Omakere and Otane, as expected, defeated Onga and Tikokino respectivelv. Aa thc Otano-Tikokino gatne was played on the latter 'e ground, the Otane score was surprisingly large; the Tikokino barrackers must have been out of form! As prcviously indicated in those 110 tes, the Onga-Tikokino district chn* not maintain t\vo teams. of senior standard. A combined club would be a marked improvement. In the local senior grade there are at present ninC teams, one too many for a Rugby competition. In tbis grado Otane, Takapau, and Waipukurau, tho loaders, ftre riow level wit)h ten phiutei each, Waipukurau,

who recently defeated Old Boys 19 — 3, have yet to meet Takapau, and an exciting match will result. Central Hawke's Bay Team. In the Bub-union team to meet HawKe's Bay this week the forwards are more impressive . than the backs. The Aldrich brothers., Takapau fiveeighths, are a good attacking combination, but it is doubtful if the hefty Porangahau half, Kuru, is quick enough to give his backs much chance against the fast Bay forwards. The Otane club were uulucky to miss representation in the eubmnion team, as originally chosen, but Otane, though a very sound team, have no outstanding individual players,