CENTRAL H.B. RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 170, 5 August 1937, Page 13

CENTRAL H.B. RUGBY

"Referee.")

Poraitgahau's Good Record in Competitions TAKAPAU ST1LL LEAD

(By '

Last Saturday 's senior xesults in Central Hawke's Bay were as follow:— Takapau (0) beat Te Aute (3). Porangahau (22) beat Omakere (nil). Waipukurau (27) beat Old Boys (5). , Tikokino (7) beat Onga Onga (5). With three more matehes to play, Takapau are strong favourites for the local senior championship. The result •nrill not be certain, however, . until the linal mateh has been played; if Takapau lost this match against Waipukurau, a deciding game between these two teams may be neeessary. Meanwliile, Takapau 's opponents for next Saturday* will be Old Boys, and unless the southern team improves, Old Boys may repeat its surprise victory of tne first round. Against Te Aute last Saturday, Takapau were a.long way below their usual standard. In the first half their forwards took thftngs too easliy, wxth tne result that the Ooliege boys quiekly gained coniidenCe. Although Takapau emerged victorious, the last , ten minutes saw them fully extended to maintain theii' slender lead. By frequent kicking and fast foilowing up, Te Aute i'orced the Takapau backs into quite k nurnbef of eriors, but although the Maori team continually gaaned ground by this method, they could not iinalise their efforts. Throughout this game there was not a single stoppage through injury to a player ; for this special credit is due to the heavy Takapau forwards. The two senidr games played in Waipukurau were too OnO-sTded to be really exeiting. With their star winger, T. Ferguson, in brilliant form, Waipukurau were far too good for Old Boys, and when they meet Takapau in the last mateh of the round tfiey Will be hard to beat. Since May 20 Porangahau have not beCn beaten. Of their last nine matehes seven have been won and two drawtt; the two drawn games were against the leading teams, Takapau and Yv aipukuruu. When a country club begiils a season by losing four games in succession, its members sometimes lo3e interest, but this obviously does not apply to Porangahau. At the present time there is not a better team in the distrticl. In a highly entertaining game at Ongaonga last Saturday the home teaitt lost by two .points to Tikokino. Tikokino showed a commendable generosity by lending two of their "emergencies' ' to Onga for the game., but oddly enough a certain amount of frdction developed during the play between one of these ' ' einergencies ' ' and his own clubmates on the opposing side. As Tikokino players have now set a valuable pf ecedent . by wearlng Onga Onga jerseys, it may be hoped that ixext sehson these two clubs will comoine. If such a club etttered a senior and a junior teamf the two local grounds could both be used as ' ' home ' ' grounds, and each village could receive a fair ishare of senior matehes.