WIN FOR TE AUTE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 185, 23 August 1937, Page 3

WIN FOR TE AUTE

Moascar Cup Challenge Fails PALMERSTON N. DEFEATED WAIPAWA, Aug. 21. A converted try was all the difference between Te Aute College and the Palmerston Nortli Boys' High School at Waipawa this afternoon, when Te Aute, by 11 points to 6, rctained the Moascar Cup, which derives its nauie from a military depot in Egypt. In a Bugby tournainent therc it was won by a New Zealand team, a photograph of which accompanies the cup on its travels. When the New Zealand troops returned home they presented the cup for competition among the New Zealand secondary schools. During the first few years most of the secondary school teams in the Doinihion played for the tropliy, but for various reasons the eompetition dicd out. At the present time only Palmerston and To Auto play for the cup. To-day 's match was a sound exhibition of solid Itngby, played tbroughout in the best spirit of the garnc. In the first half, the form of the Te Aute boys was disappointing, their backs failing to produce the bright movements they ,have giyen spedators the right to ,cx- *

pect. Palmerston took full aclvantage of their chances and the half-time scoreof three points to uil in their favour was less than a fair indieation of the relative merits of the two teams thus far. In the second sossion, howeyer, the , Maori forwards camo out on top, and started to feed a baek-line ( which, at, this stage, was going much botter. Two tries wero quickly notched before the Palmerston defence had a chance to rally. The southern tcam's forwards, xrho had worked hard right through the •lirst half, were now beginning to feeL tho pace, but the backs were .still full ; of fight, and proved it by turning defence into attack to equalise the score. Prom^then on the To Auto forwards dominated the play, and, turning on a great linish, left no doubts as to tho iinal issue. Gaine to the last,- but just not quite fit enough to hold their owu at tho end of the match, Palmerston put up a splendid showing against a team that was trained to the miuute and appeared to carry a slight all-round advantage in weight. Up to within ten minutes of the final whistle, it was anybody's game. Palmerston fielded a solid backline, very strong in the inside positions. J. Scott, the half, took every chance to open up the game, and a pass to Beard always started something interesting. Beard, first five-eighth, was the outstanding baok on the field on the day's play, despite the fact t-hat he- was well inarked. Sbields gave sterling support, while all Jhe backs combincd .well and

seemed to have a good knowledge of their jobs. A. . Campbell, D. Barrett, Baigent and Nash were the pick oi a hard-working pack, that turned oiit not qiiite tough enough to hold the Maoris in the gruelling closing stages. / " Te_ AuteMielded much . the same team that made . sueh a thorough job , of the Wanganui .College -te,aia recently and, with a-numb.ar , of games they ' have played since then, they could really have becn expected to turn on a bettcr exhibition than they did. It wonld be unfair to be tbo: critical of the backs on the day's play because, so far, as Te Aute w'as concemed, the forwards handled' tho bullc of tho work and a good backline, i'or the greater part of the first half, at any rate, was virtually wasted. . Haunga again provted himself a very useful half, although he was some tim.es indiscrcet in the use of his boot, spoiling some good operiings with wild' kicking. C. Taite, star winger of recent games, played up to forni when given the chance, but he did not get much of the ball. The foryvards undoubtediy won the match, with Wanoa, Marsden and Raureti always prominent, but. one ventures to suggest that, had they sent tho ball baclc more often, tha margin of difference in Te Aute's favour might well have been greater.