ROSS SHIELD TO HASTINGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 189, 27 August 1937, Page 15

ROSS SHIELD TO HASTINGS

Splendid Victory Over Wairoa Stalwarts PRIMARY-SCHOOLS RUGBY The Ross Shield was annexed by Hastings yesterday afternoon when the annual primary schools' representative Rugby footbail tournament concluded at Nelson Park, Hastings. The final game between Hastings and Wairoa was a splendid one, both teams giving 3, wonderful exhibition. Hastings won by three points to nil and remained unbeaten througho.ut the tournament. The xesult was a surprise to most, for the Wairoa team had Tevealed surprisingly good form and had eecured a number of runaway victories. Their rearguard was quite the most enterprising and fastest in the, competition, but conditions for the final game were not in their favour; steady rain oyernight and throughout the morning had made the going* heavy and more suited to forward play. These conditions suited Hastings, who possessed the better set of forwards, and the fact that Wairoa went down for the first time, and lost the Ross Shield, was due entirely to the wonderful performance of the Hastings forwards. They were at a disadvantage in weight, but their yirile loose play, excellent dribbling and footwork more than made amends for the diffexence in weight and in efficiency of rearguard3. Thq two concluding games of the tournament resulted as follows: — Napier defeated Dannevirke by seven points to nii. Hastings defeated Wairoa by three points (a try by Jamieson) to. uil. In 'this game Hastings led three-nil at half time and the honours territorially were about even. After the changoover,_ howevqr, Wairoa had thq better of the game territorially, sepecially during the final quarter-hour, when Hastings rarely passed their own quarterway> Sound tackling and fine forward rucking kept their line intiact. Mr. A. Kirkpatrick refereed. The following tablq gives the positions of the teams:- —

W. L. For Agt. Pts Hastings ...... 4 0 72 12 8 Wairoa" ........ 3 1 114 3 0 Central H.B. .. 2 2 20 61 4 Napier f 3 19 fi7 2 Dannevirke .... 0 4 6 88 0