BLACK DAY FOR BAY RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 191, 30 August 1937, Page 8

BLACK DAY FOR BAY RUGBY

Taranaki 1 Inflict First Defeat of Season FAULTS EXPLOITED There was reason for rejoicing in the Taranaki province on Saturday. The win gained by.-the Rugby team of the cairving province over the Ha vke'i Bay "wool-gatherers". There had been seven, previous attempts by different prcvinces to lower the Bay colours, and aU had failed. Taranaki made the oigitb and won by -15 points to nine. Tafanaki's win was fully iherited. Thc-ir forwards outplayed the Bay iorwards. Beat them at their own game, in kwt. It w'as a wonderful forward game. Quite the best seen for a good number of years. The Bay forwards played right up to form; but they met their match, for Taranaki played better than they did. It was in the loose and open that a high standard was set. Certainly the Bay forwards appeared to have more driving force when they had Tori Reid among tliem. He canie on the scene half-way through the second spell, and right from the moment of his sprint on to the field', until the final whistle came he was prominent. But except that they were, too busily engaged with dealing with the Taranaki packmen, and c-ould not spare the time to suppoit the Bay backs as should have been the case, there was nothing wrong with the play of the Bay forwards. Obviously the dairy lands of Taranaki breed them big and for once the Bay '.team, viewed purely from the physical aspect, was made to appear diminuative. The majority of the visitors were fine, big strapping fellows, and knew it too, for they threw their weight about in great style. A Fateful Day for the Bay. Apart from tbe besmirching of the proud record established, it was indeed a fateful day for Hawke's Bay. It was all started when Clothier lost the toss for the first time tiiis season. It was a'bad omen, for the Bay — but certainly an accurute one, viewed in the light of subsequent events. Then 'hopes of the crack wing-thieequarter, Whitej playing himself into the fifteen to nieet the Springboks faded about 15 minutes after thu start when his old knee injury made it appearance and he retired — almost certainly for the remainder of the season. He was replaced by Herbert, and the Bay was back to its familiar combination, but not ior long. Captain Clothier suffered a compound fracture of a finger of the right hand. He went off, for a lialfback with a crippled -hand, wquld only be a passenger. So on came Phil Iteid, former New Zealand varsity representative, and when one thinks of the Bay ^ttack on Saturday, Reid provided the only brightness. But more of.that anon. Aftfer the interval there was a rare re-shuffling of the Bay rearguard. Coininencing at the scrum it read : Dyer (brought from fuliback to haifback), "Reid and Robins, with Devine centre, Apsey and Herbert Wingjers, and Bradley fuliback. Gone was the i combination that Seiector Norman : McKenzie had been carefully nursing fqr almost two seasons. But there was ntore misfortune to come, . Halfway through the second spell, Devine, who had been previously injured, and was limping badly, was olficially called off by tho selector-managcr. His place was taken by Bill Johnson, and Tori Reid, who was hoping to have a dayoff.in anticipation of the coming Test, nxade his appearance. - It certainly was a doleful procession ■ and it is not given in detail with any idea of affording an excuse for the Bay's failurei • Actually Taranaki had revealed that it was going to be more than a handful for the Bay. Under the circumstances the Bay may even take pride in the i'act that the margin was not greater. But the series of misfortunes coupled with the poor showing made individually by some of the Bay backs, provides food 'i'or thouglit. There is every likclihood of thero . being some radical changjes kmade for' the remainder of the representative programme. Taranaki Forwards' Robust Play. p.. But" reverting to the actual play ;and 'players again. The outstanding ■ feature of the 'game was the wonderf uh vitality and determination of the Taranaki for ivafds.' We have prided "ourselves in the Bay on cur first-rate forwards— -and have three All fJJacks —but despite tbem and their reputations, the Taranaki forwards played what nnist iiave been for them, a game "out of the box." Their best were Fowler, Joyce and Murphy, and all the others were good. This trio, however, was particularly good. At times the most prominent player was Fastier, who as a "proteetor" to the inside backs, or any of his eomrades with the ball, was a past-mas-ter. His tactics, on accasions, wero open to some questioniug, hufc'otherwise the game was exccptionally clean. play, as might be inferred from the There was no suggestion of rough casualty list of the Bay. This was accounted for by the fact that the Bay backs just could not stand up to the determined and resolute tackling. It should not be lost sight of that in the past we have seen opposition backs crumble just as did the Bay backs on Saturday, under the devastating onslaughts of our own forwards. The Bay's leader among the forwards was again Dalton, and Jackson was a constant toiler throughout. Hannigan was prominent, but to Bowman really g-oes the laurels of beinothe best all-round Bay forward on Saturday. He alone appeared to aplineciato the fact that his rearguard was in dire need of support on defence, and he did his best. The failure of the Bay forwards. to realise this stato of - affairs was the prime factor in the defeat. Forced into making mistakes by the able spoiling of the Taranaki

forwards. who in this phase of the 'play had the very effective work of Smith, the second five-eighths, to supplement their work, the Bay backs should have received more support from their forwards than the.v did. About the Rearguards. There were many passing movements throughout the game in which it was a case of stalemate. Each man in turn being tackled, and the movement made little - or no headway. Taranaki were determined on giving their wingers, Wetton and Hunter the ball. The latter, on the several oecasions that he did break away, showed pienty of speed' and justified tho i'aith placed in h m. He was a.tualjy rtsponsible for two of the 'taranaki tries. Tlie remainder of the. line* were not above the average. Tbe Bay rearguard really was more impressive at times. Some of the movements did mako headway, Lut \v'ere spoilt by poof handling and. passing, The surprise packct on attack was l'hil Reid. Ho was quite tlie outstanding back on the field. His try as halfbaek was a "gem," and after the interval he frequently pierced the Taranaki line but retained possession too long. Tbe main diffieulty with Reid is to find someone who can keep up with him., or rather to keep abreast of him. His companions often had run past >him as he made some unexpected change of direction in his pierces. The one Hawke's Bay back who did give every satisfaction was Morrie Dyer. He did all that was asked of him at full-back though his display was not quite up to the same degtree of efficiency as that of the former All Black, Collins, who still can be counted as one of the Dominion's leading last . lincs of defence. Even when placed behind the scrum Dyer quckly settlcd down to his job. Actually it is no new one i'or liim, though it is over two seasons ago since he was a scrum half. He and Apsey were the two best and most dependablo Bay backs. But What of the Future7 Taranaki'® victory on Saturday came as a big surprise to Bay enthusiasts. lt is doubtful whether even. the most pessimistic anticipated a defeat. But after Saturday' s exhibition there must have been pienty of misgivings as to the prospeets, hii.li rto tho gbt to be latlv'V bright, of the Bay, providing the Springboks • with at least a stiff opposition. In the event of Clothier ^ not being able to take the field for that game, it is pretty obvious that the seiector will have to indulgo, in some experimenting, of which there has been very little this season, He will have to refashion the inside backs. Probably Dyer will continue to be half. but the question to receive most attention will be the retention of Bradley and Robins.' The secret of the Bay backs success this season has been mainly due to the perfect understanding that existed between Clothier and Bradley. They are a great , combination, but will Bradley be as efficient without his club-mate? Then again, Robins of late has not been pl.aying up to the same standard attained earlier in the season. He appears to have gone somewhat stale, and it is possible that he may be replaced, for the time- being at any rafce. Should Dyer reinain at half-back, the most likely to fill the position ' of, full-back will be the M A.C.N^epresentative, S. Jackson, though Hhtchinson, of Napier Old Boys, and last year's representative full-back, is still a strong contender for the job. * But it will be the five-eighths positions that will provide the major profciems, and it appears almost certain that the seiector will have to spread liis net well out into his big domain. O i-' tbing is certain — greater iuts -ei-t is going to be taken in the announcement of the Bay teams in the future, than has been tl^ case just reeentlv.