FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4412, 10 May 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

HIKUTAIA MATCH.

The Hikutaia (Suburbs) and Paeroa West seniors met at Hikutaia on Saturday, the game ending in a win for the home team by 12 points to 7. The play was fjairly fast, the result 1 of the game being in doubt, up to the very end. The visitors excelled in combination, the local men making up ip personnel for what they lost f-ropi lack of concerted .action. An unpleasant feature of the game was the departure from the field of one of the visiting players who sought in this way—not a very sportsman-like one—to mark his sense of displeasure at the decision of! the referee, Mr G. Collins, who did not allow the mark claimed by a member of the Hikutaia team. This player, realising the situation more quickly .than his opponents, who had lined up on the touch line, slipped across, and scored a try, thus giving, the victory to the local players. - > Hikutaia schoolboys experienced a Waterloo in the curtain-raiser played against the Wharepoa boys, who won the game by some ten points. Notwithstanding the ‘difference in the scores, the teams were* B evenly matched. , ■ NOTES FROM THE PLAINS; SATURDAY’S CLOSE CONTESTS. The slippery ' ground and greasy ball on Saturday prevented accurate handling and kicking, but making allowances for this, the playjgenerally in the Hauraki Plains marches left great room for improvement. There were at times bright flashes of combined work and .some clever, dribbling, but, as is usual at the commencement ofl the season, individual play predominated. Both the senior and junior matches on the Plains were very evenly contested. indicating that some' exciting contests in both grades will be witnessed before the dose of the season. The Patetonga-Waitakaruru game was exceptionally even. and. it was only the slightly superior combined work of the Patetonga team that gave them the one point win. The Waitakaruru fprwards are a solid lot, and were slightly the superior. There was practically nothing to pick and choose between the backs of. either team. Of the Patetonga'fifteen G Garry at five-eighths did a great deal of effective work, and Wongi at threequarter was sound.. Millington, Foote, and Bolton were the best- of the forwards. C. Clark (forward) and Stretton (three-quarter) were the outstanding players in the Waitakaruru team,

The Kerepeehi fifteen- made a determined stand against Ngatea, and a fairly interesting game was seen. The strongest line in the Kerepeehi team was the three-quarter. The fulLback was weak in the first haM- The Ngatea backs were poor and the forwards only fair. McMahon, as rover, was prominent in the Ngatea team, and gave some clever exhibitions ofi dribbling Tanner at half played a determined game, and was a wonder for his size.. Nichols (five-eigths) and A. Banks and Johnson, (forwards) also played well. For Kerepeehi, McCollum and Adlam in the threequarter line, Beasley (five-eighths), and Rapani (forward), were the most outstanding players.. 1 .Though the Patetonga-Waitakaruru junior match stands at present in favour of the, former, it is more than likely that the result will be declared a draw. It is understood that the Patetonga team is quite prepared !>' let it be declared a draw. The reason for this, was the awarding to Patetonga o' 1 , the last four points flor a drop-kick by Costello. The Waitakaruru team met the referee after the match and maintained that it was not a drop-kick. The referee (Mr Mclndoe) explained that he was behind £ he player in question when the ball was kicked and his view was obstructed. He was of the opinion it was a drop-kick, and he could not alter his decision. If a protest were entered to the Union and the player who kicked the ball would admit it was mot a drop-kick, he would not be hostile to seeing the match declared a drawl The tr,ue sporting spirit appeared to exist on all sides, and there appears to be every prospect of the matter being amicably seized when it comes before the Union meeting mi Saturday. The two' teams were very evenly matched, and flor' juniors ’t was a very creditable exhibition. For Patetonga Benny, (five-eighths), Bennett (full-back), Merryman (threequarter), Merryman, Cowdrey, Diamond. and Dowslin (forwards):, .an.l *J. Shelly (rover) were the most prominent players’, while for Waitakaruru P. King (five-eighths), F. Stretton (three-quarter)/ Lang (fullback), Kendall, and Grant (forwards) were the best players.

The Kerepeehi junior team showed an improvement on its first match, and Ngatea not playing up to the standard it set in the first game were hard put to it to win. Kerepeehi showed up to better advantage in the last quarter. For Ngatea Griffin did well, and was one of .the best forwards on the field.. R. Jaqkson (forward) also played well. In the backs C. Clark (full-back), Satchell (fiveeignths),, and Dunwobdie (centre three quarter) were the most prominent. On the Kerepeehi side 'Ret.i was the best back, while Ryan and Wolfe also played well in the backs. W. Wolfe, M. Wihitaka, T. Majurey, and C. Nicholson did well in the forwards.

The referees, especially those who officiated in the Plains matches last Saturday, deserve a word of praise for the impartial and prompt manner in which they carried out their duties Both in the senior and junior matches they showed some judgment, and that this was appreciated by the players and spectators alike was evident by the scanty comment on referees’ decisions. What little comment that was made was mostly in commendatory terms. This augurs well for the success of Rugby on the Plaine, as when those on the field and side-line are satisfied with the referee’s rulings the game will be played in a more sportsmanlike manner. The formation off a referees’

association should be a further step for the benefit of the game, and the Union is only awaiting 'She arrival of rule books to get to work.

In the senior competition Fatetonga, Turua, Waitakaruru, and Ngatea are each credited with one win. The first two teams have only played one game, while the other two have each played two games and lost on-?. In the junior section Ngatea leads with four points, but Patetonga and Turua have each had a bye and have each had a win.

The Hauraki Plains Rugby Union has been granted definite boundaries, which include the "'..01e of the Hauraki Plains. rar as .the Netherton Club’s territory on £ he south-least, as far as the Morrinsville Union’s boundary on the south, and is bounded by the hills on the west and by the Hauraki Gulf and Waihou River on the North and East. MATCHES FOR SATURDAY. The following matches will be decided next Saturday : Seniors. —Patetonga v. Turua, at Ngatea ; Kerepeehi 'v. ■ Waitakaruru, at Waitakaruru ; Ngatea a bye. Juniors. —Turua v. Patetonga, at Ngatea; Waitakaruru v,. Kerepeehi, at Kerepeehi; Ngatea a bye. Schoolboys.—Turua v. Ngatea, at Ngatea.