FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4448, 2 August 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

NOTES FROM THE F LAINS. As the Hauarki Plains Rugby competitions are drawing nearly to a close more interest is being aroused as to the prospective winners. At present Turua are favourites in the senior grade, while Turua also are leading by a substantial margin in the yanior section. Though Turua are at present one point behind in the senior grade they have ye.t one more match to play, while Waitakaruru, who hold t.he present premier position, have played all their matches. Of the juniors there are still three teams with an equal chance, though here Turua’s position is again considered to be a good one.

The following tables denote the positions of the competing teams :

Note.—A junior match between Waitakaruru and Patetonga, played at the beginning of the season, is to be replayed at the end of the season, and is not included in the above table.

The Waitakar.uru team has during the present round made the best of its opportunities, and won every game making up for the two losses in the first round. With Pateionga, however, matters are reversed, the team from the southern end having suffered defeat twice during the present round, though by very small margins. The game between the Patetonga an.l Turua senior teams at Ngatea on Saturday was one of the best club matches seen on the Plains. Despite the sharp, bleak wind sweeping across the shelterless ground there was a good crowd of supporters . f each team to witness the hard, even, and exciting contest. Till the last whistle the issue was in doubt, and. for a time during the latter stages Patetonga seemed like scoring. The spectators evinced great enthusiasm, and were as keen as the players. On more than one occasion the referee was forced to stop play while those on the line got back from the field of play. Next Saturday, when the club matches will be again ..suspended to permit of the Piako-Hains representative match to be played, a team from Turua will visit Coromandel to play the local representatives there. The team will leave Turua by launch on Saturday morning, Returning on Sunday.

A meeting of the Hauraki Plains Rugby Union was held on Saturday, the following attending: Messi's T. Cashen (chairman), H, Berney, D. Green, C. Smith, Duffy, and D. A. Vincent (hon. secretary). Tanner (Ngatea) was regraded from senior to junior grade. A protest was received from the Ngatea Club against rulings of the referee given in a junior match with Patetonga. It was decided to obtain a statement from the referee who controlled the game. It was also resolved that all referees should be asked to send reports of their matches to the secretary.

The great expense of sending teams on< travel was reported to the Union, which decided that owing to financial difficulties it cou’ld not send away any more junior representative teams this season,. .After the meeting Mr R. B. PenUpgton lectured to the referees present on t'he rules of the game. It was regrettable that there were only a few referees present, as the lecture was very instructive and many difficult points were cleared up. PIAKO V. PLAINS. The following team has been selected to represent'the Plains against Piako at Ngatea on Saturday : Full-back, Stretton; three-quarters, Adlum, Wallis, Fox; five-eighth-s, Nicholls, Garry; half-back, Thorbum ; rover, McMahon; forwards, Dawson, Bedford, Rapana, Poland, Newdick, Beasley, Millington. Reserves : Forwards, Bolton, W. Clark, Marchant; backs, Lang, O’Carroll, D, Tubi. 1 The following team will represent Piako: Full-back, C, Timmins ; three-quar-ters, Kitto, Magill, G. Miller; fiveeighths, Gilpin, Samson ; half-back, Hudson; rover, Goldsbury; forwards, Grattan, P. Magill, McLaren, F. Miller, Atkins, Rosenfeldt. Emergencies: Backs, A. Moon. E. Timmins; forwards, Morrow, D. Ryan, and W. Everitt.

SENIOR GRADE. Pts. P. W. L. D. 8 6 2 — 12 Turua 7 5 11 11 Patetonga 6 3 2 1 / Kerepeehi 7 16 — 2 Ngatea — 6 1 5 — 2 JUNIOR GRADE. P. W. L. D. Pts. Turua 7 6 1 — 12 Ngatea — 6 4 2 — 8 Pa.tetonga 5 3 2 — 6 Waitakaruru 7 2 5 — 4 Kerepeehi 7 16 — 2