FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4560, 7 May 1923, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

NGATEA AND KEREPEEHI DRAW. WAITAKARURU 11, PATETONGA 6. The third matches of the first round in inter-club football on the Plains were' played on Saturday in very unfavourable weather*. Rain fell steadily on Friday night and showers fell on Saturday morning, making the playing fields very slippery, so that play was not up to expectations. Saturday’s games were noticeable as being particularly hard fought, t and a peculiar feature of those at Kerepeehi was that no score was registered in either match. The Rugby Union should see clubs have two playing fields in orde. that matches can be started at the advertised finite. Better arrangements should be made to keep the spectators back from the line, as by encroachirfg on the field they seriously interfere with , the play. KEREPEEHI v. NGATEA. Kerepeehi.—J. Adlum, W. Murph Hawera/ Steedman, G. Masters, McCollum, J.. Connor, Dent. Alley, TipaR. Fisher Hav era, R. Carr, M. Baggs. Rapana. Ngattea—R. McGuire, C. Cave, K. Campbell. C. Molloy, W. Molloy, G. Falwasscr, F. Nicoll, S. Lawrence, R. Jobe, W. Johnson, ,R. Spencer, N. Spencer, L. Lipscombe, B< Keyes, j. Ivan. Kerepeehi kicked off and a sdluin immediately ensued. Ngatea opened up the attack and' had a free kick, but Molloy failed and a scrum even-, - tuateij, in front of the posts. For it breach in the scrum Kerepeehi suffered a penalty, but Molloy again failed. - Play then centred near midfield, the ball going out on both sides several time until Nicoll, kicking well and following up, compelled Kerepeehi to force. ' Play again returned to neutrq/l ground until Lipscombe . took a free kick, which Kerepeehi returned to the line. 'From the throw in Ngatea backs got the ball and a passing rush terminated in Kerepeehi forcing. Loose play followed, and by a series of marks play was carried well up into Ngatea’s quarter. However, Ngatea rallied and forced / to the other end of the field, where ’ Kerepeehi relieved"with a free Ip«k. Rain commenced to fall heavily, and the rest of the game became more or less a scramble. Play in'the second quarter was mostly of a. loose nature, up and down the field, neither side holding the advantage for long. At one time Fisher, with the ball at his feet, looked like scoring, but a Ngatea player forced. Molloy also failed with another free kick. After half pme play still ranged up and down the field until Nicoll ' kicked well and followed up, compell- ■ > ing Masters to force. • From the dropout Nicoll got the ball on the line, and from the throw-in Ngatea had a * free kick which eased the . situation for them; Play.went down the field to Kerepeehi’s territory, where the defenders were penalised. Lipscombe shifted the ball from where he had’ placed it, and. Dent charged, sending it well down the field. Play became fast and. furious, and 'O’Connor was put, off’the field for punching a player and Ivan was disabled for. a few moments. . On recommencing play went to Ngatea’s. from where Kerepeehi took a shot at the goal,, but missed. Ngatea forced. Kerepeehi pressed haijd, but better play by Ngatea prevented them erpss- ’■ ring the line. The quarter ended with, loose kicking fap and down the field. After the change oyer Ngatea pressed and compelled Kerepeehi to / force. Lipscombe took a free kick, and a scrum ensued in front; of Kere'peehi’s goal, but a free kick ,to the defenders relieved. As there was a man /in front of the ball another scrum wasi ordered. From the scuffle that followed Nicoll secured a mark, but the ball did not JJise and Kerepeehi forced. From the drop-out Murphy eventually secured the ball, and with it at his toe carried play to Ngatea’s quarter, whete the ball wen: out. Ngatea repulsed the. attack, and, / aided by a free kick which- Lipscombe sent out, buentually carried play back to Kerepeehi’s territory, where later a scrum ensued within a few yards of the line: Play remained in this part-of the field for some (ime, Falwasser taking a mark, but; he did not succeed with the. kick. From the drop-put play went down the field, . only (to return again and again until the call of time, no score being recorded by either side. 1. < Kerepeehi’s extra weight made itself felt in the. line-outs, ; but Ngatea’s scrum: work was superior. 1 They hooked the ball practically , every time. The greasy state of the ball accounted a good bit for straggly’play at times and foil the bad. goal-kicking. On the whole, the play was very creditable to both teams, considering-the . day and the slate of the ground, and showed great improvement on . previ-’ ous matches. ' Campbell, Lipscombe, and-Falwas-ser; three. new players, proved an acquisition to the Ngatea team. Nicoll . played his usual,'safe and heady game. R. Spencer and Ivan 1 played very hard games, while Maguire as full-back proved very, safe. Lawrence waf one of the best forwards on the field. Adlum, the Kerepeehi full-back, took the ball well and-made good-use of it. Rapana was not up to his usual form, but still proved his worth. < Dent, as usual, stuck well to the ball. Tipa worked very hard, held his forwards together. Hawera was pn his usual game, while Masters, at five-eighths made good openings. » ■ Mr F. Stretton, was referee. PATISTONGA V. WAITAKARURU. > Patetonga was 1 beaten on Saturday ; /for the first, time on, their own ground. The match was a very hard, but clean and friendly,game, in which Waitakaruru alter stubborn forward play won particularly fay fast following up. With the scores at 6 points to o at the beginning of the last quarter Patetonga,. seemed to go to pieces, and Waitakaruru gained three tries, one of which was converted. The most conspicuous player on the field was undoubtedly, the Waitaka-

ruru captain, B. •jyallis, who played a splendid ' fast game,, outrunning hi 3 opponents. His generalship was a feature of the match. The Dalgetyj brothers were a . great aid, as'also was Clarke with his long line-kick-ing-. Stretton played a hard, honest game, and Skelly, though handicapped with an injured ankle, materially helped. In the Patetonga team Morley played a splendid, fast, and powerful game' while Millington proved a solid worker. ■ Merriman at full-back played a safe game, and his line-kicking was a feature. Cowdrey was'on th 3 ball all the time,, and played a good /game. Garry made many good openings. \ Mr A. Reid was referee. ' THE JUNIOR GAMES. NGATEA V. KEREPEEHI. ' This was also a haiM-fought game, in which both teams seemed to be evenly matched. No score was registered by either side. Play was somewhat, spoiled by the -state of the. field, there being plenty of long grass, mud, and thistles. Mr, R. Phelan was referee. WAITAKARURU V. KEREPEEHI. This was a particularly fast game, in which Paton scored two tries for Patetonga, one of which was converted by Garry, and Taylor scored t,wo tries for Waitakaruru which were not converted. Mr J. Banks was referee.