FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4574, 13 June 1923, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

' INTER-UNION MATCHES PLAINS V. PIAKO. A team representing the Piako Rugby Union visited Ngatea on Saturday last, and after a splendid game were defeated by the Plains team. The ground was a bit slippery, but otherwise in very fair, order. Despite the unfavourable weather about 300 spectators were present. From the start Plains showed superior play, and Piako was hardpressed. The Plains fast forwards neutralised the play of the Piako backs. A feature of the match was the Piako hooking. Piako had their best team, so the Plains did very well considering that they had not played together before. . The Plains forwards showed very prominently in the loose. The teams lined out as follows: Piako: Full-back, Magill; threequarters, F. Miller, E. Stewart, P. O'Dopaghue ; five-eighths J, Samson, J. Gilpin; half, A. Hudson; rover, J. Clarkin; forwards, J. Nelson, F. McCarthy. E. Grattan, P. McLaren, P. McGill, R. Samson, H. Rosenfeldt. Plains: Full-back, D. Fox; threequarters, K. Campbell,, C. Stretton, J. Adlurn; five-eighths, W. Molloy, F. Nicoll; half, C. Thorburn: rover, T. Ryan; forwards, .D. Cowdrey, R. Steedman, J. Millington, Morley, K. Fox, A. Taylor, D. Hill. Plains kicked off and McGill took a mark and sent the ball to midfield, where MaGill saved. Fast forward play ranged in mid-field, where Campbell marked. Hudson returned the kick to Thorburn, who passed to Adlurn, the latter carrying the ball out. From the throw-in Adlurn sent the ball up-field„ Magill saving. Campbell passed to Stretton, who centred. Plains pressed, and Magill was compelled to foi’ce. From the dropout the ball went out in neutral territory. Fast play followed until Plains attacked-with the ball at toe carried over, Piako forcing. From the drop-out Thorburn passed forward, and from the ensuing scrum Piako hooked, but W. Molloy intercepted a pass. Plains attacked, and fast work by Campbell compelled Piako to force again. Fast play followed the drpp-out, and from an interchange of kicks Thorburn found the line. From the throw-in the Plains forwards carried up the flell again Piako forcing. Play went to mid-field and Piako crossed the halfwav line for the first Magill passed forward and a scrum ensued from which the Plains forwards cleared. Shortly afterwards Adlurn made a run up the field, but Gilpin brought him down. Plains gained a penalty from the throw-fin,. but Thorburn’s kick did not succeed. A passing rush by plains was intercepted,, but the visitors were only saved through Stretton missing a pass. From a scrum Piako secured and sent the ball out of. play. Gilpin kicked to Adlurn, who followed up his kick arid erpssed the line, but the ball went over the dead ball line. Plains returned to the attack, but a free kick by Piako cleared to the half-way flag. Line play followed till the Plains forwards, with the ball at their feet, found the line near the corner. Piako relieved from the lineout. but Fox saved with a line kick. From a scrum Thorburn carried back to Piako’s territory. An interchange of kicks followed, terminating in a scrum. A passing rush by, Plains was intercepted and the ball carried out by Magill. From the throw-in Piako carried the ball to half-way. A nice passing rush by the home back carried play to the corner as time was called.

From the kick-off the ball was thrown about well, and only by putting it out continuously did Piako save. Play was confined to the forwards. Piako with a rush carried play up the field, where Plains had a free kick. Loose kicking followed. After some wild passing a scrum en-sued,-Plains getting a freq kick for off-side play by Rosenfeldt. Stretton took the kick, which was immediately followed by another. Molloy’s shot was a good one, but failed to go over the bar. From the drop-out Plains returned to the visitors’ twenty-five flag. Plains forwards carried on from the throw-in and -a scrummage ensued on the line, the ball eventually going out of play. Miller cleared well down the field with a penalty kick. From the throw-in Hudson broke through the pack, but for a knock on a scrum was ordered. Piako hooked and their backs came into' action, but a knock on gave Thorburn a free kick which sent the ball out at the twenty-five flag. Following a scrum Piako attacked and the ball went, out near the Plains line. D. Fox received a kick on the knee at ■this stage. Thorburn cleared with a mark. Miller attempted a drop-kick, which Adlum Returned to Hudson. From a scrum Piako sent the ball to the line. A free kick was awarded' against Piako for picking the bail out of a scrum, but Magill returned it to the line. Much line play ensued, Plains getting the advantage until Piako set up a forward rush from which Campbell saved by finding the line. Thorburn set his backs going, and Plains carried play well up the field. Fox retired and Stretton took his place, C. Molloy going on as centre three-quarter. Half time was called, with no score being registered.

An interchange of kicks was indulged in after the spell. From a scrum the hall was carried across the field by the Piako backs, finally going out on the other side. Another kicking bout followed till Stretton found the line at half-way. The Plains forwards forwards started to move, but Magill saved with a line kick. Much line play followed, Plains having the advantage. Loose play in mid-field terminated with an unsuccessful shot at goal by Molloy. Stretton returned the drop-out, Rosenfeldt marking. Plains forwards got the ball, but it eventually reached the backs, C. Molloy cutting in and scoring near the posts. IV. Molloy converted. Plains 5, Piako 0. From the kickpff the ball went out. Molloy made a good dash down the field, but was collared by Magill, the ball going out. Piako

carried back to the home team’s territory from the throw-in, Thor,burn clearing to the line. A fine passing rush by the Piako backs was intercepted , by Stretton, who found the line at half-way. Piako returned to Plains territory, and after much line play O’Donaghue took a mark, but Clarkin’s kick fell short. Piako attacked strenuously, a,nd from loose forward play Magill scored. Clarkin failed to convert. Plains 5, Piako 3. On commencing the last quarter the Plains forwards attacked. Molloy failed with a penalty kick and Miller forced. Ryan carried back from the drop-out, a scrum following near Piako’s line. Piako forwards broke away, but Stretton returned the ball to the visitors’ twenty : flve. Ryan and Molloy started a rush, the ball eventually reaching Campbell, who made a fine run and scored. Molloy converted. Plains 10, Piako 3. An interchange of kicks followed the drop-out until Miller carried the ball out at, half-way. After several lineout a scrum ensued from which Hud 1 son secured and sent the ball up the field, and by fast following up regained possession, but was pushed out by Nicoll at the twenty-five .flag. After several line-outs Samson took a mark, but Miller’s • kick failed. Fi;om a throw-in at, half-way the Piako backs got moving, but were stopped by Stretton. Magill failed with a penalty kick. Nicoll gained possession and cleared to the twenty-five. Tight play ensued inside Plains twenty-five line, the defenders saving the situation by finding the line. Eventually Ryan broke away and carried play to the other, end of the field. Magill returned to neutral territory with a free kick. In the ensuing line play the home team gained a lot of ground till a bad pass in the backs let Piako carry play to near the Plains S°al line. Off-side play gave Molloy a free kick, which he sent, put at the twentyfive flag. Fast forward play followed until time was called, the scores being. Plains 10, Piako 3. Mr F. Stretton was referee. At long the Piako players J. Magill, Miller, Gilpin, Hudson, Samson, and P. Magill were prominent, while in the Plains team Stretton, Thorburn, Ryan, Millington, and the Molloy brothers were conspicuous. THE JUNIOR MATCH. A junior match between teams representing Turua and Kerepeehi against Ngatea, •' Waitakaruru, and Pulctonga was played as a curtainraiser, the result being a win for West by six points to three. Trias were scored by Buchanan and Dalgety for West and R. Smith for East. No kicks were successful. SCHOOLBOYS’ MATCH. A match between teams from the Turua and the Ngatea schools was played at Ngatea, and resulted in a win for the home team by ten points to nil. HAURAKI PLAINS RUGBY UNION. MEETING OF COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Hauraki Plains Rugby Union was held at Ngatea on Saturday evening. Present: Messrs j, Costello (president), G. Por,tepus, G. Gray, C. Hayward, W. Thompson, and D. Vincent (secretary). The secretary of the Auckland Rugby Union wrote advising that as there would not be a bye in their club competition it would be difficult to make arrangements for a match against Plains. He suggested, getting into touch with the clubs.—Received. The secretary of the Thames Rugby Union advised that June 23 had been set down as the date of the Plains match against Thames for the Peace Cup.' • . The secretary, Paeroa Rugby Union, notified that his union agreed to play Plains on June 16. Arrangements in connection with the match against Paeroa on Satur-

I day next were left in the hands of the : secretary. The cars will leave Waitakaruru at 8.30 a.m., Ngatea 9 a.m. *. The team will have dinner and tea in , Paeroa. | It was suggested that third. grade 1 teams should be formed to encourage | young players. The matter was left I to Messrs Porteous and Vincent. i .