A BITTER END

NZ Truth, Issue 1184, 9 August 1928, Page 14

A BITTER END

But Stratfbtd Finds ; Sweets Again

% (From. "N;Z. • Truth's" • New:! Plymouth | ;■• ; • • ."" ■;" Rep.) „ : .\ ■;:■*.■, ■'. Fopithe second year m succes- ; 4 "'" slomand'f or the fifth since the m - •'■ ceptionof the competition m 1903, ••' '(Stratford have annexed the TaraV ; l" inaki provincial championship and ■ j ; with it, the Me Master's Shield. ; ''.. rjJNIiT two cluiis, Waimate and Ha- .'■ ;h SwejraV have a better record with six * sticceSses and" Stratford next'year •v hdbes to come Up to that level, ? , again Jhave \,had a great |. season, winning fourteen, matches and :i dr a wlngr one, Tukapa having the. honor : i of Being the only team to check them. jj During, the last three, matches it %. looked .Was! 1 if Stratford were '■ falling ■ back 1 , arid/color was lent to. that, pro.br '■• : ability by the > efforts of Stratford seV lectorjs to find some new backs. . i However, for the 'Cup final, practj- % caHy.jthe. same team, was^.cnosen as .£■ did so. well m the, divisional contest, t and ev;ery man rose to occasion. . >: Kivell went into the pack, being re'i placed 'at centre by Roy Penniall, who ';. found Kis proper niche. \ ';■. '■■■ 1 . U\Tatast Pitch >> v >„■■ v. ■ ■ . ■ ■ .'. '.■'■ ■''■-. ■ \ It provided "a, great .'.struggle worthy ti of,.a cupuflnal,. but Stratford deserved f. their elgtit-point win. "On the diy they f were the more finished team. ■ , rV With fine weather m the first spell, _ some crisp back play delighted the: ." crowd. Heavy rain jtheh/ made the i gjrbund soggy_ and the, second spell was £ a desperate, forward struggle. p Okaiawa^tried f to even up and "at times .gpofc. close to' scoring, but oyer- / eag^rne'sX^mbined with solid defence, i kept them out; ,".. . ' • .<* Smith and; Young hooked the ball ; very cleanly for Stratford whose backs, "therefore, had every chance, but the ' desperate tackling of Okaiawa spoilt v: most of the . attacking /.work, as also ;?» did the sterriy Stratford backs when ~ Okaiawa got gjplng. . i .;-..^!;^.V-' "•-"'>-» ■'-•' ;■.,'' ] Forward, QKaTawa^led^ by the V indomitable Ike, conceded nothing (; tp the redoubtable Stratford war- ;•;•■ norsi ', . •' ;''.'. : ; .:'' ■■ ;, pi '. :■"'■ ■ Coieman, the Stratford-lock, showed ;V how he has improved b^. the way he ■ «.' handled his scrum. ■ i..^^ '•/■•, ■ ' « Walter and Kiyell revelled -hi the going., Kiveli just missed Scoring his ; : usual -try. . .' ....;'■ : ••> . , A ...-..-■ ; Bond was In tln.e thick of things " and S so. was Young! Tl^ese two yoimg ex: f- for irepre^entative. honors'.'' : . .'.-.'"■ ".'■ C r-3? b FWA&y; was i the hero of the - -match- as ToyerV;:^Fit^as-''a i: - 1 "fl.d : '&le f he S^se.aiT-biisTl»'a*de'^thrbu^h'o.ut^fO^keep up ;'--'%ith the ball and made some heady. openings. . \ - '' \ Tarahaki' i 6'an.SsiS?i look forward to its rep. •programme. 'H v ■ ; -. i':i-;\,;M^^^-K ■ ■ :: :•;-■■